Receiving country · World Bank RPW · ZA
Send money to South Africa
Annual WDI inflows land in the lower fleet tercile ($1.0B) - a thin receive book relative to larger RPW destinations.
- 5.9%
- Avg inbound cost
- 1.7%
- Cheapest · from United States
- $1.0B
- Received per year
- 2
- Source corridors
WDI-inflow tercile vs fleet
South Africa pulls in $1.0B a year, lower fleet tercile (below ~$1.5B), ranking #41 of 53 by WDI inflow. Average inbound cost is 5.9%.
- #41 of 53
- WDI inflow corpus rank
- 5.9%
- average inbound cost
- 1.7%
- cheapest source: United States
- $1.0B
- received annually
Inbound cost bands to South Africa
2 source corridors counted once by recorded average cost on a $200 send. The four bands sum to 2.
HIGH High-fee 5–8% lane · country average 5.9%
Cheapest Ways to Send Money to South Africa
All Corridors to South Africa
| # | From | Avg cost | Cheapest | Cheapest provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 5.4% | 1.7% | WorldRemit |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 6.4% | 2.1% | MoneyGram |
Thin remittance inflows into South Africa
South Africa pulls in about $1.0B a year (lower inflow tercile, below ~$1.5B) across 2 RPW source corridors at 5.91% average inbound cost.
The three cheapest inbound corridors to South Africa right now are from United States at 1.72% via WorldRemit, United Kingdom at 2.07% via MoneyGram. These are floor prices on a $200 transfer into South Africa, fee plus FX margin.
For senders pointing money toward South Africa, compare the cheapest provider on the specific corridor rather than defaulting to a household brand.
About South Africa inbound data
PlainRemit compares international money-transfer costs across tracked corridors so you can see which routes and providers charge the least before you send money abroad. This country's figures are computed directly from the World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) quarterly survey, a mystery-shopping panel of actual transfer quotes for a standardized $200 transfer. The UN Sustainable Development Goal 10.c target is to reduce remittance transaction costs to below 3% by 2030; always verify current rates directly with providers before sending money, rates change frequently.
Average inbound cost 5.91%; 2 source corridors tracked to South Africa; vintage 2026-08-10.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money is sent to South Africa each year?
South Africa receives about $1.0B a year - lower inflow tercile - from 2 RPW source countries at 5.91% average inbound cost.
What is the cheapest way to receive money in South Africa?
On World Bank RPW $200 sends, the cheapest inbound floors into South Africa are from United States, United Kingdom, as low as 1.72%. Country average inbound cost is 5.91%.
How have remittance costs to South Africa changed over time?
RPW has tracked transfer costs to South Africa since 2011. The current average inbound cost is 5.91% versus a ~6.4% global RPW average; UN SDG 10.c targets ≤3% by 2030.
Where does South Africa sit among remittance-receiving countries?
According to World Bank WDI remittance inflows among 53 tracked receiving countries on PlainRemit, South Africa ranks #41 of 53 by annual dollars received. /send-to browses alphabetically; this inflow ordinal matches the largest-receivers research ranking.