French telecommunications giant Orange has begun construction on the site that will become their new African headquarters in Ivory Coast.
The West African country was selected for the company’s new base of operations on the continent, which will cost around $50.4 million once completed, according to ITWebAfrica.
Orange is a major mobile operator across Africa, with customers present in 19 countries on the continent, including Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal and Mauritius.
A statistic that illustrates the reach of Orange is the fact that one in 10 Africans are Orange customers, with more than 120 million people using Orange as a mobile provider in Africa and the Middle East, according to Orange.
The headquarters are expected to be completed within the next two years, with plans in place to see the building officially open in November 2019.
Once completed, the building will house around 900 employees that work for the company in various municipalities across Abidjan, according to ITWeb.
The construction of the new African headquarters in Abidjan is a strategic move that will see Orange further establish itself in the West African region.
Ivory Coast has been an important market for the group, and since 2015 the operator has invested $414 million in its operations in the country to improve connectivity and access for subscribers, according to Ecofin Agency.
Stephane Richard, Orange Group CEO, explained the reasons why Ivory Coast was selected for the new African headquarters.
“The telecommunications sector is booming in Ivory Coast. We have just laid the foundation stone for Orange’s new headquarters in Ivory Coast. It is a very beautiful project that will participate in radiating the city of Abidjan,” Richard said, according to Journalducameroun.
“Orange has been investing a lot in Ivory Coast and we are pleased that the ICT sector is booming and that Orange is contributing very actively and intends to continue to do so in the future,” he added.
“The outlook for Orange Ivory Coast continues to grow in this country through the investment we make. We are one of the major investors in Ivory Coast, starting with the deployment of networks, 4G, fiber optics, mobile money,” he said.
