South African President Jacob Zuma has announced 67 South Africans died in a building collapse in Nigeria's financial capital Lagos.

"I am greatly saddened to announce that 67 South Africans died and scores of others sustained injuries, after a building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations collapsed on Friday," Mr Zuma said.

Earlier, rescue official confirmed 62 had died while expressing the hope that more survivors would be found.

"We have so far 62 people dead and 133 people have been rescued alive," said Ibrahim Farinloye, southwest coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

"Rescue efforts are still continuing but we hope they will come to an end tomorrow.

"We have reached a critical stage now and more survivors are likely to be brought out of the rubble."

The guesthouse at the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos' Ikotun neighbourhood collapsed on Friday, leaving scores trapped in the debris.

Mr Farinloye earlier said rescuers extracted a woman alive from the building's rubble this morning.

She was able to walk away from the collapse with just a broken wrist.

The discovery prompted rescuers to slow down their digging in the wreckage of the guesthouse.

The hostel housed Nigerian and foreign followers of the popular preacher and televangelist TB Joshua.

His network of churches and a television station have attracted people from around the world to Lagos with promises of receiving miracles and prophecies from the man followers dub "The Prophet".

Mr Joshua has suggested that a low-flying aircraft was responsible for the disaster and released security camera footage apparently showing a plane flying four times over the hostel before its collapse.

Ikotun is located to the west of Lagos's international airport. 

Mr Zuma said South Africa was grieving after the tragedy, saying, "not in the recent history of our country have we had this large number of our people die in one incident outside the country.

"Our thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues that have lost their loved ones in this heart-breaking tragedy. The whole nation shares the pain of the mothers, fathers, daughters and sons who have lost their loved ones. We are all in grief."

Mr Zuma said he had ordered government departments to help family members get to Nigeria to identify the bodies of their loved ones, and repatriate the remains as soon as possible.

The preacher has not commented directly on the deaths and initially claimed that only a few people were injured but on Sunday tweeted: "No matter how long a lie is sustained, truth will someday prevail."

Rescuers say the building was overburdened by additional floors being constructed on top of its existing foundations.

Lagos state government officials are investigating the cause of the collapse.