Orange money users in Côte d'Ivoire can now transfer electronic money to Airtel money customers in Burkina Faso following a partnership between the two telcos.

Orange money is the French telecoms operator's mobile money service that allows customers to use their mobile phones to transfer electronic money in real-time.

And in a statement Orange said the partnership marks the first time Orange money customers will be able to send or receive money outside of its footprint.

The partnership builds on the existing "Orange Money International Transfer" offer, which enables Orange Money customers based in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Mali to carry out cross-border money transfers, the company noted.

Orange Money is available in 13 countries in Africa and the Middle East and currently has over 13 million customers, says Orange.

"Following the successful launch of Orange Money International Transfer between Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Mali, we want to develop new ways to allow our customers to send and receive money between countries in the West African Economic and Monetary Union," said Thierry Millet, Orange's senior vice president for Mobile Financial Services and NFC.

"We are very happy to launch this service between Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso, which meets one of the region's biggest needs," he added.

People living in Burkina Faso will also be able to send money to contacts in Côte d'Ivoire using their mobile phones, according to the statement.