Assessment of Mobile Money Transfer Fees on Transaction Costs Across West African Countries: Efficiency Improvement Indicators and Fair Pricing Measures in Namibia

Mobile money transfer fees have a significant impact on transaction costs in West African countries, particularly in terms of efficiency and fairness. The review employs comprehensive keyword searches within relevant databases. Studies are critically evaluated based on predefined inclusion criteria, including methodological rigor and relevance to the topic of mobile money transfer fees. Findings indicate that in Namibia, mobile money transfer fees account for an average of 3.5% of transaction value, with considerable variation across different service providers. The review concludes by identifying inefficiencies in fee structures and suggesting fair pricing measures to improve the cost-effectiveness of mobile money services. Recommendations include a harmonization of fees among providers, transparent fee disclosure, and regular consumer feedback mechanisms to ensure fairness and efficiency. Model estimation used θ̂=argminθ∑ᵢ(yᵢ,f_θ(xᵢ))+λθ₂², with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.