French telecommunications group Orange is expanding its presence in South Africa’s mobile market after signing a deal with Nashua Mobile that will allow Orange customers travelling to and from South Africa to activate international services.

The deal will target Orange customers from Botswana and France entering South Africa, according to a report in Business Day Live. More countries will be added.

For Nashua, the deal represents a new revenue stream, the report says. Nashua is owned by Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed Reunert, and it resells products and services of local mobile network operators. Nashua has more than 150 retail outlets and more of those stores will roll out the Orange brand over time.

Orange launched a content portal and an online store six months ago in South Africa that sells electronic and telecom-related products. It also launched Orange Horizons, a subsidiary that looks for new business as a mass market telecoms provider in countries where Orange is not already present, the report said.

Orange has experience in the mobile virtual network operator market in Europe and other parts of Africa, said Orange Horizons CEO Sebastien Crozier in an interview with Business Day Live. “We are not in a hurry (for an mobile virtual network partnership). We have a long-term strategy to invest in South Africa.”

The company is lobbying the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa for a regulatory framework and environment conducive for mobile virtual network operators, the report said.