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Orange, the French telecoms giant, has announced that it signed a partnership agreement with Vivo Energy, the Shell licensee in Africa, to expand mobile money services in nine African countries, according to a statement released on Tuesday.

The Paris-based company said the agreement allows Orange Money customers to cash in or cash out from their accounts through any Shell service station operated by Vivo Energy.

With the agreement, Orange said the new service – which is currently available in Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, and Madagascar – will now be extended to Botswana, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mauritius, Senegal, and Tunisia by mid-2017.

“Together with Vivo Energy, through this multi-country partnership, we significantly increase the number of merchants that accept mobile money transactions,” said Thierry Millet, Executive Vice President in charge of Mobile Financial services at Orange Group. “This is a real gain of proximity for our shared customers that can pay in a fast and secure way, and cash in and cash out from any Vivo Energy outlet.”

Orange said the agreement with Vivo Energy was an effort to strengthen both companies’ footprints in Africa in addition to improving their customers’ experience. Thus, Orange Money customers will have access to a network of over 1,000 Shell service stations operated by Vivo Energy. On the other hand, Vivo Energy customers will enjoy the “trusted and secured” services offered by the Orange Money platform.

Founded in 2011, Amsterdam-based Vivo Energy is the Shell licensee in 16 African markets responsible for distributing Shell-branded fuels and lubricants. Helios Investment Partners, a London-based private equity firm, and Vitol Group, an energy and commodity trading company, each own 40 percent of Vivo Energy, while Royal Dutch Shell owns the remaining 20 percent.

“This initiative fits our overall strategy of offering innovating solutions, a convenient experience to our customers and developing a lasting relationship with them,” said David Mureithi, Executive Vice President at Vivo Energy. “Through this alliance with Orange Money, we want to expand the range of services we offer to our customers and also allow them to pay in a simple and easy way on our retail sites.”

Orange is one of the world’s leading telecoms firms with a total customer base of 236 million customers worldwide, including 194 million mobile customers and 18 million fixed broadband customers in about 28 countries. In Africa, the French telecoms giant has operations in over 20 countries, including Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Niger, Mali, Tunisia, Kenya, Egypt, etc.