Debt counselling: when to get help
There is a point at which more credit stops being a solution, and it is usually visible well before it feels urgent. A registered debt counsellor is not a last resort — used early, it is the cheapest intervention available, and the assessment itself costs little.
What you need to know
The clearest signal is taking a loan to cover an instalment on another loan. That is not a cash-flow gap; it is a structural shortfall, and each new agreement makes the exit harder.
The others: debit orders bouncing more than occasionally, using an unarranged overdraft every month, a new loan in most months, or having stopped opening the statements. Any one of them is enough reason for an assessment.
A debt counsellor assesses whether you are over-indebted, and can propose a restructured arrangement or take you into formal debt review. Not everyone who sees one ends up under review — sometimes the outcome is a simpler restructure.
Check the counsellor is registered with the National Credit Regulator before engaging one, exactly as you would a credit provider. Fees are regulated, and anyone quoting well outside that is worth questioning.
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 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.
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.