Orange & Vodacom JV Sets Sights on Rural Connectivity in the DRC

Orange's Middle East & Africa division has entered into a joint venture with Vodacom to improve mobile connectivity across rural parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The partners aim to roll out 1,000 new cell sites to cover low-density areas, with an option to build another 1,000 if the initial phase goes well.

The first base station is slated to begin operations this year, and the entire rollout is anticipated to span approximately six years, subject to regulatory approvals. To meet the challenges of power supply and logistics in remote regions, all new sites will be solar-powered, reducing reliance on unreliable electricity and lowering operating costs.

Under the terms of the joint venture, Orange and Vodacom will share both active and passive infrastructure, each acting as anchor tenants for the first 20 years. The JV also plans to offer passive infrastructure services to other mobile network operators where technically feasible.

Connectivity in the DRC is currently limited: mobile penetration stands at about 32.3%, significantly lagging the averages in sub-Saharan Africa (≈44%) and regional peers. Orange's CEO for Middle East & Africa, Jérôme Hénique, emphasized that collaboration and shared infrastructure are key to rapidly expanding coverage while reducing environmental footprint. Meanwhile, Vodacom CEO Shameel Joosub underscored the social and economic impact of enabling connectivity in underserved areas.

While overlaps between Orange and Vodacom elsewhere in Africa are limited, this joint venture may serve as a blueprint for other operators regionally, who are seeking cost-effective ways to deliver rural mobile coverage.