M-Pesa and EcoCash Charges in Lesotho 2026: Sending and Withdrawal Fees
M-Pesa Lesotho charges for 2026: M1.16 to send and M1.84 to withdraw up to M50, 0.25%/0.35% above M5,000. EcoCash Lesotho fees compared side by side.
In this guide▾
M-Pesa charges in Lesotho for 2026 start at M1.16 to send up to M50 to another registered M-Pesa user and M1.84 to withdraw the same amount, rising to M10.09 to send and M15.13 to withdraw M4,001–M5,000. Above M5,000, Vodacom Lesotho charges a percentage: 0.25% to send and 0.35% to withdraw. EcoCash Lesotho costs about the same for everyday amounts, but it's much cheaper for big withdrawals: taking out M10,000 costs M25.73 on EcoCash against M35.00 on M-Pesa. Figures are from both operators' current price lists, checked in October 2026.
M-Pesa vs EcoCash charges in Lesotho at a glance
| Amount | M-Pesa send | EcoCash send | M-Pesa withdraw | EcoCash cash out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M50 | M1.16 | M1.10 | M1.84 | M1.78 |
| M100 | M1.73 | M2.00 | M2.78 | M2.65 |
| M250 | M2.60 | M3.10 | M4.22 | M4.05 |
| M500 | M3.91 | M4.00 | M6.32 | M6.05 |
| M1,000 | M6.38 | M6.08 | M9.56 | M9.94 |
| M2,000 | M9.41 | M9.30 | M14.12 | M14.38 |
| M5,000 | M10.09 | M10.25 | M15.13 | M15.45 |
| M10,000 | M25.00 | M15.30 | M35.00 | M25.73 |
| M20,000 | M50.00 | M30.60 | M70.00 | M51.45 |
Sources: Vodacom Lesotho M-Pesa fees and Econet Telecom Lesotho's EcoCash price list (updated May 2026).
The short version: up to M5,000, the two networks are within a few lisente of each other, so use whichever network the person you're paying is on. Above M5,000, EcoCash is clearly cheaper, because M-Pesa switches to a percentage fee and EcoCash keeps a flat one.
M-Pesa Lesotho charges: sending money
Sending money to another registered M-Pesa user costs M1.16 for M10–M50 and climbs to M10.09 for M4,001–M5,000. Above M5,000, the fee is 0.25% of the amount (0.27% above M50,000). Vodacom's table lists no fee for amounts under M10.
| Amount you send | Send to registered M-Pesa user | Vodacom's "send money to other" |
|---|---|---|
| M10 – M50 | M1.16 | M1.31 |
| M51 – M100 | M1.73 | M1.93 |
| M101 – M250 | M2.60 | M3.40 |
| M251 – M500 | M3.91 | M4.96 |
| M501 – M1,000 | M6.38 | M7.68 |
| M1,001 – M2,000 | M9.41 | M10.71 |
| M2,001 – M3,000 | M9.76 | M11.06 |
| M3,001 – M4,000 | M9.95 | M11.25 |
| M4,001 – M5,000 | M10.09 | M11.39 |
| M5,001 – M10,000 | 0.25% | M13.80 |
| M10,001 – M20,000 | 0.25% | M26.30 |
| M20,001 – M30,000 | 0.25% | M51.30 |
| M30,001 – M50,000 | 0.25% | no fee listed |
| M50,001 and above | 0.27% | no fee listed |
The "send money to other" column is Vodacom's own label. These fees apply when the money goes to someone outside the registered M-Pesa user tariff. If you're not sure which fee applies, the M-Pesa confirmation screen shows the charge before you enter your PIN.
M-Pesa Lesotho withdrawal charges
Withdrawing at an M-Pesa agent costs M1.84 for M10–M50 and M15.13 for M4,001–M5,000. From M5,001, it's 0.35% of the amount (0.38% above M50,000).
| Amount you withdraw | Withdrawal for registered M-Pesa user | Vodacom's "withdrawal from other" |
|---|---|---|
| M10 – M50 | M1.84 | M3.29 |
| M51 – M100 | M2.78 | M4.89 |
| M101 – M250 | M4.22 | M7.39 |
| M251 – M500 | M6.32 | M10.93 |
| M501 – M1,000 | M9.56 | M17.47 |
| M1,001 – M2,000 | M14.12 | M24.46 |
| M2,001 – M3,000 | M14.50 | M25.11 |
| M3,001 – M4,000 | M14.93 | M25.89 |
| M4,001 – M5,000 | M15.13 | M26.21 |
| M5,001 – M10,000 | 0.35% | M38.04 |
| M10,001 – M20,000 | 0.35% | M72.68 |
| M20,001 – M30,000 | 0.35% | M142.68 |
| M30,001 – M50,000 | 0.35% | no fee listed |
| M50,001 and above | 0.38% | no fee listed |
The M5,000 jump on M-Pesa withdrawals
Withdrawing M5,000 costs M15.13. Withdrawing M5,001 costs 0.35%, which is M17.50, and the fee keeps rising with the amount: M10,000 costs M35.00.
Two withdrawals of M5,000 cost M30.26, which is less than one M10,000 withdrawal at M35.00. Splitting starts to pay once you're taking out more than about M8,600. Below that, one withdrawal is cheaper. For example, M8,000 in one go costs M28.00, against M29.63 for M5,000 plus M3,000.
Other M-Pesa Lesotho fees
| Service | M-Pesa charge |
|---|---|
| Pay a bill, M501–M1,000 | M8.72 |
| Pay a bill, M1,001–M5,000 | M13.44 |
| Pay a merchant | Same as sending to a registered user |
| Buy airtime | Free |
| Card-to-wallet deposit | M0.50 flat |
Bill payments cost more than sending money at small amounts. Paying a M100 bill costs M3.21, against M1.73 to send M100. Above M5,000, bill payments switch to 0.35%.
EcoCash Lesotho charges
EcoCash Lesotho, run by Econet Telecom Lesotho, uses flat fees all the way up to M20,000. The current price list says to dial *199# to use EcoCash.
EcoCash Lesotho send money charges
| Amount you send to an EcoCash user | Charge |
|---|---|
| M5 – M20 | M1.00 |
| M21 – M50 | M1.10 |
| M51 – M100 | M2.00 |
| M101 – M200 | M2.20 |
| M201 – M250 | M3.10 |
| M251 – M300 | M3.80 |
| M301 – M400 | M3.95 |
| M401 – M500 | M4.00 |
| M501 – M1,000 | M6.08 |
| M1,001 – M2,000 | M9.30 |
| M2,001 – M3,000 | M9.68 |
| M3,001 – M4,000 | M9.85 |
| M4,001 – M5,000 | M10.25 |
| M5,001 – M10,000 | M15.30 |
| M10,001 – M20,000 | M30.60 |
EcoCash Lesotho cash-out charges
| Amount you cash out | Charge |
|---|---|
| M5 – M10 | M1.50 |
| M11 – M50 | M1.78 |
| M51 – M100 | M2.65 |
| M101 – M250 | M4.05 |
| M251 – M500 | M6.05 |
| M501 – M1,000 | M9.94 |
| M1,001 – M2,000 | M14.38 |
| M2,001 – M3,000 | M14.85 |
| M3,001 – M4,000 | M15.10 |
| M4,001 – M5,000 | M15.45 |
| M5,001 – M10,000 | M25.73 |
| M10,001 – M20,000 | M51.45 |
EcoCash Lesotho bank, bill and merchant charges
| Amount | Wallet to bank | Bank to wallet | Bill payment | Merchant payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M100 | M2.25 | M0.75 | M5.00 | M2.40 |
| M500 | M9.00 | M1.75 | M9.00 | M5.42 |
| M1,000 | M11.25 | M2.50 | M10.00 | M8.15 |
| M2,000 | M15.25 | M3.75 | M13.16 | M12.15 |
| M5,000 | M18.68 | M6.05 | M14.05 | M15.88 |
| M10,000 | M27.83 | M7.50 | M25.53 | M23.49 |
On EcoCash's price list, merchant payments cost more than sending the same amount to another EcoCash user: M8.15 against M6.08 at M1,000. Moving money from your Standard Lesotho Bank account into EcoCash is cheap (M2.50 for M1,000). Moving it the other way costs more than four times as much (M11.25).
Which is cheaper in Lesotho, M-Pesa or EcoCash?
For most everyday amounts, the difference is a few lisente either way:
- Sending under M5,000: it flips band by band. M-Pesa is cheaper at M250 (M2.60 against M3.10), EcoCash at M1,000 (M6.08 against M6.38). The gap is never more than 50 lisente.
- Withdrawing under M5,000: EcoCash is slightly cheaper up to M500. M-Pesa is slightly cheaper from M501 to M5,000.
- Anything above M5,000: EcoCash wins clearly. Sending M10,000 costs M15.30 on EcoCash against M25.00 on M-Pesa. Withdrawing it costs M25.73 against M35.00.
The bigger cost is usually switching networks, not the network itself. If your family or your customers are all on M-Pesa, the few lisente saved on EcoCash don't make up for the hassle. But if you regularly move more than M5,000 at a time (rent, school fees, stock for a shop), EcoCash's flat fees save real money. And to see what comes off your salary before it reaches your wallet, check the Lesotho PAYE tax table for 2026/27.
Sending money to Lesotho from South Africa
Many Basotho working in South Africa send money home, and mobile money is often where it lands. The loti is pegged one-to-one to the South African rand, so there's no exchange-rate surprise once the money is in maloti. The cost is in the transfer service's fee and how it pays out. Compare services the same way you'd compare any remittance app: look at the total cost for the exact amount, and at whether the payout goes straight into an M-Pesa or EcoCash wallet. Our guide to the cheapest ways to send money to Africa from the UK or US explains how to compare them.
What to watch out for
- Old fee charts. Several "M-Pesa Lesotho charges 2026" pages still carry an older withdrawal table, for example M1.73 instead of M1.84 for M10–M50. Vodacom's current fee page is the one to trust.
- The M5,000 line on M-Pesa. Above it, withdrawal fees become 0.35%. A M6,000 withdrawal costs M21.00 in one go; split into M5,000 and M1,000, it costs M24.69. Below about M8,600, one withdrawal is still cheaper. Above that, two are.
- The "other" fees. Sending to someone outside the registered-user tariff, and their withdrawal, costs noticeably more. If the person you're paying can register for M-Pesa, it's cheaper for both of you.
- Agents adding extra. Agents earn a commission from Vodacom or Econet. They shouldn't charge you anything beyond the published fee.
- PIN scams. Neither Vodacom nor Econet will ever ask for your PIN. A caller who "sent money to you by mistake" and wants it back is a common trick: check your actual balance in the menu before you send anything.
M-Pesa works differently in every country it runs in. In Lesotho it's Vodacom's; in Kenya it's Safaricom's, with its own M-Pesa sending and withdrawal tariffs, and Tanzania's Vodacom adds a government levy to every withdrawal, as our guide to M-Pesa Tanzania charges shows. EcoCash in Zimbabwe charges a percentage plus a 2% tax on sends; see EcoCash charges in Zimbabwe. For another flat-fee system in Southern Africa, compare Airtel Money charges in Zambia. In Botswana, Orange Money and MyZaka charges are flat too, with Orange far cheaper for large withdrawals.
Frequently asked questions
How much does M-Pesa Lesotho charge to withdraw M1,000?
M9.56 for a registered M-Pesa user. M1,000 falls in the M501–M1,000 band. Withdrawing M1,001 moves you into the next band, which costs M14.12.
How much does it cost to send M500 on M-Pesa Lesotho?
M3.91 to another registered M-Pesa user. On EcoCash, sending M500 to another EcoCash user costs M4.00.
Why are M-Pesa charges above M5,000 a percentage?
Vodacom Lesotho's tariff charges all transactions above M5,001 on a percentage basis: 0.25% to send or pay a merchant and 0.35% to withdraw or pay a bill, rising slightly to 0.27% and 0.38% above M50,000. Below M5,000, fees are flat amounts per band.
Is buying airtime with M-Pesa free in Lesotho?
Yes. Vodacom's fee page says airtime purchases are free. Card-to-wallet deposits cost a flat M0.50.
What is the EcoCash Lesotho code?
The current EcoCash price list from Econet Telecom Lesotho says to dial *199# to use EcoCash.
Is EcoCash cheaper than M-Pesa in Lesotho?
For large amounts, yes. Above M5,000, EcoCash's flat fees beat M-Pesa's percentage: withdrawing M10,000 costs M25.73 on EcoCash against M35.00 on M-Pesa. Under M5,000, the two are within about 50 lisente of each other, and which one is cheaper depends on the amount.
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