A teacher in London sends $200 home to her parents in Durban every month. Part of it never arrives: it goes on the fee and the exchange rate. How much depends almost entirely on which service she uses.
The World Bank priced 25 services sending $200 from the United Kingdom to South Africa in its survey of January to March 2025. The cheapest, Remitly, cost $4.18, or 2.09% of the money. The average service cost $14.08, or 7.04%.
The same $200, two sending countries
| Sending from | Services surveyed | Cheapest service | Average service |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 25 | $4.18 (Remitly) | $14.08 |
| United States | 18 | $3.84 (WorldRemit) | $13.68 |
The cost is the World Bank's measure: the fee plus the margin hidden in the exchange rate, as a share of $200.
What it means
For a family sending monthly from the UK (Analysis): the cheapest service against the average saves $9.90 on each $200. Over a year of monthly transfers that is $118.80: money that reaches home instead of staying with the provider. From the United States the gap is $9.84 a transfer, or $118.08 a year.
For the spread of prices (Facts): from the United Kingdom the dearest service surveyed cost $33.46 on $200, against the average of $14.08. From the United States the dearest cost $22.42, against the average of $13.68.
For the person receiving (Analysis): the exchange rate matters as much as the fee. A service that advertises "no fee" can still cost more if it gives fewer rand per dollar.
What to check before you send (Facts): the total cost on the provider's own quote screen, meaning the amount that arrives in rand, not just the fee. Then compare it with the next cheapest.
Our cheapest way to send money to South Africa lists every service the World Bank surveyed, ranked by cost, for each sending country. Afronomics may earn a referral fee from some providers listed on that page, which may include services named in this story. It never changes the order, which is by cost alone.
Information, not advice.