Cassava’s Sasai Fintech partners with Western Union to expand remittance services for South Africans.

Western Union, the NYSE-listed remittance company, will work with Sasai Fintech to offer international transfers directly to users in South Africa.

South Africa is a key remittance market in Africa. The country hosts about four million migrants and remains the largest remittance-sending hub on the continent. In 2024, outbound personal remittances exceeded $1 billion. The market was valued at about $1.08 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $1.17 billion by 2028.

The country also has high mobile penetration. As of early 2024, there were over 118 million mobile network connections, representing a 195% penetration rate. In 2023, 96.1% of households owned at least one mobile phone, and over 92% of the population owned a cell phone.

The partnership targets South Africans at home and in the diaspora. Darlington Mandivenga, CEO of Fintech and Digital Platforms at Cassava Technologies, said the deal will support Africans in the diaspora and their families across the continent.

Customers will be able to send money to bank accounts and digital wallets worldwide or arrange cash pickup at retail locations abroad. Transfers will run through a co-branded Sasai and Western Union service. Funding options include Sasai’s retail network of over 150,000 outlets, debit and credit cards, and electronic bank transfers.

The partnership combines Western Union’s network across 200 countries and territories with Sasai’s Payments-as-a-Service platform, which provides the technology infrastructure and required licenses for cross-border transfers.

This move comes as part of Western Union’s broader push to defend and grow its position in Africa’s remittance market. The company recently announced plans to launch a dollar-backed stablecoin, USDPT, in 2026, as it seeks to compete with fintech and crypto platforms offering faster and lower-cost digital transfers.

The new service enters a competitive market that includes Mama Money, Hello Paisa, the Absa banking app, and Nedbank, which already partners with Western Union.

Mohamed Touhami el Ouazzani, Head of Africa at Western Union, said the partnership will extend the company’s global network to more consumers in South Africa and support cross-border transfers.

Last updated: March 4, 2026