Mama Money review
Updated September 28, 2026 · VaultCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Mama Money suits expats sending money home who need recipients paid without a bank account. It holds 90 currencies, pays out to wallets and cash pickup points, and carries a South African Reserve Bank licence, though its card charges sit well above the fees most rivals ask.
Key facts
- Best for
- Expats who send money home to markets where cash pickup and mobile wallets are the usual payout route.
- Transfer fee
- 5% or less↗
- Delivery time
- Minutes for mobile wallets and cash pickup; about 5 hours, up to 48 hours, for bank accounts↗
- Payout methods
- Bank, Cash-pickup, Wallet↗
- Currencies
- 90↗
- Fee to send 1,000
- ZAR 50↗
- Legal entity
- Mama Money (Pty) Ltd↗
- Headquarters
- South Africa↗
- Founded
- 2013↗
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre↗
- Official website
- mamamoney.co.za
Everyday accounts
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 6 sources
Pros and cons
Pros
- Recipients can be paid by bank, cash pickup or mobile wallet, so a bank account is not essential (bank, cash pickup and wallet).
- Wallets and cash pickup pay out in minutes, which suits urgent family transfers.
- Support runs through phone, chat, email and a help centre (email, chat and phone).
- ATM withdrawals are covered by an allowance of ZAR 0 on the card.
Cons
- The card adds a monthly fee of ZAR 29 and a conversion fee of 5%, while 91.7% of the services compared charge no monthly fee.
- Bank payouts take hours where wallets and cash pickup settle in minutes, so urgent sends need the faster payout route.
- Money transfer is the main cost: transfers cost 5% or less of the amount sent, set against ZAR 50.
Who it suits
- Expats living in South Africa who send money back to markets where mobile wallets and cash pickup are the norm.
- Anyone holding a Mama Money card who wants several currencies in one account and ATM withdrawals included.
- Recipients who do not have a bank account, since payouts reach wallets and cash pickup points as well as bank accounts.
Who should look elsewhere
- PayPal Colombia suits people already holding a PayPal balance or linked bank account, where sends from that balance carry no fee.
- Skrill is the cheaper route for bank transfers, which carry no fee there.
- Paysera suits euro transfers inside SEPA, which are free there.
The company behind it
Mama Money runs as Mama Money (Pty) Ltd from South Africa and has been operating since 2013. It is authorised by the South African Reserve Bank as an authorised dealer in foreign exchange. Support runs through email, chat and phone, with a help centre for written questions.
How Mama Money compares
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Where Mama Money is available
- Available
- South Africa
- Licence in South Africa
- South African Reserve Bank (SARB) - category four authorised dealer in foreign exchange, checked September 26, 2026
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does Mama Money charge to send money?+
A transfer costs 5% or less of the amount sent, set against ZAR 50. Wallets and cash pickup pay out in minutes while bank payouts take hours, so speed is part of what the fee buys. The card sits outside that pricing, at a monthly fee of ZAR 29 and a conversion fee of 5%.
Who regulates Mama Money?+
Mama Money is authorised by the South African Reserve Bank as an authorised dealer in foreign exchange, which covers the foreign exchange side of the business. The company behind the service is Mama Money (Pty) Ltd, and its headquarters are in South Africa.
How fast do payouts arrive and how can I be paid?+
Payouts reach bank accounts, cash pickup points and mobile wallets, covered by bank, cash pickup and wallet. Mobile wallet and cash pickup transfers land in minutes, while bank transfers take hours rather than days. That makes the payout choice the practical lever on speed for anyone sending to a market where bank accounts are less common.
How many currencies can I hold?+
The multi-currency balance holds 90 currencies, so several can sit in one account without opening separate ones. Payouts still run to bank, cash pickup and wallet, and the card applies a conversion fee of 5% when money is spent or converted.
What does the Mama Money card cost?+
The card carries a monthly fee of ZAR 29 and a currency conversion fee of 5%, which is where the everyday cost bites. ATM withdrawals are covered by an allowance of ZAR 0, so cash use adds nothing beyond that. Transfer fees are priced separately.
How do I get help if a payment goes wrong?+
Support runs through email, chat and phone, covering phone, chat, email and a help centre. For a transfer that has not landed, the payout route matters, since wallets and cash pickup settle in minutes while bank payouts take longer. The service is aimed at expats sending money across borders.
Who is Mama Money built for?+
Mama Money is built for expats, with a card, a multi-currency balance and transfers into markets where recipients may rely on cash pickup or a mobile wallet. It suits anyone living abroad who sends money home regularly. The company has traded as Mama Money (Pty) Ltd since 2013.
Sources
- support.mamamoney.co.za/hc/en-gb/articles/21475123132317-... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free ATM withdrawals, Monthly fee
“ATM cash withdrawal: R12 + R2.00 per R100 withdrawn”
- mamamoney.co.za checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Currencies
“Support loved ones back home, across 90+ countries with 5% fees or less.”
- mamamoney.co.za/faq checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded, Payout methods, Support channels
“Mama Money is a South African fintech company launched in 2013, focusing on providing low-cost money transfer services”
- mamamoney.co.za/mama-money-card checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Audience, Currency conversion fee
“The new Mama Money Card lets you do more than before, built especially for foreign nationals living in SA.”
- mamamoney.co.za/send-money/zimbabwe checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Delivery time, Transfer fee, Fee to send 1,000
“Transfers to mobile wallets and cash collection are sent within minutes. Transfers to bank accounts, on average, take 5 hours to be received but can take up to 48 hours to reflect”
- mamamoney.co.za/terms-and-conditions checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity, Licences
“Mama Money chooses as its dwelling ("domicilium"), for all purposes, whether in respect of court process, notice, or other documents or communication of whatsoever nature, 29 Sir Lowry Road,...”
Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Exchange rate markup, Licence type.
Other rankings
Mama Money
Expats who send money home to markets where cash pickup and mobile wallets are the usual payout route.