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Send money from South Africa to Ethiopia
"Western Union agents help you send money from a wide variety of countries. Find a local branch near you to deposit cash and send your funds abroad."
"With MoneyGram you can send money globally. Find a local MoneyGram branch near you to deposit and send cash abroad."
"If you and the person you are sending money to both have PayPal apps, you can quickly and easily send money between each other."
Alternative for South Africa to Ethiopia
While you can’t send ZAR to ETB with Wise, you can transfer USD to USD.
"Over 16 million customers use Wise, mostly for their excellent mobile app, transparent fee structure & use of mid-market rates. Now increasingly used for larger transfers."
The best way to send ZAR to Ethiopia is through a cash transfer with MoneyGram.
MoneyGram offers broad coverage across South Africa and Ethiopia, making it a reliable option.
Transfer fees vary depending on the branch and the amount you send, but you can generally expect to pay around 3 ZAR per 4,300 ZAR transferred.
Before sending, check which deposit options are available in your area. In many cases, you can fund your transfer online in ZAR, while the recipient collects ETB in cash at a local branch.
If you’re looking for alternatives, MoneyGram also offers competitive cash pickup services.
How to compare companies offering money transfers from South Africa to Ethiopia
Always compare rates
Use our live comparison tool to make sure you aren't missing the best rates to send money from South Africa to Ethiopia. This ensures the best price.
Choose a provider
Select the company that offers you the best value & options for sending to Ethiopia.
Click, sign up & send
Sign up & make your transfer. Your funds will soon be on their way from South Africa to your chosen country & currency.
Summary of recent searches
Considerations ahead of sending money from South Africa to Ethiopia
Compare providers
A comparison of providers offering services between South Africa and Ethiopia, based on your specific transfer amount is the best way to send money with the confidence you’re getting the best price.
We’ve compared 3 providers that provide services for sending Rand to Ethiopia. This ensures you will get the best options for your transfer to Ethiopia from South Africa.
Whilst we rate Western Union Agent as the best overall, comparing gives you a comprehensive view of all the options for transferring money from South Africa to Ethiopia.
Get ahead of the Rand-Ethiopian Birr exchange rate
Choose the right payment method
Financial regulation in Ethiopia and South Africa
Consider transfer limits
Receiving money in Ethiopia
Have your ID ready
Tax declarations
The cheapest way to send money from South Africa to Ethiopia is a cash transfer via Western Union.
The cheapest way to send money to Ethiopia from South Africa is via a cash transfer through a Western Union Agent.
While cash transfers are usually more expensive than online options, our analysis of hundreds of money transfer companies shows that very few services currently support ZAR/ETB transfers online.
The total cost of your transfer includes both the transfer fee (around 3 ZAR per 4,300 ZAR) and an exchange rate markup.
Ultimately, the exact price will depend on your location, payment method, and transfer amount.
The cheapest way to to send money to Ethiopia from South Africa is via PayPal P2P Transfer
The coverage of ZAR/ETB transfer options is very limited, therefore, PayPal’s P2P transfer service is one of the cheaper options you have, along with cash transfer via Western Union and MoneyGram.
With PayPals P2P transfer, the main cost is the conversion between currencies, which can go as high as % on top of the mid market rate, as well as a ZAR transfer fee.
You can also opt to use a cash transfer via MoneyGram or Western Union, which are cheaper in some cases (depending on the amount, deposit method, and your branch).
Need to make a large transfer?
Western Union Agent is the best option for large transfers of the 3 providers compared.
While Western Union Agent may not always be the cheapest or fastest way to send ZAR from South Africa to Ethiopia, it's a great provider for larger transfers for things like buying or selling property.
Understanding the cost of transferring money to Ethiopia from South Africa
Fees and exchange rates make up the total cost of sending money from Ethiopia to Ethiopia. Finding a company that can offer both ensures a good deal on your transfer.
The Mid-Market and Exchange Rates: The current ZAR-ETB mid-market rate is 8.8879 ETB per Rand. You will get more Ethiopian Birr for your Rands if you find a provider close to this number.
For context, over the last 7 days the ZAR-ETB mid-market rate has had a high of 9.0491, a low of 8.8987 and averaged 8.96 ETB per Rand.
Across the 3 companies compared, the best exchange rate is with Western Union Agent.
Unless fees are unusually high, the exchange rate you receive on converting ZAR to ETB will be the biggest determining factor when working out the cost of transferring Rands to Ethiopia.
Fees: Transfer fees are charged as part of the transfer. Western Union Agent charges 3 ZAR per transfer, which is currently the best deal on transfers to Ethiopia. We’d always recommend comparing providers for your exact send amount as fees may change.
Amount Received: Money transfer companies will show you the amount of Ethiopian Birr eventually received in Ethiopia. You can assume that a lower cost of sending from South Africa will result in more money received in Ethiopia.
Getting best exchange rate for transfers between Rand and Ethiopian Birr
Timing is essential for transferring money between ZAR and ETB. The exchange rate you secure impacts how much ETB you get for your ZAR.
The recent trends between the currencies are:
Over the past 7 days, the mid-market rate from ZAR to ETB has moved slightly. On average, it was 8.96.
During this same period,there was a high of 9.0491, and a low of 8.8987.
Western Union Agent, which is our recommended service to send money online from South Africa to Ethiopia offers 8.5296 ETB per ZAR which is only 5% above the mid-market rate.
Want to secure the best ZAR-Ethiopian Birr exchange rates?
Sign up for our rate alerts and we'll tell you when it's the best time to move your money from South Africa to Ethiopia!
Payment options for South Africa to Ethiopia money transfers
Bank transfers
Bank transfers are usually the best and easiest way to send money from South Africa to Ethiopia.
By using a money transfer company such as Western Union Agent for transfers from South Africa to Ethiopia, you can send money via a bank transfer while benefitting from lower fees and more favorable exchange rates than you would get from a traditional bank.
Western Union Agent is the cheapest money transfer company for bank transfers from the 3 we compared for transfers from ZAR into Ethiopia.With a fee of 3 ZAR to send money from South Africa to Ethiopia, Western Union Agent offers a strong combination of competitive exchange rates and lower fees.
Debit cards and prepaid options
Sending money from South Africa to Ethiopia with a debit or a prepaid card is available through Western Union Agent.
Western Union Agent is a one of the cheaper options for debit card payments for transfers from South Africa to Ethiopia. This cost is against a total of 3 money transfer companies offering this option.
Credit cards
When it comes to international credit card transfers from South Africa to Ethiopia, we recommend comparing your options to get the best deal.
Be aware of fees: using a credit card to transfer money often results in a fee being charged by your card issuer. Where possible, we recommend a bank transfer or debit card payment.
How we analyze the market
We track the cost, speed, and product offerings of the leading money transfer services available between Ethiopia and South Africa.
Our comparison engine and algorithms evaluate providers based on over 25 factors, including transfer fees, ease of use, exchange rates, mobile apps, transfer times & customer support.
We also consider how these services are rated on platforms like TrustPilot, AppStore, and Google Play, giving you a comprehensive view of what to expect.
This thorough analysis helps you get the best available deal - every time you want to move money from South Africa to Ethiopia.
We also provide unbiased and detailed reviews of all the top money transfer companies. You can use these reviews to send ZAR to ETB.
For a deeper understanding of our commitment to integrity and transparency, we invite you to read our editorial policy and review methodology.
Money transfer company reviews
