Absa and Thunes unveil Absa Global Pay, a next‑generation solution for fast, affordable global remittances

The alliance brings real‑time global money transfers, affordable and transparent pricing and a seamless mobile‑first experience

JOHANNESBURG – 3 March 2026 — Absa Group, one of Africa’s largest diversified financial services providers, has partnered with Thunes, the Smart Superhighway to move money around the world, to launch a new digital-first remittance solution, Absa Global Pay, that makes sending money across borders faster, simpler and more affordable for millions of customers across Africa.

With international remittances playing an increasingly critical role in supporting families, education, healthcare and small businesses, customers are demanding solutions that are intuitive, transparent and cost-effective. The Absa–Thunes collaboration responds directly to this need by combining Absa’s trusted Pan African banking footprint with Thunes’ agile Direct Global Network to deliver an end‑to‑end, real‑time money movement experience.

A simpler, faster, more intuitive customer experience

Absa Global Pay allows Absa customers to send funds directly from the Absa Banking App or Connected Banking (Absa Online) with instant settlement to 18 countries with 6 countries forming part of the first release (UK, Kenya, India, Malawi, Pakistan and Zimbabwe). Customers can choose from multiple payout methods — bank accounts, mobile wallets or approved cash pick‑up points — with real‑time notifications and full transaction visibility for added confidence and control.

Affordability and transparency at the core

By leveraging Thunes’ trusted Direct Global Network and Absa’s scale across key African markets, the solution offers lower fees, clear pricing, competitive FX rates, and greater value, ensuring that more of each transaction reaches the families and businesses that depend on remittances as a financial lifeline.

“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.”

Nick Nkosi, Managing Executive for Transactional and Deposits at Absa Personal and Private Banking

“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.”

Simon Nelson, Chief Commercial Officer at Thunes

A track record of multiple payment innovations at Absa

This product launch builds on a growing track record of several recent Absa payment innovations aimed at simplifying how customers interact with their money — from mobile-first solutions such as Absa Pay for online payments – a secure online platform allowing Absa customers to pay for their ecommerce purchases on a merchant site without sharing banking login details and most recently the launch of Bill payments in partnership with EasyPay and Pay@.

Contact:
We. Communications, thunes@wecommunications.com
Anna Birdsall-Strong, Director of Brand and Public Relations, anna.birdsall@thunes.com

About Thunes:
Thunes is the Smart Superhighway to move money around the world. Thunes’ proprietary Direct Global Network allows Members to make payments in real-time in over 130 countries and more than 80 currencies. Thunes’ Network connects directly to over 7 billion mobile wallets, stablecoin wallets and bank accounts worldwide, as well as 15 billion cards via more than 320 different payment methods, such as GCash, M-Pesa, Airtel, MTN, Orange, JazzCash, Easypaisa, AliPay, WeChat Pay and many more. Thunes’ Direct Global Network differentiates itself through its worldwide reach, in-house SmartX Treasury System and Fortress Compliance Platform, ensuring Members of the Network receive unrivaled speed, control, visibility, protection, and cost efficiencies when making real-time payments, globally. Members of Thunes’ Direct Global Network include gig economy giants like Uber and Deliveroo, super-apps like Grab and WeChat, MTOs, fintechs, PSPs and banks. Headquartered in Singapore, Thunes has offices in 14 locations, including Atlanta, Barcelona, Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, London, Manila, Nairobi, Paris, Riyadh, San Francisco and Shanghai. For more information, visit: https://www.thunes.com/

About Absa Group Limited 

Absa Group Limited (‘Absa Group’) is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and is one of Africa’s largest diversified financial services groups.  

Absa Group offers an integrated set of products and services across personal and business banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management and insurance.  

Absa Group owns majority stakes in banks in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania (Absa Bank Tanzania and National Bank of Commerce), Uganda and Zambia and has insurance operations in Kenya and South Africa. Absa also has offices in the People’s Republic of China, Namibia, Nigeria and the United States, as well as securities entities in the United Kingdom and the United States, along with technology support colleagues in the Czech Republic. 

For further information about Absa Group Limited, visit www.absa.africa.