Orange supports AFCON 2013
In addition to its role as sponsor, the event is particularly important for Orange because six of the teams who will be competing come from countries where the group operates its own network: Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Mali, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tunisia and Morocco.
Orange will be present on the ground in South African stadiums but will also offer a variety of digital services on mobile phones (for which it has rights to exclusive content) and on the web via www.StarAfrica.com. This event has also provided the pretext for Orange to launch its first retail activity in South Africa through two websites.
Orange has been a supporter of football in countries in which the group is present for many years. The group currently sponsors national teams in Cameroon, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Niger, the Central African Republic, Botswana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This commitment to African football took on a new dimension with the signature of the partnership between Orange and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 2009, through which the group became the principal sponsor of the six major CAF competitions until 2016.
Dedicated services
Benefiting from the experience gained from previous editions of Orange AFCON, the group is once again developing dedicated services and events so that its customers may fully enjoy their passion for football during the competition.
This year Orange will offer the following services to football fans throughout Africa:
Several texting services are also offered, including "SMS Alert", which sends alerts when a team scores and gives match results directly on one's mobile, and "SMS Chat", which enables supporters to discuss match highlights or take part in quizzes.
This program, which has already attracted over two million users, is now available in 14 countries where the group operates.
Special commercial offers
Orange's aim is to help football fans across Africa to get the most out of the competition. It has therefore developed a series of services that provide supporters with access to the latest information as well as various games and entertainment services. These include:
'Orange villages'
In many of the main cities in countries where the group operates, Orange will set up "Orange villages" where the main matches will be broadcast on giant screens. A variety of fun activities will also be provided, including football-related video game competitions or photo contests, allowing supporters to meet and share their enthusiasm in a festive atmosphere.
The Orange Horizons project
Orange has launched two websites to give the fans present for the event maximum support, thus officially inaugurating its retail operations in South Africa. This is the first project of Orange Horizons, the group subsidiary that will seek business opportunities in countries outside Orange's operator footprint. The projects will build on brand recognition and on the group's global reach.
The first website, store.orange.com/za is an e-commerce website that will market telecommunications-related devices and accessories. Later, it will also market commercial offers to people travelling between South Africa and countries where the group is present.
The second site is a country website available at www.orange.com/za, which provides news feeds and exclusive content specifically tailored for a South African audience. Users connecting to the site will be able to enter a contest to win tickets to several matches, including the final.
Both websites will remain online after the tournament, anchoring Orange's long-term presence in South Africa.
