- NCR Registered — NCRDC2423
- DCASA Full Member
- NDCA Member
- Secure & Confidential
Debt review
The ultimate
debt review
experience.
See what debt review could look like for you — before you need to speak to anyone.
Our online assessment looks at your debt, income and budget, then shows you your financial position and personalised repayment options.
- About 2 minutes
- Free
- No obligation
Your potential savings
ExampleCurrent monthly repayments
R29 670
Potential monthly repayments
R20 523
Potentially R9 147 more
available each month.
An illustration of what the assessment shows you. Your own figures depend on your credit agreements and what each credit provider accepts.
- NCR RegisteredNCRDC2423
- 20,000+Clients helped
- Top 10Debt Review Awards
- 4.7 ★Google · 116 reviews
- 4.8 ★HelloPeter · 348 reviews
- 45+ yearsCombined experience
What debt review actually is
Section 86 of the National Credit Act lets an over-indebted consumer apply to a registered debt counsellor for a review of their credit agreements. If you are found over-indebted, the counsellor proposes a restructured repayment plan, and the magistrate’s court makes that plan an order.
Two things follow from that, and they are the whole point. Your repayments drop to an amount calculated from what you genuinely have left after living costs. And while you keep to the plan, the credit providers in it cannot take legal steps against the assets it covers.
It is not a loan. Nobody lends you anything and nothing is consolidated into a new agreement. It is the same debt, on terms a court has approved.
Who it is for
- Your repayments take more of your income than you can live on
- You are borrowing to cover last month's repayments
- You are behind, or expect to be
- You have had a Section 129 letter of demand
- You are being called by collections
Recognise three or more? The assessment is free and it takes about ten minutes.
45+ years of combined NCR-registered debt counselling experience
Three NCR-registered counsellors across DS4U and our partner practice, Debt Free with Armani — all verifiable.
Debt review, debt counselling — one process, two names
Debt review is also called debt counselling — the two are the same thing. “Debt counselling” is the term the National Credit Act uses; “debt review” is what almost everyone says. It is not a loan, it does not write your debt off, and it is not sequestration or administration.
The trade-off is real and worth stating plainly: you cannot take on new credit while you are under debt review. That restriction is in the Act, not a company policy, and it lasts until your clearance certificate is issued.
While the plan is running and you keep to it, the creditors in it are restricted from enforcing the agreements it covers — that protection is why most people start, and it is what protects a car or a home that is otherwise at risk. The protection depends on the payments being kept up; it falls away if they are not.
Only a debt counsellor registered with the National Credit Regulator may carry it out, and the fees are set by regulation rather than by the practice, so they are the same wherever you go. The full explanation of what debt review is.
From assessment to clearance certificate
Six stages, with the paperwork named at each one. Your counsellor does all of it.
- 1
Assessment
A registered debt counsellor works out whether you are over-indebted as Section 79 of the National Credit Act defines it — whether your income, after real living expenses, covers what you owe each month. If you are not over-indebted the counsellor must say so and reject the application.
- 2
Your creditors are notified
A Form 17.1 goes to every credit provider and the credit bureaux. From that point your creditors deal with your counsellor rather than with you, and they may not start new legal action over the debts under review.
- 3
A restructured plan is negotiated
Your counsellor proposes reduced interest rates and one affordable monthly payment covering everything, and sends it to all creditors on a Form 17.2. Plans typically reduce total monthly payments by 30–50%.
- 4
The court makes it binding
Your counsellor applies to the magistrate’s court for a consent order. Once granted, the plan is legally binding on you and on every creditor in it — which is what stops one creditor breaking ranks.
- 5
One payment a month
You pay a single amount to a registered payment distribution agency, which splits it between your creditors. You deal with one payment instead of seven, and with your counsellor instead of call centres.
- 6
Clearance certificate
When the restructured debts are paid up, your counsellor issues a Form 19 clearance certificate and the credit bureaux must remove the debt review flag. That is completion, and it is the only exit that leaves your record clean.
What it costs
The National Credit Regulator sets the maximum a debt counsellor may charge, so the fees are identical at every registered practice in South Africa. They are built into your restructured payment — there is nothing to pay upfront.
- Application fee — R50, once off
- Included in your first payment. There is no cash to find upfront.
- Restructuring fee — Your first restructured instalment
- Capped at R8,000 single or R9,000 joint. If your instalment is R4,500, the fee is R4,500 — not the cap.
- Aftercare fee — 5% of your monthly instalment
- Capped at R450 a month, and it stops when the plan does.
How long it takes
Most people complete debt review in three to five years — 36 to 60 months. That is the term of your short-term debt: personal loans, credit cards, store and clothing accounts, vehicle finance.
A home loan does not keep you under debt review for twenty years. Your bond continues on its own terms, and once the short-term debt is settled your counsellor issues the clearance certificate. The common fear that a bond traps you in the process for decades is simply not how it works.
The setup is quick by comparison: the assessment takes minutes, creditors are notified within days, and the court order usually follows within weeks.
A Form 19 clearance certificate is the only exit that leaves your record clean. The credit bureaux are required to remove the debt review flag once your counsellor issues it.
How it works
Your debt review journey, in 4 simple steps.
The assessment is quick, secure and private. You get a clear picture of where you stand and personalised repayment options — all before you need to speak to anyone.
- About 2 minutes
- Free
- No obligation
- 01
Your details
Tell us about yourself and your situation.
- 02
Your debt
We check your credit profile and identify your accounts.
- 03
Your budget
You share your income and your monthly expenses.
- 04
Your options
See your personalised repayment options before deciding anything.
Because you deserve real answers, not guesswork.
The assessment gives you the numbers, the options and the confidence to decide what to do next — in your own time, without a sales call.
- About 2 minutes
- Free
- No obligation
- Fast and secure
- Personalised to your situation
- No commitment at any point
- Your data is protected under POPIA
What happens at each stage
Your counsellor does the paperwork at every one of them.
- 1
Free assessment
We look at what you earn, what you owe and what you actually have left each month. No cost, no obligation.
- 2
Application
If debt review fits, your debt counsellor applies to your credit providers and the NCR on your behalf (Form 16).
- 3
Proposal & court order
A restructured repayment plan goes to your creditors, then to the magistrate's court to be made an order.
- 4
One payment a month
You pay a single amount to a registered payment distribution agency, which pays each creditor for you.
Timescales vary with how quickly credit providers respond and with the court roll in your area. Your counsellor tells you where your application is at each stage.
What the protection covers
Your car and your home
Your salary
The calls
The protection holds while the process or the order is in force and you comply with it. Enforcement action a creditor had already started, and payments you miss, can both change that position — and the consequences of defaulting on a restructuring order are more serious than most people expect. If your income changes, tell your counsellor before you miss a payment, not after: a plan can be taken back to court and varied, but only while it is still being kept to.
How your new payment is worked out
Not by us, and not by your creditors. Your debt counsellor works from Regulation 24(7) of the National Credit Act regulations: they look at whether your monthly debt repayments exceed what is left once your minimum living expenses are taken off your net income.
So your counsellor takes what actually lands in your account, subtracts what your month genuinely costs to live, and what remains is what can go to creditors. That figure, split across your agreements, is your proposal.
Which is why nobody can quote you a repayment over the phone before seeing your payslip and your bank statements. Anyone who does is guessing.
The exact wording of Regulation 24(7) and the NCR guidance a counsellor applies alongside it are on the National Credit Regulator’s site. This page describes the test in plain English; it is not legal advice.
The sum, in one line
When debt review is not the answer
It is a serious legal step with real consequences, and it is the wrong tool for plenty of situations. These are the ones we turn away.
- You can comfortably afford your current repayments — debt review is for people who cannot.
- You have one debt and a short-term cash-flow problem. Talk to that creditor first.
- You want new credit. Under debt review you may not take on more, by law, until you have your clearance certificate.
- Your income cannot cover the minimum living expenses in the Act plus any repayment at all. Then debt review is not the answer, and we will say so.
Already under review?
Check the NCR register with your ID number, or read which removal route applies to you.
Looking for credit, not review?
DS4U Loan Check reads your credit report and your budget and tells you where you stand. It is a check, not an offer.
Open Loan CheckWhat clients say
Real feedback.
Real people.
Thousands of South Africans have already taken control of their finances with our help. Here’s what some of them have to say.
- Verified review
4.7 ★★★★★
116 reviews
“The biggest thing for me was the stress. I couldn't sleep worrying about payments. Now I feel more in control and less overwhelmed.”
- Verified review
4.8 ★★★★★
348 reviews
“I appreciate how quickly my questions were answered. The process was explained in the way that was so easy to understand.”
Common questions
Is debt review the same as debt counselling?
Yes. They are two names for one process. “Debt counselling” is the term used in Section 86 of the National Credit Act; “debt review” is what almost everyone says in practice. The same NCR-registered professional does the work, the same protections apply, and the outcome is the same court-approved repayment plan. If a company tells you they are different products, be careful.
What does over-indebted mean?
Section 79 of the National Credit Act defines it: you are over-indebted if you cannot meet all of your monthly credit obligations on time out of your income after reasonable living expenses. It is about the gap between what comes in and what must go out, not about how much you owe in total. There is no minimum debt amount and no credit-score requirement, and being behind on payments is not a condition — you can be over-indebted while still paying everything, by borrowing to do it.
What are the disadvantages of debt review?
The main one is that you cannot take on new credit while you are under debt review. That restriction is in the Act, not a company policy, and it lasts until your clearance certificate is issued — so if you are planning a bond or vehicle finance soon, it matters. Your credit profile is also flagged for the duration. Against that, your interest rates come down, your instalments come down, and your creditors cannot take legal action over the debts under review while you keep to the plan.
Can I keep my house and car under debt review?
Yes, while the process is running and you keep to the plan. Protecting assets that would otherwise be repossessed is one of the main reasons debt review exists, and your creditors may not take legal steps over the debts under review while it is in place. That protection depends on you keeping up the restructured payments — it falls away if you stop paying.
Does debt review reduce how much I owe?
No, and anyone who tells you otherwise is describing something else. Debt review reduces the interest rate and extends the term, so your monthly payment falls — plans typically reduce total monthly payments by 30 to 50 percent. The capital you owe does not get written off. What changes is what you pay each month and how much interest you pay over the life of the debt.
How long does debt review take?
Most plans run three to five years. Unsecured debt is usually cleared first; a home loan can extend the term. Your counsellor gives you the projected end date before you sign anything.
What does it cost?
Fees are capped by the NCR, not set by us: an application fee, a rejection-of-proposal fee where it applies, and an aftercare fee that is a percentage of your monthly distribution. Every rand is itemised in your proposal before you agree to it.
Will it show on my credit record?
Yes. A debt review flag is recorded while you are under review. It is removed when your clearance certificate is issued, and credit bureaux are required to remove it.
Can I get out of debt review?
Yes, and the route depends on how far the application has gone — whether a court order exists makes the difference. That is a page of its own.
Can my employer find out?
Your employer is not notified and is not part of the process. The exception is if a creditor had already obtained an emoluments attachment order before you applied.
Do I have to include every debt?
Yes. The Act requires all your credit agreements to be included. You cannot keep one card out of the review to carry on using it.
- About 2 minutes
- Free
- No obligation
Not sure if debt review is right for you?
Trusted. Regulated. Here to help.
NCR RegisteredNCRDC2423
Your informationis secure
Thousands ofSouth Africans helped
Our own research
Many South Africans looking for a loan are already under financial pressure.
From the South African Financial Pressure Index (SAFPI), August 2026 reading. See the methodology.
58.4%
median share of net income debt review applicants already commit to debt
56%
of those applicants are above a 50% debt-to-income ratio
65.4%
of what they owe is personal loans
1 174
applications analysed, June to August 2026
As featured in leading South African publications
Coverage and independent mentions. Being featured is not an endorsement.