Debt review in South Africa
Debt review is the formal process under the National Credit Act for a consumer who is over-indebted. A registered debt counsellor assesses your position, restructures what you owe into one affordable payment, and applies to court for an order. It is a serious step with real protections and real costs, and it is not for everyone.
What you need to know
What it does: your instalments across all credit agreements are restructured into one payment you can afford, distributed to your creditors by a payment distribution agency. Once the court grants the order, creditors cannot take legal action or repossess while you keep to it.
What it costs: you are flagged at the credit bureaux as under debt review and cannot take new credit until you complete it. The restructured term is usually longer, so you may pay more in total. There are also counsellor and distribution fees, which are regulated.
Who it suits: someone whose total instalments genuinely exceed what their income can carry, and who has a stable income to make the restructured payment from. Someone with a temporary shortfall usually has better options.
How it ends: when the restructured debt is paid, the counsellor issues a clearance certificate, the bureaux remove the flag, and your access to credit is restored.
ZarCash presents no loan offers on this page
We do not know your circumstances and cannot tell you whether debt review is right for you — only a registered debt counsellor can assess that. What we will not do is put a loan offer in front of someone reading about over-indebtedness. Check any counsellor’s registration with the National Credit Regulator before engaging one.
If something goes wrong
- Complain to the lender firstPut it in writing and keep the reference number. Most credit providers must give you a decision within a set number of business days under their own complaints policy.
- Escalate to the Credit OmbudIf the lender does not resolve it, the Credit Ombud handles disputes with non-bank credit providers at no cost to you.
- Report it to the National Credit RegulatorThe NCR is the regulator. Report reckless lending, an unregistered provider, or a lender that will not give you a pre-agreement quote.
Related
Sources and last checked
- National Credit Act 34 of 2005 and its regulations — Government, as at 10 August 2026.
- National Credit Regulator — register of credit providers — Regulator, 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.