Orange has posted solid first-quarter 2026 results, with Africa and the Middle East emerging as the engines behind the telecom giant’s global growth.
The results, released early this morning, have reinforced the Africa’s rising importance to one of the largest telecom operators.
The Paris-based group reported revenues of $11 billion (€10.1 billion) for the quarter, up 3.5% year-on-year, while Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, Amortisation, and after Leases (EBITDAaL) climbed 6.6% to $2.9 billion (€2.6 billion).
At the heart of this performance was a standout +12.7% surge in its Africa and Middle East division, marking the 12th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in the region.
“The sustained commercial performance in Africa and the Middle East remains the main contributor to our growth,” said Orange CEO Christel Heydemann, as the giant telco upgraded its full-year EBITDAaL guidance to above 3%.
For African markets, the numbers underscore a broader shift in Orange’s future growth, increasingly tied to emerging economies where mobile-first connectivity, fintech, and digital services are expanding rapidly.
Heydemann pointed out that the group’s key revenue drivers in Africa and the Middle East were led by mobile data (+19.4%), fixed broadband (+14.5%), Orange Money (+15.7%), and B2B services (+8.7%).
“These segments highlight the telco’s evolution beyond traditional voice into data, digital finance, and enterprise solutions,” she said.
As the fourth largest telecoms company in Africa with over 160 million customers, Orange operates in over a dozen markets across the continent, including major hubs such as Egypt, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Mali.
Its footprint spans mobile connectivity, fibre broadband, and one of Africa’s fastest-growing mobile money platforms.
Group-wide growth was also supported by retail services (+2.9%) and strong wholesale performance (+6.1%), boosted by fibre co-financing in France. Meanwhile, Europe and France posted steady gains of +2.2% and +2.3% respectively, reflecting resilience in mature markets.
With more than 294 million customers globally, Orange’s reach and diversified footprint position it as a key player in Africa’s digital transformation.
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