Money Transfer App
Your African Remittance Guide
Send or receive your money secure, fast and at-low cost!
Money Transfer App – African Remittances Guide
Send your money secure, fast and at low-cost!
I. Extensive Money Transfer Provider Comparison for African Remittances
People in Africa have been making good use of the continent’s transport and communication developments to migrate to other regions or countries in the continent for work.
Working away from home and sending money to families in remote areas has vastly improved living conditions for many in Africa. Currently, about 30 million people live and work outside their nations of origin within Africa.
- So how do these people send money to their loved ones in other African nations?
- What are the methods used, and what is the role played by the Internet-enabled online money transfer facility?
Despite recent technological advances, the cost of transferring money to Africa remains extremely expensive, with fees often surpassing 10% (see the articles "What’s holding back digital disruption in remittances in Southern Africa?" (January 2019) and "Record High Remittances Sent Globally in 2018" (April 2019), both published by the WorldBank).
However, sending money abroad doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. With the right online money transfer provider, you can even save a fortune on remittance fees.
Remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa 2017, published on DW.com
Average remittance cost to Sub-Saharan Africa, published on Economist.com
How Most Africans are Managing Fund Remittance
Online money transfers are all important, especially to the economic health of Africa and the poor recipients of those funds.
Most Africans have been using personal cash couriers or trusting dubious, fly-by-night money transfer companies. People would hand a bus or truck driver cash to be delivered to a family member, hoping against hope that it would be delivered to the correct recipient.
The other method was to take time off work (losing money in the process) to personally hand over cash across long distances. None of these methods have been safe, reliable, or timely.
See also my extensive post: How the Hawala System of Transferring Money Works in Africa
Introducing Online Money Transfers And Payments
Increased Internet access in Africa has brought many things closer to people such as information, education, social integration, and mobile banking services. It’s a well-known fact that even the people of Africa’s poorest countries have smartphones and Internet access but not necessarily bank accounts (unbanked people).
It, therefore, comes as no surprise that online remittance via money on mobile is turning out to be the answer.
Online remittance of funds by mobile phone, even to remote areas, is efficient, cheap, and safe. All that’s needed is for both the recipient and sender to have cell phones and access to the Internet.
Banks are happy with online remittance ventures, as they can provide services to rural people without establishing more branches. Banks’ wholehearted support for online remittances has another motive: they hope that eventually people will start banking more traditionally.
Read also my extensive FAQ article about a money transfer abroad.
II. main money transfer apps types
There are basically two main types of money transfer apps. Depending on where you live and what's your aim the outcome of the money transfer app choice mybe different.
Fast and cheap money transfer:
If you want to send money fast and cheap, with just a few clicks, then I recommend you a money transfer operator such as Worldremit, Xoom or Azimo. The receiver of the money does not need to have a bank account. With these online money transfer providers you send or receive your money as mobile money or mobile airtime or on a bank account within just a few minutes! It's very easy, at low-cost and secure!
Lowest fee, best currency exchange rate, from bank account to bank account:
If you want to send your money at the lowest fee and get the best currency exchange rate, then I recommend you a peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplace such as Wise or CurrencyFair! For these online money transfer providers the sender and the receiver need to have a bank account. As benefit you get the best possible currency exchange rate for your money transfer abroad.
III. target groups for Money Transfer Apps
There are many very good websites about money transfer apps. Several sites exist which find the best money transfer app for you (e.g. monito.com or Money Transfer Comparison).
But this site about online money transfers is especially customized for people with a strong Africa focus or background:
- Africans, living and working outside of Africa (USA, UK, Europe, etc) and want to send money home; e.g. students, expats, cheap labor workers, refugees or migrants
- Africans, living and working in their origin country, and expect receiving money from outside of Africa
- Africans, living and working abroad, in another African country, and want to send money between African countries
Money transfer app testimonials
Read what others are telling about using money transfer apps to send or receive money:
Yes, I have used money transfer apps, one of them being Payoneer. This app has been quite amazing to me since it allows for smooth transactions (you can use it to send or receive money in different countries in the global arena) plus it offers a selection of more than 100 currencies. As a freelancer, I have chosen it over other apps a number of times since it offers generous competitive rates.
Your article was on point. Most non-African people who have never stepped in this beautiful continent of ours have some preconceived opinions about Africa.As stated in your article, Africa is not a Country. We have great minds and innovators in large numbers in Africa. The solution to Africa challenges must come from Africans.
I definitely enjoy using Worldremit sending money outside the US. It makes it easier and faster to send money anywhere in the world.
It's super fast and easily accessed. I mean this is flash man.It helps me maximise my OPay services usage. I think there are benefits I enjoy as an OPay user.
I have to appreciate the efforts by Jens on keeping Africa informed technologically. Personally I have a great experience since I learned about Worldremit from Jen's articles. I am grateful since I receive payments promptly and no currency exchange charges on my part. Thanks Jens.
IV. good reasons for using money transfer apps
Convenience
A money transfer app is entirely useful and convenient. The fact that you can use money apps anywhere, anytime means that they are extremely necessary and efficient.
Cheaper services
Back when the only way to complete a wire transfer was via human contact, the service was extremely expensive.
Security
People who are a step ahead are the ones who use wire transfer apps. Such people enjoy the top-notch protection of all their personal or financial data.
Speedy payments
Using a money transfer app is fast. Now, you can make a funds transfer to your family or friends within minutes.
See also my post on Quora with the top reasons for using a money transfer app: Is it better to transfer money abroad using Bank Transfer (SWIFT) or Money Remittance Operator, such as Western Union or Money Gram?
V. The Best Online Money Transfer Providers available for African Countries
Money transfer apps are an important part of transferring money, you need one to be able to properly and safely transfer your money.
If you’re within an African country, an online money transfer app is essential. In addition, it makes a difference for the money transfer app provider choice if you want to
- send money from an African country (e.g. South Africa to USA or UK)
- send money to an African country (e.g. USA to Nigeria or Kenya)
- send money between African countries (e.g. Tanzania to Ghana)
You need to consider:
- general fees
- customer service
- app stability
- country support
- exchange rates
in your search for a robust money transfer app. It’s not easy to find one but we aim to assist you in your search by providing five great money transfer solutions to use within African countries.
These apps all support these South, East and Western African countries with the utmost service and offerings.
Country case Nigeria: Read my anser on Quora: What is the efficient and safe way to send money to Nigeria or other African countries from US or UK?
VI. Money Transfer Country Studies
In order to provide you thorough advice I am preparing a growing list of money transfer country reports illustrating the actual situation and challenges for different African countries.
Up to now the following articles are published:
- How can I send mobile money to Ghana?
- How to Send Money to Zimbabwe? Mukuru, Western Union, Moneygram?
- How to send money to Liberia?
- How to send money to Uganda?
- How to send money to Nigeria?
- How to send money to Kenya?
- How to send money to South Africa?
- How to send money to Tanzania?
- How to send money to Algeria?
VII. My Money Transfer App Recommendations
Worldremit
WorldRemit is a payment solution known for its competitive rates, wide range of payment methods, long list of supported countries, transfer methods, fast turnaround times and robust customer support in the form of live chat and telephone options. WorldRemit currently supports a respectable 110 countries, a few of those being from the Africa and the Middle East. The cool thing about WorldRemit is that they offer coupons which could be beneficial for newly arrived immigrants, these coupons could allow your first transfer to be completely free or a reduced fee on future exchanges.
WorldRemit’s exchange rates are among the most reasonable on the market and their customer service is second to none. This company is highly recommended by clients for such offerings, its high rating on TrustPilot speaks for itself. WorldRemit is another great choice of money transfer apps.
Azimo
Azimo is the third option on our list of money transfer apps, a company established in 2012 and they only have one office established in the UK. The platform is still quite new and unknown on the market but with time and continuance growth, they could become a major player. They have 198 currencies available for trade and exchange, the minimum transfer amount is £1. Azimo is accessible on most browsers, there is currently no dedicated app for mobile and tablet devices. Using Azimo on these devices would have you do so through the official website, don’t worry about stability and reliability because the website is a smooth-running experience most of the time, unlike other money transfer apps which are solely based on their websites. Azimo is regulated and licensed by the Financial Conduct Authority within the UK thus safety and legibility are ensured.
What sets Azimo apart from other money transfer apps is its sheer support for a slew of African countries. It has support for 50 African countries like Algeria, Chad, Nigeria and many more that can be found here.
Whilst Azimo’s support for Middle Eastern may not be up to these standards, it’s serviceable with offering for multiple countries within the region.
CurrencyFair
Our next payment processor on review today is CurrencyFair, a company established in 2010, 18 currencies are up for trade and exchange. CurrencyFair enforces a convenient minimum transfer amount of zero, so you can make a transfer of whatever amount you want.
They have offices in UK, Australia and Ireland. Satisfactory regulation and licensing include those from The Central Bank of Ireland and The Australian Securities and Investment Commission, these make CurrencyFair a legitimate and safe money transfer app to use.
CurrencyFair currently maintains a fantastic 92% rating on TrustPilot, the consensus is that it’s a comprehensive solution for money transfer. CurrencyFair has a host of countries supported, including those in the Middle East and Africa
Wise
Wise, formerly known as Wise, is the second in our list of money transfer apps, it was established in 2011. Wise currently support 38 currencies and while this is a far cry from Payoneer’s 150, it’s still an extremely valuable proposition to Middle Eastern and African immigrants as there’s lots of support for these two regions. To access Wise, you can either use the online site or the dedicated app from your mobile phone. With offices in USA, UK, Australia, Estonia, Hungary, Japan and Ukraine, Wise has fantastic support stretching across the world. Wise is currently a popular payment solution among clients as seen by its very positive 95% rating on review site TrustPilot.
Wise has so much great support for the currency within India that you might as well call it Wise India. Wise maintains a high level of transparency in regards to their pricing, high trading volumes, utmost safety and credibility, a list of awards for payment platforms, innovation, customer satisfaction and support for all types of transfer money amounts. In addition to Indian support, Wise delivers exchange to and from the popular South African ZAR currency with excellent rates and fantastic customer service. Many South African residents have vouched for the services offered to them at Wise. However there are two important things you should note, Wise payout via the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) which mandate that the transfer must go through a bunch of banks before reaching its final destination (your bank account) and as a result, the transfer may incur a fee due to the various banks it passes through. The second note is that Wise currently can’t retrieve transfers made from South Africa, this requires a manual form to be completed on the official website to process.
All in all, Wise is another great solution among multiple money transfer apps. It caters to African/Middle Eastern immigrants, refugees and the total expatriate with superb support for numerous countries within those regions.
Payoneer
Finally, we have Payoneer, a popular payment processor established in 2005. It offers many competitive services and benefits. Payoneer currently offers a deep selection of 150 currencies including those supported in Middle Eastern and African countries. The payment processor is recommended for online freelancers, merchants and businesses. Notable major partners of the processor include Internet giants Google, Amazon, UpWork and Getty Images. They have offices in a myriad countries like the USA (San Fransisco and North Carolina), Israel (Tel Aviv), UK (London), Spain, China, Beijing, Japan, Philippines and India. The company is fully in line with market regulations, they have licenses from the Financial Services Commission, Customs and Excise Department and Money Transmitter. Payoneer is a international money transfer app which gets the job done, it’s a comprehensive platform with a multitude of options and capabilities.
Payoneer has a general competitive rate on services such as no loading fees, a generous 2% foreign exchange markup, a cheap $29.99 annual fee for the Payoneer MasterCard and cheaper MasterCard common fees. Most money transfer apps do not offer such lenient services. This could be of tremendous value to an immigrant new to the country from South Africa or a Middle Eastern country like Israel. Arriving in a new country can be difficult in regards to money handling but Payoneer make it easy with their great support, diverse offerings and affordable fees. Considering its major partners, you can be sure that Payoneer is a completely safe and legible platform. Google and Amazon would have been reluctant to work with them otherwise.
Finally
Every money transfer operator or peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplace discussed here has the potential to meet your financial needs, especially if they are concerning African currencies.
It’s highly recommended that you further inspect the mentioned sites to truly find out which one is for you. Money transfer apps can be a hard thing to figure out but hopefully with our guidance, you can find one that will accomplish your needs.