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The short answer
Yes. Capitec says personal clients can receive international payments in foreign currency. The sender in Nigeria pays dollars, pounds or euros to SWIFT code CABLZAJJ with your 10-digit account number and your name exactly as on your account and passport; no branch code is needed. You declare the payment's reason before Capitec credits it in rand.
Yes, Capitec receives international payments
Capitec's foreign exchange services page says personal clients can receive inward payments in foreign currency. A sender in Nigeria pays from their bank in a foreign currency, such as US dollars, pounds or euros, and Capitec credits your account in rand after you declare the payment. Naira itself cannot be sent; the sender pays from a domiciliary account or buys foreign currency first.
The details to share
Capitec's page specifies exactly what the sender's bank needs:
- SWIFT code
- CABLZAJJ, entered in field 57A; without it the payment is returned as invalid
- Account number (field 59)
- Your 10-digit Capitec account number
- Name (field 59)
- Your name and surname as on your Capitec account and ID; for foreign nationals, as on your passport
- Branch code
- Not needed for foreign currency payments
- IBAN
- Not used in South Africa; if the sender's bank insists, use your account number with leading zeros
- Currency
- Ask the sender to send foreign currency (Capitec gives USD, EUR and GBP as examples), routed directly to CABLZAJJ
- Sender details
- At least the sender's first name and surname
What the sender in Nigeria does
From a domiciliary account, the sender instructs a SWIFT transfer. Under the CBN Foreign Exchange Manual 2026, dom account holders may make telegraphic transfers of up to $10,000 a day (TheCable, 3 June 2026), and Mondaq's summary says Form A is not required for outward remittances from self-funded dom accounts. The sender's bank charges its own fee. If the sender has only naira, they need their bank to sell them foreign currency for an eligible purpose first.
What you do when it arrives
Capitec says the account holder must declare the money before it is credited, in person or on a form:
- Integrated Balance of Payments form for once-off payments, used if the bank cannot reach you.
- Standing Instruction and Indemnity form for regular payments such as an international salary, valid until you cancel it in writing.
A temporary SARB dispensation lets Capitec skip the declaration for payments under R50,000 where the client has a South African ID and the name and account number match. If your account is opened on a passport, expect to be contacted. Payments not processed within 30 days of contact attempts may be returned to the sender, so keep your phone number and FICA details current. You can ask the sender to put a reason word, such as "gift" or "salary", in the reference.
Fees and timing
Capitec says the processing banks deduct their fees from the amount received before it is credited, unless the payment instruction says otherwise, and that fees cannot be quoted before the payment arrives. Its fee brochure, linked from the page, has the current figures. There is no guaranteed arrival time, because intermediary banks may be involved; incorrect or incomplete details cause delays or returns.
Worked example
Example with made-up figures. Your aunt sends $300 from her Lagos dom account with charges shared. An intermediary bank deducts $12, so $288 reaches Capitec. Capitec's own receiving fee, from its brochure, comes off too. You confirm the BoP reason (a gift), and Capitec converts the balance to rand at its rate.
If something goes wrong
- Ask the sender for the SWIFT confirmation from their bank, showing date, amount and route.
- Check your name and account number were entered exactly.
- Contact Capitec's international payments team with the reference.
- If the payment was returned, the sender's bank recredits it, less charges.
Opening a Capitec account as a foreign national has its own requirements; see Capitec for foreign nationals. For the general route, see receiving money from Nigeria.
Before you ask anyone to send
- Log in to the Capitec app and confirm your account is active and your FICA details and permit are up to date.
- Copy your name exactly as Capitec has it; an extra middle name or a different spelling can hold the payment.
- Tell the sender to choose the option where they pay their own bank's charges, if their bank offers it, so fewer fees come out of the amount.
- Agree what the money is for, so the reference and your declaration match.
- If the payments will be regular, fill in the standing instruction form first.
For a regular salary or freelance income paid into Capitec, the standing instruction saves you a declaration each time. For an occasional gift, the once-off form or a call from Capitec is usually enough.
Where Pryme fits
If the money is for someone or something in Nigeria, it may not need to cross the border. Family can pay naira into your Pryme account's local naira details, and you decide from South Africa what to do with it. See multicurrency accounts and sending money.
Questions people ask
What is Capitec's SWIFT code?
CABLZAJJ, which Capitec says must go in field 57A of the payment.
Do I need a branch code to receive money from Nigeria?
No. Capitec says no branch code is needed for foreign currency payments.
Can Capitec receive naira?
No. The sender must pay in a foreign currency such as US dollars; Capitec credits rand.
How much does Capitec charge to receive international payments?
Fees are deducted before crediting and cannot be quoted in advance; Capitec's fee brochure has current figures.
Sources
- Capitec: Foreign exchange services (receiving international payments) · accessed Oct 2026
- TheCable: CBN Foreign Exchange Manual 2026 explained (3 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Mondaq: Key regulatory update, the CBN Foreign Exchange Manual 2026 (24 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.