Absa Group, one of Africa’s largest diversified financial services providers, has partnered with Thunes, a global payments network provider, to launch Absa Global Pay, a new digital-first remittance solution designed to make cross-border money transfers faster, more affordable and more accessible for customers across Africa.
The solution is available to Absa customers through the Absa Banking App and Connected Banking (Absa Online), offering instant settlement to 18 countries, with six markets included in the initial release: the UK, Kenya, India, Malawi, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Customers can send funds to bank accounts, mobile wallets or approved cash pick-up points, with real-time notifications and full transaction visibility throughout the process.
Absa Global Pay is built around affordability and transparency, combining Absa’s scale across key African markets with Thunes’ Direct Global Network to offer lower fees, clear pricing and competitive foreign exchange rates. The aim is to ensure a greater proportion of each transaction reaches the recipients who rely on remittances as a financial lifeline.
The launch follows a series of recent payment innovations from Absa, including Absa Pay — a secure online platform enabling customers to complete e-commerce purchases without sharing their banking login details — as well as a bill payments service developed in partnership with EasyPay and Pay@.
Absa managing executive for transactional and deposits, Personal and Private Banking Nick Nkosi said, “At Absa, we are committed to building financial services that are innovative, intuitive and deeply connected to the everyday needs of our customers. Remittances remain essential for keeping families supported across borders, and our research shows significant opportunity to unlock more value in this space. Together with Thunes, we are delivering a solution that is simpler, faster and more affordable — empowering customers with choice, transparency and meaningful value.”
Thunes chief commercial officer Simon Nelson said, “We are proud to partner with Absa, one of Africa’s most trusted financial institutions, to expand access to modern, low‑cost cross‑border payments. By combining Absa’s deep local insights with Thunes’ expansive Direct Global Network, we are making international money movement seamless and accessible for anyone, anywhere. This launch is an important milestone in our mission to support the growth of the continent by powering intra-Africa money movement and bring inclusive financial connectivity to communities across the world.”
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