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The short answer
With Hello Paisa you register in the app with a South African ID, a foreign passport with a permit or an asylum permit, add your Nigerian recipient, choose a payout method, then pay by EFT or at a pay-in point within 24 hours. Its Nigeria page (last updated 2021) describes cash collection; confirm in the app whether a bank deposit option is offered.
Hello Paisa is a South African money transfer app that lists Nigeria among the countries it sends to. Its pages, read in October 2026, describe a five-step process in the app: add a recipient, choose a payout method and point, enter the amount, pay by EFT or at a pay-in point, and give the recipient the reference number. The catch for Nigerian senders is that its Nigeria page is old and describes cash collection, not bank deposits, so the payout options you see in the app are the ones that count.
Before you start: registration
Hello Paisa's FAQ says that to sign up you need "a valid South African ID, Foreign Passport with a permit, or Asylum permit", plus proof of address. If you cannot provide proof of address, the FAQ says a Hello Paisa employee can verify it through an affidavit or a site visit at your employer. For a Nigerian in South Africa, that means your Nigerian passport on its own is not enough: the FAQ wording ties a foreign passport to a permit.
Your verification level sets your limits. The FAQ lists three levels:
| Level | Per transaction, per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| FICA LITE | R3,000 | R10,000 |
| FULL FICA | R5,000 | R25,000 |
| Self-Declaration | R15,000 | R25,000 |
The FAQ says these limits exclude fees and that the minimum per transaction is between R150 and R500, depending on the destination country. These are Hello Paisa's own limits, as stated on an undated page; check the app for your current figures.
The steps, as Hello Paisa states them
- Download the hellopaisa app from Google Play or the Apple App Store and register.
- Add your recipient's details and select Nigeria. Choose a payout method and a payout point.
- Select the recipient and enter how much you want to send. The fee is shown at this stage: the FAQ says fees "can be viewed when creating a transaction".
- Pay via EFT or at a pay-in point. The FAQ lists Hello Store, Pick n Pay, Boxer, Checkers, Shoprite, Spar, Makro, Ackermans, Pep, FNB, Nedbank and Standard Bank, and says you have up to 24 hours to pay.
- Your recipient receives a reference number and collects at the chosen point, or receives the credit if a deposit option was chosen.
Bank account or cash collection?
This is the point to check carefully. Hello Paisa's Nigeria page was last modified in June 2021. It says "Collect Cash at" and shows the logos of several Nigerian banks and Western Union. It does not describe a direct deposit into a Nigerian bank account. Its FAQ does refer generally to funds reaching "a bank account, card or mobile wallet", so deposit options may exist for some countries, but we could not confirm a Nigerian bank deposit option from Hello Paisa's own pages.
- If the app offers a Nigerian bank deposit, enter the 10-digit account number and the account name exactly as the bank holds it.
- If it offers only cash collection, your relative will need the reference number and an acceptable ID at the collection point. Ask the collection bank which ID it accepts before they travel.
- Since 1 May 2026, a CBN directive requires licensed money transfer operators to pay Nigerian recipients in naira. Expect naira, whichever route you choose.
What to check first
- Your verification level, because it caps the amount. Upgrading from FICA LITE needs proof of address or an affidavit.
- Whether Nigeria appears with a bank deposit option or only cash collection in the payout list.
- The fee and the rate on the confirmation screen before you pay, in rand and in naira.
- The pay-in deadline: you have up to 24 hours to pay at a till or by EFT, according to the FAQ.
- Your relative's ID for collection, and that the name on it matches the name you typed.
Hello Paisa's FAQ lists call centre hours of Monday to Friday 07h00 to 18h00, Saturday 08h00 to 15h00 and Sunday 08h00 to 14h00, so problems found late on a Sunday may wait until morning.
Mistakes the FAQ warns about
- Wrong recipient details. The FAQ says a recipient's account details "cannot be edited". You delete the recipient and add them again, or call the call centre.
- Refunds. Once funds are in a bank account, card or wallet, the FAQ says "no refund will be performed". For uncollected cash, funds are returned to your Hello Paisa account to use for your next transaction, not to your bank.
- Late payment. An order not paid within 24 hours lapses. The Nigeria page suggests simply deleting the order and creating a new one.
Where Pryme fits
If your relatives are tired of collecting cash, a Pryme account in Nigeria gives them a naira account they open on their phone, held by a licensed Nigerian microfinance bank. You can also open a Pryme account from South Africa and use Send; the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve. Outside Nigeria, Pryme's activities are carried out through regulated partners. Compare costs in Hello Paisa fees to Nigeria, and see sending without a bank account if you pay in cash.
Questions people ask
Can I use Hello Paisa with a Nigerian passport?
The FAQ asks for a foreign passport with a permit, a South African ID or an asylum permit, plus proof of address.
Does Hello Paisa send to Nigerian bank accounts?
Its Nigeria page, last updated in 2021, describes cash collection at Nigerian banks. Check the payout options in the app for a deposit option.
How much can I send with Hello Paisa per month?
The FAQ lists R10,000 a month at FICA LITE and R25,000 at FULL FICA or Self-Declaration, excluding fees.
Can I change the account number after sending with Hello Paisa?
The FAQ says recipient details cannot be edited. Delete and recreate the recipient, or call the call centre quickly.
Sources
- Hello Paisa: Frequently asked questions · accessed Oct 2026
- Hello Paisa: Send cash to Nigeria · accessed Oct 2026
- Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie: CBN directive routing remittances through regulated channels · 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.