Telecommunications company Orange has registered its 10 millionth customer on its mobile payment platform, Orange Money.

The French company surprised a customer who opened an account at an Orange Money outlet in Senegal, West Africa with the prize of a smartphone and a 100,000 FCFA ($210) Orange Money credit.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Orange, Stéphane Richard described the payment service as a customer experience revolution, saying its appeal is the best proof that Orange did the right thing by introducing mobile payment services in 2008.

“I am very proud to be in Dakar today to meet our 10 millionth Orange Money customer,” said Richard.

He noted that mobile financial services make a strong contribution to socio-economic development and also represent a major growth engine for Orange in Africa and the Middle East as well as in Europe.

Orange Money’s growth has been exponential since its launch. It is now available in 13 Africa and the Middle East, including Mali, Cameroon, Egypt (Mobicash), Côte d’Ivoire, Jordan, Kenya, Guinea, Madagascar, Mauritius, Uganda, Senegal and Niger.

More companies are leveraging on Africa’s increasing mobile penetration and its growing mobile money adoption rate. Orange is not left behind. In 2013, the telco amassed over $3 billion in transactions through its Orange Money service.

According to Orange, meeting expectations of people in the Middle East and Africa is the reason for the payment service’s success.

It says its mobile money service has made life easier for customers in countries where fewer people have bank accounts, but access to mobile phone is on the rise by providing a safe way to save their money.