Orange Group Middle East and Africa CEO Yasser Shaker said he is aiming to triple the number of users of the Max It super app to 75 million as part of a broader strategy to sustain growth across the operator’s African footprint.

Speaking at Mobile World Congress Barcelona, Shaker said the app currently has around 25 million users and integrates services including mobile finance, streaming, gaming and telecom offerings.

Shaker said the push to expand Max It forms part of the wider group’s “Trust the Future” strategy, which identifies innovation as a key pillar for growth.

The company aims to reach 75 million users by the end of 2028, a goal Shaker described as deliberately ambitious to drive internal momentum.

“A super app means people can go there for everything – marketplace, TV streaming, gaming and payments,” he said, adding that Orange Money currently acts as the main payment platform within the app.

Growth beyond connectivity

Shaker said Orange’s Middle East and Africa business is expanding across multiple segments rather than relying solely on traditional connectivity services.

Data and connectivity remain the core growth engine, with revenue in this segment increasing by around 18%. Mobile financial services are also growing rapidly, with Orange Money recording roughly 18% growth over the past year.

The platform processes around €20 billion in transfers every month and has a customer base of approximately 47 million users, highlighting the increasing role of financial services within telecom ecosystems.

Enterprise services are also gaining traction. Although still relatively small, Orange’s ICT business is expanding quickly, while the wider B2B segment is growing by about 10%.

Overall, the Middle East and Africa division delivered its strongest performance yet in 2025, with revenue rising more than 12% and EBITDA increasing by nearly 14%, bringing margins close to 40%.

Africa’s demographic advantage

Shaker emphasised that Africa’s demographic and economic dynamics continue to make it one of the most promising regions for telecom growth.

The continent has a population exceeding 1.5 billion people and one of the youngest demographics globally, with an average age of around 20. Combined with steady population growth and a mobile-first culture, this creates strong demand for digital services.

Orange currently operates in 18 markets across Africa and the Middle East, with a deliberately diversified footprint. No single country accounts for more than 10% of the regional business, a structure Shaker said helps mitigate geopolitical and currency risks.

AI and digital skills

Artificial intelligence is playing an increasing role in the operator’s strategy, particularly in network management and customer analytics. In Africa’s largely prepaid markets, operators must analyse customer behaviour in real time as users can easily switch between providers.

AI is also helping accelerate the development of platforms such as Max It, enabling faster software design and updates.

Shaker added that localisation will be important for digital services in Africa due to the continent’s linguistic diversity and varying literacy levels. The company is experimenting with AI tools that support local languages to improve accessibility.

Alongside commercial initiatives, Orange is investing in digital education through its network of Orange Digital Centres, which have trained more than 1.3 million people. The company is also partnering with universities and technology firms to deliver free training programmes.

5G and connectivity expansion

Orange is continuing to expand 5G coverage across the region, with deployments underway in several markets including Egypt, Morocco, Botswana, Senegal and Tunisia.

In many cases, the technology is being used to support fixed wireless access services, providing broadband connectivity in areas where fibre networks are limited.

Shaker said fibre remains focused on dense urban areas, while 5G offers a more practical solution for expanding broadband coverage in less populated regions.

The operator competes with major regional players including MTN Group, Airtel Africa and Vodacom across many markets.

Despite growing competition from fintech companies and neobanks, Shaker said Orange remains confident in its position provided that all players operate under the same regulatory conditions.