(Ecofin Agency) - On November 22, 2018, by creating a joint platform, Mowali, MTN and Orange launched the inter-operationality of mobile money in Africa. The platform which for the time being interconnects the more than 100 million subscribers of the two telecom operators should in the long term do so for the 153 mobile money service providers in Africa representing more than 338 million subscribers. This operation presents many opportunities for the African market.

Indeed, by launching the inter-operationality, MTN and Orange could multiply the volume of mobile money transactions in Africa (estimated to be 1.2 billion operations for $19.9 billion in value in 2017, according to GSM association; representing a 14.4% rise compared to the volume in 2016) by four by 2019.

This inter-operationality can even boost the performances of electronic payments on the continent in view of MTN and Orange’s ambition to integrate new financial service providers like banks and money transfer platforms to the Mowali. GSMA estimates that at the end of 2016, more than 40% of mobile money services were connected to a bank thus offering mobile money clients the possibility to exchange funds with banked users. With the new service, mobile money service that reaches the unbanked population, largely higher than the banked in Africa, could initiate the transformation of the banking sector in Africa.

Apart from money transfer, continental mobile money inter-operationality is also a major opportunity for E-commerce.