Best payday loans in South Africa
Payday lending is priced almost identically across registered providers, because the National Credit Act caps it. What genuinely differs is how much each lender tells you before you apply. This list ranks on exactly that.
The shortlist
ordered by what each discloses · how we rank| Lender · NCR registration | Amount | Term | Interest | Basis | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boodle NCRCP5361 | R500 – R8 000 | 1–6 months | Up to 5%/mo capped | ✓ Lender-confirmed | View details |
| Atlas Finance NCRCP3994 | R500 – R20 000 | 1–9 months | Up to 5%/mo capped | ✓ Lender-confirmed | View details |
| Letsatsi Finance NCRCP895 | R500 – R7 000 | 1–6 months | Up to 5%/mo capped | ✓ Lender-confirmed | View details |
| Wonga NCRCP12875 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Up to 5%/mo capped | ✓ Lender-confirmed | View details |
| Lime24 NCRCP8077 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Up to 5%/mo capped | ✓ Lender-confirmed | View details |
| FinChoice NCRCP8162 / NCRCP23514 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Up to 5%/mo capped | ✓ Lender-confirmed | View details |
| Barko NCRCP1764 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Up to 5%/mo capped | ✓ Lender-confirmed | View details |
- Boodle✓ Lender-confirmedNCRCP5361
- Amount
- R500 – R8 000
- Term
- 1–6 months
- Interest
- Up to 5%/mo capped
- Provider
- Boodle (Pty) Ltd
- Atlas Finance✓ Lender-confirmedNCRCP3994
- Amount
- R500 – R20 000
- Term
- 1–9 months
- Interest
- Up to 5%/mo capped
- Provider
- Atlas Finance
- Letsatsi Finance✓ Lender-confirmedNCRCP895
- Amount
- R500 – R7 000
- Term
- 1–6 months
- Interest
- Up to 5%/mo capped
- Provider
- Letsatsi Finance and Loan (Pty) Ltd
- Wonga✓ Lender-confirmedNCRCP12875
- Amount
- Not disclosed
- Term
- Not disclosed
- Interest
- Up to 5%/mo capped
- Provider
- Wonga Online (Pty) Ltd
- Lime24✓ Lender-confirmedNCRCP8077
- Amount
- Not disclosed
- Term
- Not disclosed
- Interest
- Up to 5%/mo capped
- Provider
- Lime Loans South Africa (Pty) Ltd
- FinChoice✓ Lender-confirmedNCRCP8162 / NCRCP23514
- Amount
- Not disclosed
- Term
- Not disclosed
- Interest
- Up to 5%/mo capped
- Provider
- FinChoice Africa Ltd / FinChoice Finance (Pty) Ltd
- Barko✓ Lender-confirmedNCRCP1764
- Amount
- Not disclosed
- Term
- Not disclosed
- Interest
- Up to 5%/mo capped
- Provider
- Barko Financial Services (Pty) Ltd
Every figure is transcribed from the provider’s own published material. Where a provider does not disclose something, this table says so rather than estimating it. Last checked 10 August 2026. ZarCash may earn a commission when you apply through a partner — it never changes this order. Affiliate disclosure
What it costs — work it out
Set the amount and the term and see the instalment and the total repayable, with every fee the National Credit Act allows and VAT included. An estimate at the legal maximum — not a quote, and not an offer.
Rates and fees use the NCA caps for short-term credit agreements: interest 5%/month (3% repeat), initiation fee R165 + 10% of the amount over R1 000 (max R1 050), service fee R60/month, VAT 15% on fees.
| Principal — what you receive | R3 000 |
|---|---|
| Interest (5%/mo × 3 months) | R450 |
| Initiation fee | R365 |
| Service fee (3 × R60) | R180 |
| VAT on fees (15%) | R82 |
| Total cost of credit | R1 077 |
Check these three things before you sign — here or anywhere
- The lender’s NCRCP number is published on its own site, and it checks out in the National Credit Regulator’s register.
- The pre-agreement quote breaks out the total cost of credit: interest, initiation fee, service fee and VAT — as one figure you can compare.
- Nobody asks you for an upfront “release fee”. A registered credit provider never charges you before it pays out.
Ranked by what each provider discloses
Ordered by disclosure completeness, not by commission. Checked 10 August 2026.
| # | Provider | Legal entity | NCR | Amount | Term | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boodle | Boodle (Pty) Ltd | NCRCP5361 | R500 – R8 000 | 1 month – 6 months | Verified on the lender’s own site |
| 2 | Atlas Finance | Atlas Finance | NCRCP3994 | R500 – R20 000 | 1 month – 9 months | Verified on the lender’s own site |
| 3 | Letsatsi Finance | Letsatsi Finance and Loan (Pty) Ltd | NCRCP895 | R500 – R7 000 | 1 month – 6 months | Verified on the lender’s own site |
| 4 | Wonga | Wonga Online (Pty) Ltd | NCRCP12875 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Verified on the lender’s own site |
| 5 | Lime24 | Lime Loans South Africa (Pty) Ltd | NCRCP8077 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Verified on the lender’s legal pages |
| 6 | FinChoice | FinChoice Africa Ltd / FinChoice Finance (Pty) Ltd | NCRCP8162 / NCRCP23514 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Verified on the lender’s legal pages |
| 7 | Barko | Barko Financial Services (Pty) Ltd | NCRCP1764 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Verified in the lender’s published policy |
A high position means the provider is transparent, not that it is right for you. Your rate and amount depend on the affordability assessment, and only the pre-agreement quote is binding.
How this list is ordered
Lenders are ordered by how much they actually disclose, not by what they pay. A provider that publishes its legal entity, NCR number, amount range and term range on its own site ranks above one that publishes a brand name and a phone number, because you can verify the first and not the second.
Where a figure comes from a third-party comparison snapshot rather than the lender, the row says so and ranks below lender-confirmed records. We would rather show you a gap than fill it.
ZarCash may earn a commission when you apply through a link here. That relationship never changes the order — the ordering rule above is applied to the data before any commercial arrangement is considered, and a lender cannot buy a position.
Related
Sources and last checked
- National Credit Regulator — register of credit providers — Regulator, as at 10 August 2026.
- National Credit Act 34 of 2005 and its regulations — Government, as at 10 August 2026.
- DataForSEO — Google South Africa — API documentation, as at 10 August 2026.
Page last checked 10 August 2026. Statutory caps and lender terms change — confirm anything you intend to rely on with the provider or the National Credit Regulator. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.