If you're in Nigeria, Kenya or South Africa and searching "does rent a friend work here" or "does rent a cyber friend pay", here's the straight answer, because there's a lot of nonsense online.
Two different things#
| "Rent a cyber friend" sites | Roavi (in person) | |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | Chat online with strangers | Meet travellers in your city, show them around |
| Who pays | The site, if it pays at all | The traveller, directly, at your rate |
| Cost to join | Often a "registration" or "activation" fee | Free |
| Commission | Varies | None |
| Where it works | Anywhere online | Only where visitors come |
The rule that protects you: a real platform that pays you never asks you to pay first. "Activation fees", "verification fees", "withdrawal fees" to unlock earnings: those are the scam.
Where in-person work actually pays#
Roavi is for showing real visitors your city, so it only works where visitors are:
- Nigeria: Lagos (Victoria Island, Lekki, the business travellers and the diaspora at Christmas), Abuja.
- Kenya: Nairobi (business travellers, safari stopovers), Mombasa and Diani (tourists).
- South Africa: Cape Town (tourism all year), Johannesburg, Durban.
If you live in a small town with no visitors, be honest with yourself: you won't be booked, and no platform can change that.
How it works#
- Sign up free as a Local Friend, with real photos and a short bio in English.
- Set your hourly rate and when you're free. Worldwide most Local Friends charge $15 to $50 an hour; set what makes sense for your city.
- Travellers message you in the app; you agree a plan and meet in a public place.
- You keep 100% of what you charge. Roavi takes no commission.
Paid friend jobs explains what the work is really like, and how much it costs to rent a friend explains how people set prices.
Safety#
Meet in public, keep the chat in the app until you've met, tell someone your plan, and never send or accept money outside the platform in advance, in either direction.
Live in Lagos, Nairobi or Cape Town? Get paid to show visitors your city.
Become a Local FriendThe same honest answer for Pakistan and the Philippines.
Country by country: Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar, Uganda.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does rent a cyber friend pay in Nigeria or Kenya?
Be careful. Many 'cyber friend' sites pay very little, delay payouts, or ask you to pay a registration or 'activation' fee first. Any platform that asks you to pay to earn is a red flag. Roavi charges nothing to join and takes no commission.Does Roavi work in Nigeria?
Roavi is for meeting travellers in person. In Nigeria that means cities visitors actually come to, mainly Lagos and Abuja. If you live there and speak English, you can sign up free and set an hourly rate; income depends on how many travellers are in your city.Does rent a friend work in Kenya?
Yes, in person, in Nairobi and the coast (Mombasa, Diani), where tourists and business travellers come. Online 'cyber friend' schemes are a different thing and mostly don't pay.Does rent a friend work in South Africa?
Yes. Cape Town has strong tourism all year, and Johannesburg and Durban get business and leisure visitors. Local Friends there set an hourly rate and meet visitors in person.How much can I earn?
You set your own hourly rate (worldwide most Local Friends charge $15 to $50 an hour) and keep all of it. How often you're booked depends on travellers in your city and how fast you reply; it's a side income, not a salary.