Guide: Personal Loans
Reviews of personal loans from South African banks and credit providers registered with the NCR. Compare interest rates, repayment terms and eligibility requirements.
A personal online loan lets you apply, get a credit decision and receive funds without visiting a branch. In South Africa, any legitimate lender offering personal loans must be registered with the National Credit Regulator (NCR) and is required to run an affordability assessment before approving your loan, as set out in the National Credit Act (NCA).
What you will usually need to apply: a South African ID number, proof of income (payslip or bank statements), proof of residence, and an active bank account for payout and debit orders.
What affects your offer: lenders check your credit history with a credit bureau (such as TransUnion, Experian or Compuscan) and your monthly affordability — income minus existing debit orders and expenses. A lower credit score or high existing debt usually means a smaller loan amount or a higher interest rate, which is itself capped under the National Credit Act's maximum rate regulations (linked to the repo rate).
The NCA's "in duplum" rule caps the total interest that can accrue on a defaulted debt at 100% of the outstanding capital at the time of default, which limits how large an unpaid balance can legally grow. Many personal loans also include optional or compulsory credit life insurance, which settles the balance if you die, are retrenched or become disabled — check whether this is already included in your quoted instalment.
If you are struggling to keep up with repayments across several loans, you have the right under the NCA to apply for debt review through a registered debt counsellor, who can negotiate reduced instalments with your creditors — this is a formal, regulated process, not the same as simply missing payments.
Compare the total repayment amount — not just the monthly instalment — across lenders, since loan terms and initiation or service fees vary and materially change what the loan actually costs you over its full term.