Loans for Debt Review Clients in South Africa
Being under debt review makes getting a loan complicated. Under the National Credit Act, credit providers cannot extend new credit to consumers who are under debt review. But that does not mean you have zero options. Some lenders offer consolidation products, and once you receive your clearance certificate the picture changes entirely. Here is what you need to know about your options.
Top Providers (37)
| # | Loan Company | Score | Amount | Term | Rate | Age | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Creditum | 8.5 | R500 – R350 000 | 2 months – 6 years | 35% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 2 |  Creditomax | 8.4 | R500 – R15 000 | 1 day – 1 year | 0.01% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 3 |  Crezu | 8.2 | R500 – R350 000 | 2 months – 4 months | 12% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 4 |  LendPlus | 8.1 | R500 – R4 000 | 5 days – 1 month | 60% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 5 |  PrimeLoans | 7.9 | R500 – R4 000 | 5 days – 1 month | 29.25% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 6 |  Dengoo | 7.8 | R500 – R9 000 | 1 day – 6 months | 0% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 7 |  Finpug | 7.6 | R500 – R9 000 | 1 day – 6 months | 0% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 8 |  Letocredit | 7.5 | R500 – R9 000 | 1 day – 6 months | 0% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 9 | Century / CredItza | 7.3 | R500 – R8 000 | 5 days – 6 months | 0.1% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 10 |  Boost Loans | 7.0 | R500 – R8 000 | 1 month – 1 year | 24.5% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 11 |  Mafori Finance | 6.9 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 12 |  Atlas Finance | 6.7 | R500 – R20 000 | 1 month – 9 months | 35% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 13 |  Green Door Home Loans | 6.7 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 14 |  CiTi Cash Loans | 6.4 | R500 – R9 000 | 1 day – 6 months | 5% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 15 |  Credit Salvage | 6.1 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 16 | Exclusive Loans | 6.1 | R500 – R250 000 | 1 month – 5 years | 18% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 17 |  Finance 365 | 6.1 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 18 | Showtime Finance | 5.8 | R1 000 – R250 000 | 6 months – 7 years | 24% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 19 |  Marquis Finance | 5.6 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 20 |  Myloan.co.za | 5.6 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 21 | EasyFin Loans | 5.5 | R500 – R150 000 | 1 year – 5 years | 30% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 22 | S SA Home Loans | 5.5 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 23 | FASTA | 5.2 | R500 – R15 000 | 1 month – 6 months | 28.75% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 24 | Sunshine Loans | 4.9 | R500 – R4 000 | 4 days – 1 month | 35% | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 25 |  FeverTree Finance | 4.5 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 26 | S SA Home Loans Insurance | 4.5 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 27 | L LINS Finance | 4.4 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 28 | S Sa Taxi Finance | 4.4 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 29 |  EXEL Finance | 3.8 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 30 | B Bayport | 3.7 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 31 | M Makanda Finance | 3.7 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 32 |  The Finance Experts | 3.3 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 33 | S SA Credit Check | 3.2 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 34 |  Spotaloan | 3.2 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 35 |  Shackleton Credit | 3.1 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 36 | C Credit Intel | 2.9 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
| 37 |  Credit Matters | 2.6 | — | — | — | 18+ | Get a Loan |
🛡️ All lenders listed are NCR-registered credit providers.
How Loans for Debt Review Clients Work
Debt review, also called debt counselling, is a legal process introduced under the National Credit Act (NCA) to help over-indebted South Africans restructure what they owe. A registered debt counsellor negotiates lower monthly repayments with your creditors, and you make one consolidated payment each month through a payment distribution agency. It sounds like a lifeline, and for many people it genuinely is. But here's the catch nobody tells you upfront: once you're under debt review, you are legally blocked from taking on new credit. Section 88 of the NCA is clear on this. Credit providers are prohibited from extending new credit to consumers who are under active debt review. This isn't a policy choice by individual banks. It's the law. Any lender who offers you a loan while you're flagged on the National Credit Register as being under debt review is breaking the rules, and so are you if you accept it. So what can you do if you need money while you're in the process? That's where things get complicated. There are no legal loan options for people under active debt review. What you'll find advertised online as 'debt review loans' are often from unregistered lenders or outright scams. The NCR has warned consumers repeatedly about this. If someone promises you a loan while you're under debt review, treat it as a red flag. The process ends when you've settled all your restructured debt. At that point, your debt counsellor issues a clearance certificate, also called a Form 19. This gets sent to the credit bureaus and the NCR, and your debt review status is removed from your profile. Once that's done, you're legally allowed to apply for credit again. The timeline varies. Some people are done in two or three years. Others take five years or longer, depending on how much they owed and what repayment plan was negotiated. It's a slow road, but it's a legitimate one. And coming out the other side with a clearance certificate puts you in a far better position than a default judgment or blacklisting ever would.
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- ✓ Debt review provides immediate legal protection from creditors. Once the process starts, your creditors can't take legal action against you or repossess your assets while you're making the agreed payments.
- ✓ Your monthly repayments are reduced to an affordable amount, which means you can cover basic living expenses without choosing between food and debt instalments every month.
- ✓ You make a single payment each month instead of juggling multiple creditors, different due dates, and varying amounts. That alone reduces a lot of the daily stress that comes with serious debt.
- ✓ Successfully completing debt review and receiving your clearance certificate gives you a clean, legal exit from your debt situation, without the long-term stigma or legal consequences of sequestration or simply ignoring what you owe.
Disadvantages
- ✗ You cannot access any new credit for the entire duration of the debt review process. No loans, no credit cards, no overdraft. If a financial emergency comes up, your options are very limited.
- ✗ The process can take years. If you had significant debt, it's not unusual to be under debt review for four or five years before you qualify for a clearance certificate.
- ✗ Your debt review status is listed on your credit profile at all credit bureaus, which means any lender who checks your credit during this time will see it immediately and decline your application.
- ✗ Not all debt counsellors are reputable. There are registered practitioners who overcharge on fees or mismanage your payments. Always verify that your debt counsellor is registered with the NCR at ncr.org.za before signing anything.
How to Apply
You can't apply for a loan while you're under debt review. The path forward is to complete the process properly and get your clearance certificate first. Start by contacting your debt counsellor to confirm how much you still owe and what the estimated completion date is. Once your last account is paid, your counsellor must issue a Form 19 clearance certificate and notify the credit bureaus. Follow up with the bureaus directly to confirm your status has been updated, because this step sometimes gets delayed. After your profile is cleared, wait a few months before applying for credit. Use that time to check your credit report at annualcreditreport.co.za, correct any errors, and approach lenders with realistic expectations about what you'll qualify for initially.
Requirements
- ✓ You must have a valid clearance certificate (Form 19) issued by your debt counsellor confirming all restructured accounts have been paid up and your debt review has been formally concluded.
- ✓ Your debt review status must be removed from all major credit bureaus, including TransUnion, Experian, and XDS. This doesn't always happen automatically, so you may need to follow up.
- ✓ You'll need a South African ID and proof of residence, typically not older than three months.
- ✓ Lenders will want recent payslips or bank statements showing stable, verifiable income. Self-employed applicants usually need at least three to six months of bank statements.
- ✓ Your credit score will likely be low after debt review, so you may only qualify for secured loans or smaller amounts initially. Some lenders won't consider you for six to twelve months after clearance.
- ✓ You must be at least 18 years old and not be subject to any other legal debt process such as administration, sequestration, or a new debt review application.
- ✓ Any accounts that were not included in your debt review must be in good standing, with no recent defaults or late payments on your credit report.
Tips for Borrowers
Compared to Other Loan Types
Debt review is a structured, court-backed repayment process that protects you from creditors while you pay off what you owe over time. Debt consolidation is a loan that combines multiple debts into one, but you need to qualify for credit to use it, and it doesn't offer the same legal protection. Sequestration is the most extreme option, essentially voluntary bankruptcy, which can write off debt but carries severe long-term consequences for your credit and your assets. Debt review sits in the middle: harder than consolidation to exit, but far less damaging than sequestration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a loan while under debt review?
No. Under Section 88 of the NCA, registered credit providers are legally prohibited from granting you new credit while you're under active debt review. Any lender offering you a loan during this time is operating outside the law, and accepting such a loan puts you at serious risk of fraud or predatory lending terms.
How long does debt review last?
It depends on how much you owe and what repayment terms were negotiated. Most people complete the process in two to five years, but it can take longer if your debt was significant or if your repayments were set very low. Your debt counsellor should be able to give you a projected end date based on your specific repayment plan.
What is a clearance certificate?
A clearance certificate, officially called a Form 19, is the document your debt counsellor issues once all the accounts included in your debt review have been paid up. It's sent to the NCR and the credit bureaus to formally end your debt review status. Without this certificate, you remain listed as under debt review on your credit profile, even if you've finished paying.
Can I remove myself from debt review?
It's complicated. If a debt counsellor has accepted your application but a court order hasn't been granted yet, there may be grounds to withdraw. But once a court order is in place, you generally can't simply opt out. You'd need to approach the courts, and you'd still owe the original debt. Talk to your debt counsellor or an attorney before attempting this.
Will debt review affect my credit score?
Yes, being listed under debt review negatively affects your credit score and your ability to access credit for the entire duration of the process. Once your clearance certificate is issued and bureaus update your profile, the listing is removed. Recovery from there depends on how you manage credit going forward, but it's absolutely possible to rebuild a healthy credit score after debt review.
What happens if I take a loan while under debt review?
Taking on new credit while under debt review is a breach of the NCA. The lender who granted it is also in violation, but that doesn't protect you from the consequences. It could jeopardise your debt review process, expose you to predatory lending conditions, and potentially result in legal action. If you're aware of a credit provider offering loans to people under debt review, you can report them to the NCR.