The short answer
South Africa is the only African country on Wise's list of places where you can hold money. So someone in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana or Uganda shouldn't expect to keep a dollar balance at Wise. What Wise does offer in several of these countries is sending money to a local bank account.
The list also names Mayotte and Reunion, which are French territories. These lists change, so check Wise's help pages before you plan around them. We reviewed them on 2 November 2026. We don't work with Wise and we aren't ranking it above anyone.
Country by country
| Country | Hold money? | Can be paid into a local bank through Wise? | Local currency on Wise's list |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | Yes | Yes | ZAR |
| Kenya | No | Yes | KES |
| Nigeria | No | Yes | NGN |
| Ghana | No | Yes | GHS |
| Uganda | No | Yes | UGX |
| Tanzania | No | Yes | TZS |
| Egypt | No | Yes | EGP |
| Morocco | No | Yes | MAD |
| Zambia | No | Yes | Not on the currency list we read |
On each currency, Wise's page says it's within that country: KES within Kenya, NGN within Nigeria and so on. On other African countries, Wise says: "You might still be able to send money to your recipient's country/region if their account is denominated in USD, EUR or GBP."
What this means for a remote worker
Wise says: "You can register and send money with Wise from most countries around the world". That's about sending. It isn't the same as a balance you can hold and get paid into.
Say you live in Kenya and your client in Europe uses Wise. They can send to your Kenyan bank account in shillings. The money reaches you in local currency, so check the rate you end up with. If you need to hold dollars, Wise doesn't list Kenya for that, and you'd need another route, such as a dollar account at your bank.
In South Africa, you can hold money. But Wise's list doesn't change what the South African Reserve Bank says about money earned from home. Read what SARB exchange control says before you plan to keep it there.
In Ghana, the money can arrive in cedis. Holding isn't offered. And the Bank of Ghana has its own rule on foreign currency invoices, which we explain in Foreign Exchange Accounts in Ghana.
Where Wise says it doesn't serve
Wise's page lists these as not served: Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, DR Congo, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. If you live in one of these, plan another route from the start, and tell your employer before you sign.
Before you tell a client to use Wise
- Open Wise's help pages for your country and read them on the day.
- Ask your client which currency they'll send, and from which country.
- Do a small payment first if you can, and see what lands.
- Agree in writing who covers the transfer costs.
- Keep the record for tax. Money that reaches you through any app is still income.
The fee you might not see
When a payment goes by SWIFT rather than to a local account, banks along the way can take a cut. Wise's help page says: "we estimate anywhere between 15 and 50 USD or equivalent". So a client who sends 1,000 USD by SWIFT may not get 1,000 USD to you, whichever company they use. For a payment of 1,000 USD with a 25 USD correspondent fee and a 10 USD bank fee, 965 USD arrives.
Wise's pricing has no fixed percentage, because it depends on the route. Use its calculator for your own route. Then put the result into our payment fee comparison next to your other choices.
Common questions
Can I receive a salary into Wise in Nigeria?
Wise lists Nigeria as a place it can send naira to bank accounts, not as a place where you can hold money. So plan on the money landing in your bank. For dollars in Nigeria, read domiciliary accounts under the CBN manual.
Are the requirements the same in each country?
We didn't find one list of documents for all of them. Wise will ask for what it needs for your country when you register. Use only Wise's own site for that.
Where do I start?
Read getting paid from abroad for all the routes, then find a remote role. Ask how the employer pays before you sign the contract, so you know which route you'll need. Applying is free, and nobody should pay for a job.