South Africa's Absa and Thunes Launch Digital Remittance Service Targeting 18 Countries
Absa Global Pay offers instant transfers to bank accounts, mobile wallets, and cash pickup points across Africa, Asia, and the UK — backed by Thunes' payments network.
A new contender has entered the cross-border remittance space. Absa, one of South Africa's largest banks, partnered with global payments network Thunes to launch Absa Global Pay on March 3 — a digital-first service that lets customers send money to 18 countries from their Absa banking app.
How it works
Absa Global Pay supports three delivery methods: direct bank deposits, mobile wallet credits, and cash pickup. Recipients in markets like Kenya, India, Pakistan, Malawi, and Zimbabwe can choose whichever method suits them best. The service processes transfers in what Absa describes as "near real-time" for most corridors, with cash pickup available within hours.
The initial corridor list targets some of the largest remittance flows in and out of Southern Africa. Notably, the service also supports transfers to the UK — a corridor that typically moves in the opposite direction (UK to Africa), suggesting Absa sees demand from South Africa's professional diaspora sending money northward.
The Thunes connection
Thunes, a Singapore-based payments network, connects over 130 countries through direct integrations with mobile wallets, banks, and cash-out networks. The company has quietly become a key infrastructure player in emerging-market payments, powering the backend for several well-known remittance brands. Its partnership with Absa gives the bank instant access to payout infrastructure that would have taken years to build independently.
Competitive implications
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most expensive region to send money to, with average costs of 7.4% for a $200 transfer according to the World Bank. New entrants like Absa Global Pay inject competition into corridors that have traditionally been dominated by Western Union, MoneyGram, and a handful of regional operators. More competition typically means lower prices — a pattern we've seen play out in mature digital corridors like USA to Nigeria and UK-to-Philippines. For a deeper look at these trends, see our 2026 global remittance trends report, or compare costs right now using our guide to the cheapest ways to send money internationally.