Cheapest Ways to Send Money to Africa From the UK or US

Sending money home from the UK, US or Europe? Apps and mobile money transfers beat banks and cash agents almost every time. But the app with the lowest fee isn't always the one that delivers the most.

On 5 October 2026, £150 sent to M-Pesa through WorldRemit delivered more shillings than Wise did, even though Wise uses the real exchange rate. Below we compare the options for Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa. Paying a business in another African country instead? PAPSS now settles that directly in local currency.

Quick comparison: sending GBP 150 from the UK

This is what GBP 150 turned into on 5 October 2026, checked directly on Wise's pricing pages and WorldRemit's calculator.

WorldRemit's Kenya quote that day included a one-off "welcome rate" of 170.9537 for a first transfer, against its standard 170.0278. You won't get the welcome rate on your second transfer, so don't plan around it. Both rates still beat Wise's bank-payout rate for Kenya.

Sending from the US works the same way, just in dollars: Wise charged $10.42 to send $200 to Kenya at a rate of 129.80 KES/$ (you'd get roughly KES 24,607), while WorldRemit's M-Pesa payout for the same $200 landed closer to KES 26,000 with no stated fee, on the same day.

How much does it cost to send money to Kenya from the UK or US?

The cheapest way to get money into Kenya right now is straight into M-Pesa through an app like WorldRemit, not a bank transfer. On Wise's own pricing page, sending USD 1,000 to a Kenyan bank account costs $17.79 (1.78%) by bank-to-bank transfer or $13.41 (1.34%) if you pay by direct debit from your own bank, at a rate of 129.800 KES per dollar, arriving in minutes to about a day. WorldRemit's M-Pesa payout is instant, it says 90% of its transfers reach its Kenyan partners within minutes, and on 5 October 2026 it showed no separate fee on top of its exchange rate for both bank and mobile-money payouts.

You can also receive money straight into M-Pesa without a fintech app. Safaricom's M-Pesa Global page confirms that M-Pesa customers can receive money from abroad through partners including Western Union, directly into their M-Pesa account. That's handy if your relative already sends with Western Union from the UK or US. Once the money lands, check our M-Pesa charges calculator before you send or withdraw it, because M-Pesa's own fees apply from then on.

Freelancers paid by clients abroad, rather than families sending money home, have different options. See our guide to receiving payments via Payoneer and M-Pesa. For more on managing money once it's in Kenya, visit our Kenya section.

How much does it cost to send money to Nigeria from the UK or US?

For Nigeria, Wise and WorldRemit are close, and WorldRemit came out slightly ahead on the day we checked. Wise's pricing page quotes $12.18 (1.22%) to send USD 1,000 by bank transfer, or $7.78 (0.78%) by direct debit, at 1,352.08 NGN per dollar, with most transfers arriving within a day. On a smaller GBP 150 transfer on 5 October 2026, WorldRemit's bank payout showed no fee at 1,782.02 NGN per pound (₦267,303 received), while Wise charged £1.43 at 1,787.61 (₦265,585). It's a rare case where Wise's better rate didn't win once you count the whole amount.

WorldRemit says 90% of its transfers to Nigeria reach its local partners within minutes, and bank transfers specifically land within about an hour. Mobile-money payout to Nigeria wasn't available through WorldRemit's calculator on the corridors we tested that day, so a bank account is currently the practical option for an instant digital transfer. If your reason for receiving money from abroad is freelance or business income rather than a family transfer, our guide on withdrawing PayPal money in Nigeria covers that separately. More Nigeria-specific guides are in our Nigeria section.

How much does it cost to send money to Ghana from the UK or US?

In Ghana, you can send straight to mobile money: both Wise and WorldRemit pay into MTN MoMo as well as bank accounts. On Wise's pricing page, sending USD 1,000 to Ghana costs $17.39 (1.74%) by bank transfer or $13.01 (1.3%) by direct debit, at 11.7450 GHS per dollar. On a GBP 150 transfer on 5 October 2026, WorldRemit quoted 15.5676 GHS per pound for both bank and MTN MoMo payouts, with no separate fee, while Wise charged £2.82 at 15.5328. WorldRemit's Ghana page says 90% of transfers reach its local partners within minutes, and both payout types count as "instant" from then.

Browse more for this market in our Ghana section.

How much does it cost to send money to South Africa from the UK or US?

South Africa is the only one of these four countries with no mobile money payout on Wise or WorldRemit, because it doesn't have one dominant mobile wallet like Kenya or Ghana. You're sending to a bank account either way. Wise's pricing page quotes $13.83 (1.38%) by bank transfer or $9.43 (0.94%) by direct debit to send USD 1,000, at 16.6371 ZAR per dollar. Paying by debit card costs more ($23.02, 2.3%) and by credit card much more ($68.67, 6.9%), so avoid cards if you can. On a GBP 150 transfer on 5 October 2026, WorldRemit charged £1.99 at 21.7551 ZAR per pound (R3,263 received), slightly ahead of Wise's £3.09 fee at 21.9921 (R3,231). WorldRemit also said cash pickup wasn't available for that amount, as it was below its minimum for that method.

More guides for this market are in our South Africa section.

What about Western Union and Mukuru?

Western Union and Mukuru are worth knowing about mainly because of reach: Western Union has agent locations and bank-deposit options in nearly every African country, and Mukuru is especially strong for cash pickup and bank or mobile top-ups into Southern Africa and Zimbabwe specifically. Neither site shows you a real fee or rate until you type in your amount, destination and payout method on their own calculator, the figures move by corridor and by the day, so there's no honest single number to quote here. What you can rely on: cash-pickup networks generally cost more than app-to-mobile-money transfers for the same amount, because someone has to staff and stock cash at thousands of physical locations. Use them when your recipient has no bank account or mobile wallet, or needs cash in hand immediately; otherwise, check their calculator against Wise or WorldRemit's quote for the same amount before you commit. In Zimbabwe, remittances paid into an EcoCash wallet can be cashed out free up to US$5,000; see EcoCash charges in Zimbabwe. For live quotes to Sierra Leone, including what arrives in new leones, see how to send money to Sierra Leone.

Mistakes that make transfers cost more

• "No fee" doesn't mean cheapest. WorldRemit and similar apps often show £0 or $0 as the fee, then take their margin inside the exchange rate instead. Always compare the final amount the recipient gets, not the fee line by itself.
• Welcome rates don't repeat. A noticeably better rate on your first transfer with a new app is usually a one-off promotion. Check the rate again on your second transfer before assuming it'll match.
• Paying by card costs more than a bank transfer. On Wise's South Africa prices, paying by credit card cost about 6.9%, against 0.94% by direct debit, on the same $1,000. Most apps and countries work the same way, so pay from your bank account where you can.
• Mobile money isn't available everywhere. It works well into M-Pesa in Kenya and MTN MoMo in Ghana, but in Nigeria and South Africa these apps mostly pay into bank accounts only. Don't assume every country has it.
• Double-check the phone number or account details. A wrong digit on a mobile-money payout usually means the receiver simply never gets a deposit alert, and getting it reversed takes longer than most senders expect. Confirm the number with your recipient the same day you send, not from an old message.

Moving abroad for work yourself? See the real cost of moving to the UK and how to check a recruitment agency.

Frequently asked questions

What's the cheapest way to send money to Kenya from the UK?

On the corridors we checked on 5 October 2026, sending straight into M-Pesa through an app like WorldRemit worked out cheaper than a bank transfer through Wise, even though Wise advertises a zero-markup exchange rate. Always compare the actual amount received on the day, since rates move.

Can I send money from the UK directly into someone's M-Pesa account?

Yes. Apps such as WorldRemit pay out directly to M-Pesa, and Safaricom's own M-Pesa Global service also lets registered M-Pesa users receive funds from abroad through partners including Western Union. Check which option your sender already has an account with before picking one.

Is Wise or WorldRemit cheaper for sending money to Nigeria?

On a GBP 150 transfer checked on 5 October 2026, WorldRemit's bank payout delivered slightly more naira than Wise once its exchange rate and zero stated fee were weighed against Wise's lower fee but better headline rate. For larger transfers, Wise's own pricing page is worth checking directly, since its fee is a smaller percentage on bigger amounts.

How much does Western Union charge to send money to Africa?

Western Union doesn't publish a fixed fee for Africa; its calculator works out the fee and exchange rate per corridor, amount and payout method once you enter your details on westernunion.com. Check it against an app quote for the same amount before sending, since cash-pickup networks are usually pricier than app-to-mobile-money transfers.

Is it cheaper to send USD or GBP when sending money to South Africa?

Neither currency has a built-in advantage. What matters is the provider and the rate on the day, not whether you send dollars or pounds. South Africa has no major mobile money network, so you send to a bank account either way with both Wise and WorldRemit.

How long does a mobile money transfer from abroad take to arrive?

WorldRemit says 90% of its mobile money transfers reach its local African partners within minutes, and M-Pesa and MTN MoMo payouts usually count as instant from then. Bank payouts usually take longer. Wise's own estimates range from a few hours to about a day, depending on the country and how you pay.