It contains two species, which are both found in eastern Africa: French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte described the grey-capped social weaver as Nigrita arnaudi in 1850, based on a specimen collected by the French explorer Joseph Pons d'Arnaud around 1841 near Juba on the White Nile.

In 1903, Reichenow assigned both species to his newly erected genus Pseudonigrita, because he considered P. arnaudi and P. cabanisi related to weaverbirds (Ploceidae), while the other species Nigrita bicolor, N. canicapillus, N. fusconota and N. luteifrons are negrofinches assigned to the estrildid finches.

[3][4] Pseudonigrita: Greek: ψευδος pseudos "false"; genus Nigrita Strickland, 1843[5] Based on recent DNA-analysis (which did not include P. cabanisi), the genus Pseudonigrita belongs to the group of sparrow weavers (subfamily Plocepasserinae), and is most related to Philetairus socius.

[6] Provided that the sister relationship between the Pseudonigrita-species is correct, the following tree expresses current insights.

Amblyospiza albifrons Sporopipes Plocepasser Philetairus socius P. cabanisi P. arnaudi Dinemellia dinemelli Bubalornis all other weaverbirds