Sending From South Africa to M-Pesa (2024)

Are you a Kenyan living in South Africa, wondering how to send money to your loved ones back home?

There’s a lot to consider when sending money from South Africa to M-Pesa in Kenya, from fees to exchange rates and the reliability of mobile money services. The constant struggle between supporting your family and evading extra expenses and scams is real.

It would’ve been easier if the reputable M-Pesa allowed direct transfers from South Africa to Kenya. Unfortunately, you need a third-party app to make this happen.

But, which third-party apps are the best, how much do they cost, and what are the requirements for signing up? Let’s find out.

Find the cheapest and fastest service using Monito's live comparison engine below 👇

Find the best way to send money from SA to M-Pesa in Kenya:

Best Ways to Send Money From South Africa to M-Pesa in Kenya

• 01. Using WorldRemit scroll down
• 02. Using Mukuru scroll down
• 03. Using Mama Money scroll down
• 04. Using a legacy operator scroll down
• 05. Using your bank scroll down
• 06. Final thoughts scroll down
• 07. FAQ about sending to M-Pesa in Kenya scroll down

How to Send Money From SA to M-Pesa in Kenya

The best (i.e., the cheapest and fastest) way to send money to Kenya from South Africa is through a digital money transfer service. M-Pesa has unfortunately not fully integrated with any digital money transfer specialists in South Africa, meaning that if you want to take advantage of great exchange rates and high speeds, then you'll first have to send your rands to companies like WorldRemit, Mukuru or Mama Money, who convert it into shillings and pass the money along to your beneficiary's GCash account in Kenya.

We’ve compared different platforms regarding transaction costs, exchange rates, and the time it takes for the money to reach the recipient.

Below is a brief step-by-step for getting the job done as affordably and hassle-free as possible:

• Step 01

  Compare on Monito

  Run a search on our free real-time comparison engine to find the best provider for your transfer.

  

• Step 02

  Select the cheapest deal

  On the 'Wallet' tab, find your preferred provider and click to go to their website.

  

• Step 03

  Create an account

  Sign up for free on the provider's website.

  

• Final step

  Send ZAR to KES via M-Pesa

  Set up your transfer by adding a transaction amount and a beneficiary. Then, send the money!

  Compare providers on Monito now

According to thousands of comparisons made on Monito throughout 2023,WorldRemitwas, on average, the best option for Kenyans in South Africa trying to send money to M-Pesa back home.Mukuru, another great option, was the second best, but its transfers generally aren't as fast as WorldRemit's. Western Union, MoneyGram and banks provide additional alternatives, too. In the sections below, we explore each provider in a bit more detail.

Best Option: WorldRemit

WorldRemitis a UK-based remittance platform that's usually the best and fastest way to send money to Kenya from South Africa. Card payments, cash transfers, and bank account transfers are supported from SA to M-Pesa wallets abroad (not only in Kenya but most countries where M-Pesa is available).

8.3

• Avg. cost from SA to Kenya: R15 ±4.4%
• Transfer limits: Up to R4,999 per transfer
• More info: See our full WorldRemit review or visit their website.

2nd-Best Option: Mukuru

Mukuru is a fast, reliable, and affordable platform for sending money from South Africa to numerous countries worldwide, including Kenya.

Registering for a Mukuru account is the first step to sending money from South Africa directly to your loved one’s M-Pesa wallet in Kenya. Once your Mukuru account is up and running, you can place an order to send money to your family and friends in Kenya.

Note that you must have your recipient’s details since you’ll need to submit them when placing your order. You can place your send order at any time in the following ways:

• Use the Mukuru app
• WhatsApp +27860018555
• Call +27860018555
• Visit the Mukuru Mobi site
• Dial *130*566# for free

8.3

• Avg. cost from SA to Kenya: R75 ±2.05%
• Transfer limits: Up to R1,000,000
• More info: Check out their website

3rd-Best Option: Mama Money

Mama Moneyis a South African-based fintech that lets you send money to countries across the globe transparently and reliably. It's a great local alternative to WorldRemit for transfers to M-Pesa wallets in Kenya, though it's not always quite as cheap in terms of its exchange rates for small transfers. However, for larger transfers (e.g. above R5,000), its fixed fee means it becomes cheaper than WorldRemit.

7.1

• Avg. cost from SA to Kenya: 0.03% + R25
• Transfer limits: Up to R50,000
• More info: Check out their website.

4th-Best: Legacy Providers

In addition to WorldRemit and Mama Money, using a traditional transfer operator such as Western Union or MoneyGram is another alternative to sending money from South Africa to a M-Pesa account in Kenya.

Although legacy platforms are usually more expensive than online-only platforms, they usually still offer decent exchange rates, and which is ultimately cheaper depends on precisely how much money you're sending. That's why we recommend comparing money transfer providers before every new transfer you send to Kenya.

Let's go over the leading platforms in this category:

• Western Union: Western Union is the world's largest and oldest money transfer operator. It offers money transfers to M-Pesa in Kenya from dozens of countries across the globe, including from South Africa. See our full Western Union review or visit their website to learn more.
• MoneyGram: After Western Union, MoneyGram is the world's second-largest money transfer operator and offers money transfers from South Africa to M-Pesa in Kenya. See our full MoneyGram review or visit their website to learn more.

Worst Option: Banks

If you live in South Africa but keep a bank account in Kenya, it's sometimes possible to convert foreign currency to shillings and deposit it into somebody's M-Pesa account locally.

While it can make sense if you maintain a bank account in Kenya which offers this service (and you don't mind paying slightly higher fees), it's not a good option if you want to save money, as costs can quickly amount to more than 5% of the total transaction amount. You can learn more about the high costs of using your bank to send money abroad in our dedicated explainer.

Instead, we recommend choosing an online provider on this list like WorldRemit, or comparing money transfer providers in real-time below to find the best deal for your specific transfer:

Transfer cheaply to a loved one's M-Pesa account in Kenya:

If you’ve been having trouble finding reputable and affordable platforms to send money from South Africa to M-Pesa in Kenya, I hope this article has shed some light on the best options.

Sending money from South Africa to Kenya can be stressful because some platforms charge outrageous fees. However, Worldremit and Mukuru offer competitive rates.

Whether you’re sending your loved ones upkeep, school fees, or medical expenses, these platforms are worth a try.