Thunes Launches Real-Time Payments to Boost Morocco’s Remittance Market

Money transfers to Morocco are undergoing a new transformation with the arrival of real-time payments. By enabling instant transactions in dirhams, Thunes meets the pressing demands of consumers and businesses for greater speed, transparency, and reliability.

In a country where money transfers from Moroccans around the world represent more than $11.5 billion per year, according to the World Bank, the arrival of a global player in instant payments like Thunes is nothing insignificant.

By launching its real-time payment services to bank accounts, the Singapore-based company is responding directly to the growing demand for speed and transparency in international financial flows. Members of Thunes’ direct global network can now offer real-time payments to bank accounts in Morocco.

A strategic market for remittances

The Kingdom has occupied a central place in financial flows to Africa for several years. The Moroccan diaspora, estimated at more than five million people, fuels a significant portion of the national economy through remittances.

However, traditional systems, often costly and time-consuming, struggle to meet the speed needs expressed by users. This is precisely the niche that Thunes intends to capture. Its direct global network, which already covers more than 130 countries and 80 currencies, now allows funds to be sent in Moroccan dirhams with real-time execution. This is a major competitive advantage in a context where, according to the “Money Without Borders” study, published by Thunes in 2025, 65% of expatriates rank transaction speed as their primary selection criterion.

The arrival of Thunes contributes to the financial inclusion of a growing number of users, both individuals and businesses, who will be able to access cheaper and more secure transfers. By strengthening the fluidity of cross-border flows, fintech also contributes to the attractiveness of the Moroccan economy, which is increasingly integrated into global digital networks.

For Aik Boon Tan, Network Director at Thunes, this expansion is part of a broader regional dynamic: “Faced with the growing demand for seamless, real-time payments in North Africa, we are offering fast and reliable alternatives to traditional systems.” This observation is shared by Chloé Mayenobe, President and COO, who emphasizes that “speed has become more than a preference; it is an expectation and a key criterion for end users. With the launch in Morocco, we are offering faster, cheaper, and more transparent transactions in one of the continent’s most important markets.”

A Changing Ecosystem

This launch is part of a broader transformation of the country’s financial sector, where the digitalization and interoperability of payment systems are advancing rapidly. Bank Al-Maghrib is multiplying initiatives to modernize the national infrastructure, while financial institutions and fintechs are stepping up their digital offerings.

Thunes’ arrival complements an already expanding network, bringing global expertise and proven solutions to other markets. For the Singaporean fintech, present in 14 major cities around the world, this Moroccan presence is part of a broader ambition: to connect a billion new users to the global economy.

By facilitating cross-border payments, Thunes is positioning itself as a strategic link in this financial integration, while consolidating its status as a leader in real-time transfers. Morocco, a migratory and financial crossroads, thus appears to be a natural step for the company, but also as fertile ground for experimenting with new payment practices capable of influencing other African markets.

Thunes already a partner of Attijariwafa bank

It is worth recalling that a strategic partnership was already concluded in 2022 between Thunes and Attijariwafa bank, a major player in pan-African finance. The aim of this merger was to facilitate international transfers to Morocco and Africa, by combining the strength of the Attijariwafa group’s banking infrastructure with Thunes’ technological expertise in instant payments.

The current launch of real-time payments concretizes and expands this cooperation, offering the bank’s customers and millions of Moroccans in the diaspora faster and more secure transactions, directly into their bank accounts.

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(Featured image by Jonas Leupe via Unsplash)

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First published in LES ECO.ma. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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