Digital Remittances: Kenya Among Top 3 Countries In Africa

Digital remittances firm WorldRemit, on Monday, released the results of a survey it conducted in July to understand the impact of the global rise in the cost of living on remittances sent back home by migrants living and working in the US, the UK, and Australia.

The report by the London-based digital remittance established that Kenya is among the top 3 countries in Africa to which its users globally send money to.

The company processed transactions to Kenya worth $206.20 million as of June 1st, 2022. This figure puts Kenya at par with Zimbabwe and second only to Nigeria, where WorldRemit users globally sent $327.46 million.

WorldRemit, which serves more than 5 million customers across 130 countries worldwide, including Kenya, received responses from 1000 migrants in each of the countries surveyed, bringing the total number of respondents to 3000. Below is a summary of the survey’s key findings.

Globally, 78 per cent of remittance senders agree that the cost of living has increased for themselves. 75 per cent of respondents said that the costs of living for those they send money to have increased since the start of the year.

Daily expenses, healthcare and educational support continue to be major reasons for sending. The survey also shows that migrants around the world have changed their spending habits during this period of inflation to maintain their financial obligation to family and loved ones back home.

“Migrants’ resilience and commitment to their loved ones back home has proven to be vital, especially in a period where household expenses are increasing around the world,” said Jorge Godinez Reyes, Head of the Americas, WorldRemit. “This latest study proves that even during times of financial instability, many migrants are making conscious adjustments to their daily lives to maintain the regular flow of remittances to families and loved ones back home.”

The resilience of remittances is welcome news for Kenya considering money sent back home by Kenyans in the diaspora represents one of the top sources of forex for the country, surpassing tourism, tea, and horticultural exports in recent years.

Data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) shows that remittances reached $3.71 billion in 2021, up 20.2 per cent from $3.09 billion a year earlier. Remittances in Kenya have hit a record high every year since 2016.