DURBAN - South African fintech company Mama Money has joined forces with Western Union to allow customers to send money to their loved ones across the world.
Mathieu Coquillon, co-founder of Mama Money said, "When the April lockdown hit, we saw a massive drop in remittances leaving South Africa due to the restrictions on movement to paying for money transfers and uncertainty. Remittance outflows for certain countries dropped by 90 percent. However, we’ve seen a very swift recovery since May as economic activities began to resume".
Mama Money has grown drastically since it was first launched in 2017 Initially, the fintech remitted only to Zimbabwe, now the company’s footprint covers more than 50 countries, providing services to Africa, Asia and Europe.
"Our average fee is around 3 percent but we have dynamic pricing which means if you send more per transaction the fees are reduced and can be as low as 0.1 percent," said Coquillon.
The partnership with Western Union is set to fast-track Mama Money’s growth in the international money transfer business.
Now Mama Money customers in South Africa will be able to send money from their phones for payout in over 200 countries and territories around the world through Western Union’s network.
Western Union’s open platform strategy will broaden Mama Money’s reach and enable international cross-border money movement in minutes, through its core cross-border assets.
“Western Union’s robust and reliable network, coupled with Mama Money’s easy-to-use and reliable digital service, is a highly strategic partnership with massive potential for tapping into a broader remittance market especially for the unbanked population,” says Coquillon.
Mohamed Touhami El Ouazzani, Regional Vice President, Africa, Western Union said, "Innovative collaborations such as these will continue to shape global business models while enhancing customer experience and retaining their loyalty".
"It is an integration of our strengths as we continue to drive connections by enabling enterprises to scale their business offerings worldwide, leveraging our money movement platform," added Ouazzani.
How does it work?
Mama Money’s mobile app makes international money transfers easy. It allows customers to quickly register using just their phones by uploading pictures of their ID, passport, refugee status or asylum documents. Customers can then start sending money abroad once approved within 24 hours.
To send money, customers can make payments directly from their bank account or pay for their order at any major retailer in South Africa.