Global remittance giant Western Union has intensified its African digital expansion through a new partnership with Sasai Fintech, launching a co-branded international money transfer mobile app tailored for South Africa’s increasingly connected consumers.
The initiative, developed with Sasai’s parent company Cassava Technologies, signals a calculated shift toward mobile-first remittance infrastructure in one of Africa’s most sophisticated financial markets.
South Africa’s 2023 General Household Survey shows nearly 80% of households have internet access, with 73% connecting via mobile devices. Meanwhile, outbound personal remittances surpassed $1 billion in 2024, underscoring strong demand for efficient cross-border payment tools.
Mohamed Touhami el Ouazzani, Western Union’s Regional Vice President and Head of Africa, described the collaboration as a milestone partnership in the company’s 2026 Africa strategy.
He called Sasai “one of South Africa’s most promising financial services players,” adding that the app is designed for consumers in Africa’s largest economy who want to send money “seamlessly, anytime, across the world.”
“We always strive to bring the strength of our global network to where our customers need us,” he wrote. “In that way we unlock opportunity, and we help people thrive in a meaningful way.” He also acknowledged the Sasai leadership team, including Umang and his colleagues, for steering the product to launch.
Strategically, the alliance combines Western Union’s network spanning more than 200 countries and territories with Sasai’s Payments-as-a-Service stack — a fully integrated remittance platform that includes licensing, compliance and settlement infrastructure.
Customers can transfer funds to billions of bank accounts and digital wallets globally or opt for cash pickup at hundreds of thousands of retail locations. Funding options include Sasai’s retail network of over 150,000 outlets, bank transfers and card payments.
For Cassava, the partnership strengthens its ambition to build Africa’s digital financial backbone through regulated assets, an integrated tech stack and a super app ecosystem that increasingly incorporates innovations such as stablecoins.
The launch reflects intensifying competition across Africa’s remittance corridors, where fintechs and incumbents alike are racing to digitize diaspora flows, improve transparency and embed cross-border payments into everyday mobile finance.