Orange has beaten market expectations after strong double-digit growth in Africa and the Middle East offset mounting pressure in its home market of France.
The telco reported quarterly core profit slightly ahead of expectations yesterday, which underlined the continent’s growing weight in global telecoms earnings as it successfully delivered all the ambitions of its Lead the Future 2023–2025 Strategic Plan objectives.
The French group posted quarterly EBITDAaL of $4bn (3.6 billion euros) for the period ending December 2025, ahead of analyst expectations of $3.6bn (3.3 billion euros). Fourth-quarter revenue rose 2.2% to $11.6bn (10.5 billion euros).
According to the results, the numbers tell a deeper story for African markets. Africa & Middle East revenues jumped 12.2% in 2025, contributing $1.01 bn (918 million euros) to group growth, while EBITDAaL in the region surged 13.9%, marking an eleventh consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.
Orange is the fourth biggest telecoms operator in Africa, with operations in 18 countries across the continent and the Middle East, serving part of its global customer base of more than 340 million users.
“Africa & Middle East confirmed its role as a growth driver,” said Chief Executive Officer Christel Heydemann. “Our customer bases in Europe and Africa & Middle East continued to grow and we now have more than 340 million customers.”
Mobile data revenues in the region climbed 18.6%, fixed broadband rose 18.4%, Orange Money increased 18%, while B2B services expanded 10.4%, highlighting the rapid digitisation of African economies.
The performance caps the success of Orange’s “Lead the Future 2023–2025” strategic plan, launched in February 2023 to simplify operations, boost efficiency and prioritise value creation. The plan targeted EBITDAaL growth of at least 3.5%, organic cash flow of at least $4bn (3.6 billion euros), strict capital expenditure discipline, and stronger returns for shareholders.
“In 2025, we successfully completed our Lead the Future strategic plan: Orange is now simpler, stronger, and more efficient. Our 2025 objectives were fully achieved,” said Heydemann.
Group EBITDAaL rose 3.8% to $13.7 bn (12.47 billion euros) for the year, organic cash flow climbed 8.3% to 3.7 billion euros, and the company met its $660m (600 million euros) efficiency savings target over three years.
While revenues in France fell 2.1% amid fierce price competition and copper network dismantling costs, growth in Africa and the Middle East cushioned the impact, reinforcing the region’s strategic importance.
As African markets accelerate mobile data adoption, fintech usage and fibre expansion, Orange’s results reflect a broader shift that the continent is no longer peripheral to global telecom strategy but central.
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