A wallet-to-wallet transfer to Botswana is one of the fastest things you can do with your phone. You tap send in the Mama Money app in Johannesburg, and a few moments later a notification lights up your family's phone in Gaborone, Francistown, or Maun. The money is on their Mascom MyZaka account. Ready to spend.
Mama Money now sends direct to MyZaka Mascom Money, alongside Orange Money, giving you two of Botswana's most trusted mobile wallets in one app. This guide walks through how to send, what makes MyZaka a great choice, and the details on fees, speed, and the wallet limits your family needs to know about.
Botswana's mobile money story is built on two operators. Between them, they cover most Batswana who use a wallet day to day. Mama Money sends direct to both, so whichever one your family uses, you can reach them.
MyZaka Mascom Money
Mascom's mobile wallet
Runs on the Mascom network, Botswana's largest mobile operator. Widely used across the country, from Gaborone to the small villages of the Kalahari. Money arrives in minutes and can be spent, withdrawn, or transferred straight from the app.
Orange Money
Orange's mobile wallet
Orange Botswana's mobile wallet, popular with Orange subscribers across the country. Also arrives in minutes, ready for your family to spend or withdraw.
Both wallets work the same way from your side. You choose which one your family uses when you set up the transfer in the Mama Money app.
Straightforward from your phone. No branches, no forms in person.
Free on Google Play, the Apple App Store, or Huawei AppGallery.
Use your passport, foreign ID, South African ID, or asylum or refugee document. Take a selfie through the app.
Pick MyZaka Mascom Money or Orange Money, then add your recipient's name and mobile number. The app shows the rate and fee before you confirm.
Pay by EFT online, or with cash at Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Spar, Makro, Game, Flash stores, and more. Both you and your recipient get an SMS with a reference number. The money is on its way within minutes.
Mama Money's fee for Botswana is 5% or less, shown in full before you confirm. Both wallets are direct-credit, which means the money arrives in minutes, not hours.
| You send | Mama fee | Your family receives |
|---|---|---|
| R500 | Up to R25 | The rest, in Pula at the live rate |
| R1,000 | R50 | The rest, in Pula at the live rate |
| R5,000 | R250 | The rest, in Pula at the live rate |
| R10,000 | R250 | The rest, in Pula at the live rate |
The exchange rate and fee are always shown in the app before you confirm. What you see is what your family gets.
Sending to Botswana works with two sets of limits. The first is your own sending limit on the South African side. The second is a wallet limit on the Botswana side. It is worth understanding both, because they can affect how much you can send in a single transaction and how much your family can hold in their wallet.
Every Mama Money account starts at the Standard limit of R25,000 per month. You can upgrade in the app to send up to R100,000 per month. See the Mama Money limits page for the full details on how to upgrade.
Botswana's mobile wallets set their own caps on what a wallet can receive. These apply on top of your own sending limits.
| Wallet cap | Amount |
|---|---|
| Per transaction | 10,000 BWP |
| Per day | 15,000 BWP |
| Per month | 30,000 BWP |
Worth knowing
If you want to send a larger amount, remember that your recipient's wallet has its own monthly cap of 30,000 BWP. For amounts above that, or for regular monthly support that adds up, plan around both limits together. You can always split a bigger amount across a couple of transfers within the daily and monthly caps.
Mama Money has been moving money across Southern Africa for 10 years, with over 20 million transactions across 90+ countries. Every Botswana transfer goes through regulated banking infrastructure and Mama Money's direct partnerships with MyZaka and Orange Money.
Direct to MyZaka Mascom Money and Orange Money in minutes. Low fees. Great rates. Send to Botswana today.