Hello Paisa

What Hello Paisa does

Hello Paisa (Proprietary) Limited is a South African-licensed international money transfer operator headquartered in Centurion, Gauteng. Founded in 2012 and operating as a subsidiary of Hello Group (which also owns mobile virtual network operator Hello Mobile), the company enables migrant workers and diaspora communities in South Africa to send cash remittances to recipients across 35+ countries spanning Africa, South Asia, and parts of Europe and Southeast Asia. The company is one of only a few holders of a South African Reserve Bank license for international money transfer, providing regulatory legitimacy in a market where informal hawala channels remain common.

The company's core product is a multi-channel remittance platform accessible via Android/iOS mobile apps, a free USSD code (*130*43556#), WhatsApp self-signup, a call centre (012-880-1800), and over 50 physical Hello Store/Info Point locations across South Africa. Customers initiate transactions through any channel and pay in cash at Hello Stores or at partner retail chains including Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Boxer, Checkers, Spar, Makro, Ackermans, and Pep, or via EFT through FNB, Nedbank, and Standard Bank. Payouts are delivered to recipients through cash pickup agents (including Western Union in Bangladesh), bank account transfers, and mobile wallets (including bKash in Bangladesh). The company has expanded into adjacent products including Hello Paisa Banking (a mobile banking offering with card services) and Malaicha.com (cross-border grocery delivery to Zimbabwe), and operates inbound remittance flows into South Africa via a partnership with WorldRemit.

Hello Paisa generates revenue primarily through per-transaction fees on outbound remittances, with fee structures varying by destination country and transaction tier (FICA LITE, FULL FICA, and Self-Declaration tiers with daily limits ranging from R3,000 to R15,000). The customer base is a long-tail of individual migrant workers rather than enterprise clients, with no concentration in any single counterparty. Geographic reach has expanded to include physical store presence in Zimbabwe and Malawi, and the service supports outbound flows from both South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Name

Hello Paisa

Legal name

Hello Paisa (Proprietary) Limited

Website

https://hellopaisa.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Hello Paisa is a South African Reserve Bank-licensed international remittance operator enabling migrant workers and diaspora communities in South Africa to send cash to 35+ countries via mobile app, USSD, WhatsApp, call centre, and 50+ retail stores, operating as a subsidiary of Hello Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Remittance Services

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Remittances (P2P) (FSAMAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Remittance & Cross-Border Payment Rails (SWIFT, Local Clearing, RTP Connectivity) (FSAGAKAH)

Keywords

• International money transfers
• Remittance services
• Cross-border payments
• Diaspora banking
• Migrant financial services

Headquarters

HQ city

Centurion

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. International Money Transfer Transaction Fees: Hello Paisa charges fees for each international money transfer transaction. Fees vary by destination country and are displayed when creating a transaction. The company also offers competitive exchange rates as part of its value proposition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hello Paisa provides cheap international money transfer services from South Africa to more than 35 countries, enabling migrants and diaspora workers to send cash to family and recipients in their home countries. The service is accessible via multiple channels including a mobile app, free USSD code (*130*43556#), WhatsApp self-signup, call centre, and a network of physical Hello Stores. The company operates under a South African Reserve Bank license and also offers an inbound remittance service via WorldRemit for receiving money into South Africa.

Product overview

Hello Paisa is a single unified product portfolio offering international money transfer and mobile banking services primarily for migrants in South Africa. The core offering consists of the Hello Paisa International Money Transfer Service, accessible through multiple channels: a mobile app (Android/iOS), USSD code (*130*43556#), WhatsApp self-signup, call centre (012-880-1800), and physical Hello Stores/Info Centres across South Africa. The service supports remittances to 36 countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and various African nations. Supporting infrastructure includes Pay-in Points at major retail chains (Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Spar, etc.) for cash payments, and Hello Paisa Inwards for receiving international transfers into South Africa via WorldRemit. The company is licensed by the South African Reserve Bank and is part of the Hello Group, which also operates Hello Mobile.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hello Paisa Banking: Mobile banking application and banking card service allowing users to manage funds, pay bills, and send money internationally
• Malaicha.com

Products and services

• International Money Transfer Service A cheap, easy, and secure international money transfer service enabling users to send cash from South Africa to 35+ countries worldwide, with support for cash pickup, bank account transfers, mobile wallets, and various collection points.
• Hello Paisa Banking A digital banking service reimagined as a mobile-first offering, allowing users to hold banking in the palm of their hand with services that adapt to their needs, accessible via app.
• Hello Paisa Inwards (Receive Money to South Africa) A person-to-person international money transfer service allowing recipients in South Africa to receive funds from senders overseas, powered by WorldRemit integration, with funds credited to bank accounts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Instant or same-day cash collection for recipients across supported countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WorldRemitcoreTechnology or IntegrationWorldRemit is a global inbound remittance partner that allows people to send money to South Africa through Hello Paisa. The partnership enables person-to-person international money transfers into South Africa, with Hello Paisa acting as the local payout partner for WorldRemit senders.
• Western UnioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWestern Union is listed as a cash collection partner for Bangladesh, allowing Hello Paisa customers to pay funds into Western Union accounts in Bangladesh for recipient collection.
• bKashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorbKash, a Bangladesh-based mobile financial service, is listed as a payout partner allowing Hello Paisa recipients in Bangladesh to receive funds directly to their bKash mobile wallet.
• Pick n PaycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPick n Pay and Pick n Pay QualiSave stores across South Africa serve as official pay-in points where Hello Paisa customers can pay cash for their remittance transactions. Over 15 Pick n Pay locations are listed as collection points.
• ShopritecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShoprite retail stores serve as pay-in points where Hello Paisa customers can pay for remittance transactions in cash.
• BoxercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBoxer retail stores serve as pay-in points where Hello Paisa customers can pay for remittance transactions in cash.
• CheckerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCheckers retail stores serve as pay-in points where Hello Paisa customers can pay for remittance transactions in cash.
• SparcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpar retail stores serve as pay-in points where Hello Paisa customers can pay for remittance transactions in cash.
• MakrocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMakro retail stores serve as pay-in points where Hello Paisa customers can pay for remittance transactions in cash.
• AckermanscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAckermans retail stores serve as pay-in points where Hello Paisa customers can pay for remittance transactions in cash.
• PepcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPep retail stores serve as pay-in points where Hello Paisa customers can pay for remittance transactions in cash.
• FNB (First National Bank)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFNB bank branches across South Africa serve as pay-in points for Hello Paisa remittance transactions.
• NedbankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNedbank branches across South Africa serve as pay-in points for Hello Paisa remittance transactions.
• Standard BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStandard Bank branches across South Africa serve as pay-in points for Hello Paisa remittance transactions.
• Hello GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHello Paisa is a subsidiary of Hello Group, which also operates Hello Mobile – a mobile network service provider trusted by thousands of migrants across South Africa. The group leverages shared technology, customer trust, and operational infrastructure across its subsidiaries.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• MoneyGram: Global cross-border P2P payments incumbent with extensive retail agent footprint in Africa and Asia. Competes with Hello Paisa for the same migrant senders from South Africa.
• Western Union: Global incumbent in cross-border money transfer with the largest agent network worldwide. Competes across every Hello Paisa corridor and acts as a payout partner for Hello Paisa Bangladesh-bound transfers.
• Capitec: Largest South African retail bank by customer count, serving a largely unbanked-to-mass-market segment that overlaps heavily with Hello Paisa's migrant customers. Its digital remittance and banking capabilities make it a structural competitor for low-income financial services wallet share.

Regional players

• Kazang (Lesaka Technologies): South African fintech offering cash-in/out, prepaid, and remittance services primarily through a spaza-shop agent network. Operates adjacent rather than head-to-head but shares the same SA migrant customer base and cash distribution infrastructure.

Emerging players

• Sendwave: Africa-focused mobile remittance app (now owned by WorldRemit) specializing in low-fee transfers to African countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Senegal. Directly competes with Hello Paisa on the smartphone-native diaspora segment.

Direct peers

• Mukuru: One of the largest Africa-focused remittance operators, with deep corridor coverage from South Africa to Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and beyond. Directly competes with Hello Paisa for the same migrant customer base using a similar multi-channel retail and digital model.
• Mama Money: South Africa-based remittance fintech specializing in low-cost transfers to neighboring African countries. Targets the same migrant segment as Hello Paisa with overlapping corridor coverage (Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi) and competitive digital-first positioning.
• Remitly: US-headquartered digital remittance fintech serving diaspora corridors worldwide, including significant South Africa outbound volume. Competes on mobile app UX and aggressive corridor pricing with a venture-backed marketing budget.
• WorldRemit: Global digital remittance platform with significant presence in South Africa both as a sender and as an inbound partner to Hello Paisa. Directly competes on digital user experience for diaspora sending money to 130+ countries.

Others

• Hello Mobile: Sibling brand under Hello Group offering mobile network services to migrant communities in South Africa. While not a direct competitor, it shares customers, brand, and infrastructure with Hello Paisa and represents the most strategically relevant ecosystem partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hellopaisasa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCq5C0c8jfIOf1cXWS8QIfVA
• Facebookfacebook.com/hellopaisaSouthAfrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/9466185
• Instagraminstagram.com/hellogroupsa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hello Paisa