Orange opens digital center in Guinea-Bissau

Pan-African operator Orange has opened an Orange Digital Center (ODC) in Guinea-Bissau.

In a statement, the company said its ODCs are an ecosystem dedicated to developing digital skills to promote innovation, strengthening the employability of young people and supporting local entrepreneurship.

The Guinea-Bissau ODC will bring together in a single location a selection of free programs ranging from hands-on digital training for young people, support for project leaders, and startup acceleration and investment.

"This initiative marks a significant step forward in Orange's commitment to digital development and socio-economic inclusion in Guinea-Bissau," the company said.

"The center includes a coding school, a 'FabLab Solidaire' which is a digital production workshop for creating and prototyping, an 'Orange Fab' startup accelerator and benefits from the support of Orange Ventures Africa, the Orange Group's investment fund, which invests in the most promising startups," it continued.

Orange Middle East and Africa Deputy CEO, Brelotte Ba, said the center is more than just a technology center, it is a promise of transformation and growth for the digital future of Guinea-Bissau and Africa.

"By providing free access to cutting-edge resources, we hope to inspire a new generation of creators and leaders and contribute to an inclusive digital economy," Ba added.

The ODC will bring together a selection of free programs including hands-on digital training for young people, support for project leaders, startup acceleration and investment. (Source: Orange media center)

Sekou Dramé, CEO of Sonatel and chairman of the board of Orange Bissau, said the inauguration of the OCD is a crucial step in the Sonatel Group's commitment to innovation and digital inclusion in the country.

Orange Bissau is a subsidiary of the Sonatel Group, which is part of Orange Group.

"Digital transformation makes a strong contribution to achieving sustainable development goals, generating a significant impact," added Orange Guinea Bissau CEO Thérèse Nogoye Tounkara.

Orange Digital Centers grow in Africa

Orange Digital Center Bissau is part of a network of 26 ODCs across Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

The ODCs offer support throughout the startup lifecycle, intending to stimulate regional entrepreneurship and innovation.

To grow the network, Orange Ventures and Digital Africa teamed up in May 2024 to invest more in tech startups in Africa and the Middle East through Digital Africa's Fuzé program.

That partnership followed an April joint launch between Orange, the European Union and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) of the "DigiGreen & Agri" project aimed at promoting digital transformation in Côte d'Ivoire.

Want to know more? Sign up to get the weekly Connecting Africa newsletter direct to your inbox.

In February 2023, Orange and the German Development Cooperation opened a ODC in Sierra Leone's capital city, Freetown.

Orange has built similar Digital Centers in places like Tunisia, Ethiopia, Mali, Senegal, Egypt, Jordan, Madagascar, Morocco, Liberia, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon.

Related posts:

*Top image is of Orange representatives at the ODC opening in Guinea-Bissau.(Source: Orange)

— Matshepo Sehloho, Associate Editor, Connecting Africa