How we compare lenders
Short-term credit in South Africa is priced almost identically across registered providers, because the National Credit Act caps it. Ranking on price would therefore produce a list that barely differs and that no borrower could act on. We rank on disclosure instead.
The ordering rule, in full
Each provider is scored on what it publishes about itself: whether the record was verified on the lender’s own site rather than a third-party snapshot, whether an NCR registration number is published, whether the amount range is published, and whether the term range is published. Providers with stronger evidence in our research set rank above those with weaker evidence.
The score is calculated from the lender data before any commercial relationship is considered. A provider cannot buy a position, and paying us does not move one.
Where a figure comes from a third-party comparison rather than the lender itself, the row says so and ranks below lender-confirmed records. We would rather show you a gap than fill it.
What a high position does not mean
It does not mean the provider is cheapest, that it will approve you, or that it is right for your circumstances. It means the provider is transparent about who it is and what it offers. Your rate and amount come from an affordability assessment we play no part in, and only the pre-agreement quote binds anyone.
How we make money
ZarCash may earn a commission when you click through to a partner and apply. That commission never determines the order in which providers are listed, and it never changes what we publish about them. Where a page carries a commercial link, a disclosure appears next to it.
How we keep it current
Every lender record carries a last-checked date and a link to the source it was taken from. If a date looks old to you, treat the figure as indicative and confirm it on the provider’s own site.
Registration status changes. Before applying anywhere — including through a link on this site — check the NCRCP number in the National Credit Regulator’s register yourself. It takes a minute and it is the check that matters most.
If you find something on this site that is wrong or out of date, tell us. We publish corrections rather than quietly editing.
Related
Sources and last checked
- National Credit Regulator — register of credit providers — Regulator, 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.