Remittance corridor · World Bank RPW · 2025Q1
South Africa → Zimbabwe
What it really costs to send money from South Africa to Zimbabwe, with the cheapest provider on record and the gap to the UN's 3% target.
- 11.9%
- Average cost
- 5.0%
- Cheapest · Sasai Money Transfer
- $1.8B
- Annual volume
- 14
- Providers tracked
The verdict
At 11.9%, this corridor costs more than most, only 7% of tracked corridors are pricier, but the cheapest provider charges just 5.0% - switching saves about $13.88 on every $200 sent.
- 11.9%
- average cost of a $200 transfer
- +5.2pp
- vs the 6.7% average of 322 corridors
- +8.9pp
- gap to the UN 3% target
- $167/yr
- saved by switching to the cheapest, 12 transfers
Compared against the 322 corridors we actually track, not a generic headline figure.
How South Africa → Zimbabwe compares
Average cost of a $200 transfer, percent, lower is cheaper
11.91% average - 8.9pp above target
Cost trend: South Africa → Zimbabwe
Average and cheapest cost of a $200 transfer over time, percent
Sending Country
Receiving Country
Nearby Corridors from South Africa
South Africa is one of the most connected sending markets in our data, with 10 tracked outbound corridors. The 8 below span the widest cost range, from the cheapest to send anywhere from South Africa through to the most expensive.
What the South Africa → Zimbabwe Data Tells Us
Sending money from South Africa to Zimbabwe currently costs an average of 11.91% of the transfer amount, according to World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) data as of 2025Q1. That is 5.2 percentage points above the 6.7% average of the 322 corridors we track, though still below the World Bank's reported global average of about 6.4%.
On the cheapest end of the market, Sasai Money Transfer delivers this corridor at 4.97% - the floor price a South Africa-based sender can realistically access today. The full panel includes 14 tracked providers.
This corridor moves roughly $1.8B in remittances each year, so even a one-percentage-point reduction in cost would return tens of millions of dollars annually to families in Zimbabwe. Costs here have eased 1.37 percentage points over the tracked period, a real if modest gain for senders as competition increased.
Across the 53 quarters of World Bank RPW data on record for this corridor, the average cost has ranged from 11.9% to 19.1%, and 0 of those 53 quarters (0%) met the UN SDG 3% target outright. Quarter-to-quarter pricing on this route has swung considerably (1.70pp standard deviation across the full record) - worth checking the current quarter's reading specifically rather than relying on the long-run average.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to send money from South Africa to Zimbabwe?
The average cost to send money from South Africa to Zimbabwe is 11.91% of the transfer amount, based on World Bank RPW data as of 2025Q1. The cheapest available option is 4.97% via Sasai Money Transfer. Costs are calculated as a percentage of a $200 transfer and include both service fees and exchange rate margins.
What is the cheapest way to send money from South Africa to Zimbabwe?
Based on World Bank RPW data, the cheapest service for the South Africa to Zimbabwe corridor charges 4.97% - currently Sasai Money Transfer. A total of 14 providers are tracked on this corridor. Always compare rates directly with providers before sending, as prices change frequently.
Is the South Africa to Zimbabwe corridor meeting the UN SDG cost target?
Not yet. At 11.9%, this corridor sits 8.9 percentage points above the UN SDG 10.c target of 3% or below by 2030.
Source: World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) Database (2011-2025) World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) Database (2011-2025)
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Every figure on PlainRemit is rendered directly from World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.