Debtfree DIGI October 2015

South Africa’s debt counselling magazine 

October 2015 

www.debtfreedigi.co.za

WHAT IS DEBT REVIEW? 

BY ANNIENNE NEL OF THE DEBT REVIEW AND SUPPORT CENTRE 

Debtfree DIGI asked Debt Counsellor Annienne Nel of the Debt Review and Support 

Centre to help explain the debt review process. 

Debt is a major concern globally. Many local 

consumers find themselves in large amounts 

of debt due to using too much credit and not 

knowing a lot about financial planning and 

management. Ignoring debt, sadly, does not 

make it go away. It often makes things much 

worse. Fortunately in South Africa we have 

a great way for consumers to become debt 

free in 3-7 years. This is called debt review or 

debt counselling. There is no other product 

or service in SA like it, which gives consumers 

back their financial freedom and restores their 

dignity. The process has now been around for 

a long time. Debt review is 9 years old and has 

major role players like DCASA, the DTI and 

NCR ensuring consumer’s rights are protected 

by the law. Debt review has developed into a 

recognised industry and the magistrates courts 

have become major team players in ensuring 

debt restructuring court orders are granted to 

protect consumers and their assets. 

The NCR has a website with a list of Debt 

Counsellor registrants, where you can find 

help in your area. Only deal with registered 

Debt Counsellors who are in good standing 

with the NCR. Debt review is an established 

legal process which consumers enter into. 

Your Debt Counsellor will first negotiate a 

more affordable payment plan with your 

creditors and then refer the matter to court. 

By referring the matter to court, a Magistrate 

will then over-see the process. You then repay 

according to the debt restructuring plan or if 

your circumstances improve a lot, the Debt 

Counsellor can declare you no longer overindebted. 

Some of the benefits of debt review are that you 

protect not only your assets against legal action 

and it also protects your take-home pay against 

things like garnishee orders. Debt review is the 

most rewarding debt rehabilitation program 

that any SA consumer can enter. The process 

is educational, and your Debt Counsellor will 

help you to develop financial skills to avoid 

becoming over-indebted again in the future. 

You will learn to draft a budget and stick to it 

every month. Debt Counsellor Annienne Nel 

says: “ At my practice I ensure my clients take 

home skills that change their lives and give 

them a better future”. 

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SECURE CONSUMER PAYMENTS 

OVER THE FESTIVE SEASON 

DECEMBER / JANUARY 

Debt Counsellors know that South African consumers will not necessarily cut back 

on expenditure and holiday buying trends just to maintain their required debt review 

installments over the festive season. The current hard-hitting economic circumstances 

demand that consumers should be more sensible in their spending habits at year end. 

In reality however, the pressure to relax, after a tough work year, is just too tempting 

for some. Past trends over the Festive Season show that spending on family, gifts and 

a vacation often takes priority over repaying debt, and this can lead to a breakdown of 

consumer’s debt review and even the loss of their assets. 

Here are some ways you can help your clients: 

• Sms / Whatsapp/ Email your clients to encourage paying debt review payments. 

• Make sure of salary pay dates in December to allow correct debit dates for NAEDO. 

• Initiate an in-house consumer paying campaign /competition, giving a potential prize if 

a consumer maintains their payments in December & January. 

• Email all your consumers and inform them about the risk of defaulting on payments, 

including probable creditor termination and new legal action. 

Gerhard Dyzel gerhard@dcpartner.co.za 

082 828 7595 / 044 873 4532 (ext 110) 

Yolandi Meyer pda25@dcpartner.co.za 

082 338 2680 / 012 348 7624 

www.dcpartner.co.za

CONTENTS 

NEWS 

WHAT TO DO 

IF YOU LOSE 

YOUR JOB 

DEALING WITH 

DEBT AS A TEAM 

DC PROFILE 

CAPITEC BANK 

EXPLAINS 

DEBT REVIEW 

SERVICE DIRECTORY

EDITOR’S NOTE 

Summer is here. The temperature 

is souring and we can finally turn 

off those heaters and give Eskom 

a break. That doesn’t mean that 

things are getting any easier. 

Prices are still steadily climbing. Students are 

currently protesting across the country at the 

cost of fees, as they too are feeling the pinch. 

Young or old, it seems times are tough. This 

is why around 14 000 people are embracing 

the debt review process every single month 

in SA. It is a dignified and realistic way to deal 

with their debt issues and restructure their 

monthly finances to cover costs and still meet 

their debt obligations. In this issue we talk 

about the process and how it works. We also 

talk about the way men and women deal with 

debt differently and the mentality of the over 

indebted. 

associations and see what they have on the go 

and talk about all the recent news about the 

credit industry. Did you hear about the creditor 

that got deregistered? Did you hear about the 

guy who was loading ATMs with fake money? 

Check out the news section for those stories 

and more. 

Temperatures are hot and the students are 

revolting. If you find debt to also be revolting 

then you will love this issue. So keep your cool 

and pay your debts and by the time summer is 

done maybe you will finally be debt free. 

This month, we interview a Debt Counsellor 

about what motivates her and why she is 

helping consumers deal with debt. We also 

consider some practical steps that all (not just 

those in debt review) can take when dealing 

with debt. We look at the tough situation of 

losing your job and how you can weather the 

storm. We also catch up with one of the banks 

and learn more about their debt review team. 

We check in with the various Debt Counsellor

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S T E Y N 

C O E T Z E E 

PROFESSIONAL DEBT 

COUNSELLING ATTORNEYS 

TEL: 021 872 1968 

FAX: 021 872 2678 

11 MARKET STREET 

PAARL 

adri@steyncoetzee.co.za 

www.steyncoetzee.co.za

INDUSTRY 

CONSUMER 

NEWS FLASH 

For daily debt counselling news in 3 minutes or less visit www.debtfreedigi.co.za 

NCR TAKE SHOPRITE 

TO THE NCT 

The National Credit Regulator (NCR) have been 

on the rampage across the country going from 

one retail credit provider to the next looking 

into their insurance offerings. Several months 

ago a newspaper expose’ revealed that a 

credit provider was charging pensioners and 

disabled customers insurance against disability 

and income loss which they could never 

actually claim. After the newspaper articles, 

the NCR investigated and took the matter to 

the National Consumer Tribunal (NCT). Since 

then, the Regulator has been doing the rounds 

looking for other similar violations. Their latest 

stop has been with Shoprite Investments Ltd 

and their insurance arm Shoprite Insurance 

Company. The NCR’s investigation also 

revealed that some credit had been issued in 

a reckless manner. They have asked that the 

NCT order these loans written off. The NCR’s 

investigation further revealed that, in some 

cases where finance was given over a 6 month 

period, the insurance offered had a 6 month 

waiting period. This means that consumer 

could never have benefited from the insurance 

but still had to pay anyway. The NCR say that 

they want to protect vulnerable consumers. 

They have asked the NCT to order, not only 

a massive fine, but also that the effected 

consumers get refunded. 

BRIDGE NOT QUITE DONE 

In a dramatic comeback from the brink of 

liquidation and closing their doors, a last minute 

hail Mary pass at keeping Bridge in business has 

been voted for by shareholders and creditors, 

keeping the sinking ship slightly afloat for the 

moment. Bridge Corporate (owned by the 

Aldum family), Bridge Credit and Onecor all 

recently became victims of over promising on 

returns while repayments on unsecured credit 

were dropping and the acquisition of easy, 

over the counter, rubber stamped garnishee 

orders (EAOs) were drying up. In the past, 

these firms were promising (and delivering) 

amazing 19% returns (High, very high, perhaps 

too high… way too high) but as payments by 

debtors dried up, so payments dropped to 1% 

PA, leading to a collapse of the entire structure 

and a need for business rescue and eventually 

the announcement of liquidation. Now, in a last 

minute turn around, creditors have accepted a 

plan to become preferred shareholders (they 

get their money from any profits first, before 

everyone else) instead of pursuing liquidation. 

In typical keeping things ‘in house’ fashion the 

man appointed to be the interim CEO of Bridge 

during the business rescue came from working 

as CFO at a company run by one of the directors 

of Bridge itself. The business rescue has now 

been terminated as the company has been 

deemed to no longer be financially distressed. 

In a new development, a co-CEO has been 

appointed, with the new plan, putting one of

NEWS CONTINUED 

their former creditors – Frans Badenhorst – in 

charge to help keep an eye on things during 

the next 4 crucial months, as the company 

downsizes and cuts their expenses in half. The 

company used to cost R11 Million to run each 

month, now they think that they can get that 

figure down to only R5.8 Million. To tide them 

over, a hedge fund in Cape Town is going to 

be putting in R40 Million to keep them afloat. 

This is a huge vote of confidence and roughly 

the cost to keep them running for 4 months 

at a reduced expense figure. Currently people 

owe Bridge somewhere between R154 Million 

and R186 Million, however Bridge themselves, 

owe people (mostly pensioners) a massive 

R1.6 Billion! An audit of the companies by 

independent forensic auditor Andre Prakke is 

now underway. He will be looking to see if any 

of the Aldum Family members were somehow 

moving money around within the organization, 

to either enrich themselves or trick investors. 

If the entire plan doesn’t work out in the next 

few months and things don’t dramatically 

improve, then investors and shareholders can 

expect the liquidation to come back into effect. 

DCASA AGM DATE 

The Debt Counsellors Association of South 

Africa (DCASA) will be holding their Annual 

General Meeting (AGM) in Kempton Park 

during November this year. DCASA members 

will meet on the 11th of November to discuss 

matters pertaining to the structure and goals 

of DCASA. This year, those attending the AGM 

will not only get to hear the DCASA President’s 

report on Nov 2014 – 2015, they will also get 

to hear the financials and this year there will 

be the appointment of a new auditor for the 

association. The AGM is also the time when 

the various members vote for the National 

Executive Committee (NEC) who will serve 

for the next 12 months. Only Full Members 

are able to vote in this process. Also only 

members whose fees are up to date can attend 

and participate. Members who are in good 

standing but who cannot attend, can also send 

in a proxy vote via other members. 

124 000 MORE 

CONSUMERS IN TROUBLE 

The NCR have released new stats in their 

quarterly Consumer Credit Market Report and 

the Credit Bureau Monitor. This is information 

the NCR compile based on info submitted to 

them by registrants – Credit Providers – and 

the various (13) Credit Bureaus. The latest 

information covers the 3 months leading 

to June 2015. The latest figures reveal that 

credit providers have received even more 

applications for credit than normal. In fact, 

there were another 1,743,000 applications 

during this time. It seems that the majority of 

people asking for credit are based in Gauteng. 

During the last few months, credit providers 

have turned down 6 800 000 applications from 

different consumers across the country. That’s 

a lot of disappointment! Since the amount 

that people are borrowing toward bonds is up 

by an extra 9.37% compared to last year, this 

indicates either that consumers are shopping 

for slightly more fancy places or that the selling 

price of property is rising. The majority of 

people being granted bonds are earning over 

R15 000 a month and most are borrowing a 

minimum of R700 000. The latest CCM Report 

shows that lending for vehicles dropped a bit 

during the last few months even though the 

overall figure of credit granted is slightly up by

South Africa’s 

leading Debt Counsellors

The Debt Counselling industry demands hard work and constant innovation 

from all those involved. Only those who are truly dedicated to a sustainable 

solution prosper in the long term. 

If you have built up valuable experience in the industry and are wondering 

about the next step in your career, we would like to hear from you. We 

offer many opportunities from Earn While You Learn programmes to 

mentorship with the view of owning and managing your own business. We 

are also constantly on the lookout for those industry professionals who have 

built up numerous contacts in the industry with the various Credit Providers. 

Be part of tomorrow’s debt counselling and email us: 

careers@payplansolutions.co.za 

Pay Plan Solutions is registered with the National Credit Regulator under The National Credit Act No.34 

of 2005 and is a member of the Debt Counsellors Association of South Africa registration number 

DCASA0386. For more information and registration details visit www.payplansolutions.co.za and 

www.ncr.org.za or www.dcasa.co.za 

www.payplansolutions.co.za


almost 2% from this time last year. 

For the longest time in recent history, the 

area of short term unsecured loans was the 

cash cow which all credit providers were 

chasing. When payments on debt dropped 

off due to increased economic pressure, it saw 

institutions like African Bank fall to its knees 

and many retail furniture stores go under. As 

credit providers “risk appetite” in this area 

(unsecured lending) has diminished so has the 

inability of consumers to actually afford the 

loans they were asking for. Unsecured lending 

is down by almost 10% compared to last year, 

despite more applications than ever. 

More and more consumers are entering the 

debt review process and taking similar steps to 

reduce their spending and focus on repaying 

their debts. In the last few months over 139 

000 consumers caught up with their promised 

payments on their debt and got themselves 

into a good standing at the credit bureaus. 

While that may seem to indicate that SA 

consumers are getting a handle on their debt, 

the reality is that at the same time over 124 000 

other consumers fell into serious arrears (of 3 

months or more) and now face legal action 

from their creditors. 

Overall there has been an increase in the 

amount of credit granted recently though 

hundreds of thousands of consumers were 

turned down when they applied for credit. 

In total, credit providers handed out another 

whopping R4.68 Billion Rand to consumers 

during these months. This means that more 

consumers are in debt than before and/or owe 

more than before. While it is good news that 

some consumers have managed to get on top 

of their debt situation many, many more have 

lost the plot entirely, and are now in serious 

need of professional help (like debt review) to 

try remedy the situation or face serious legal 

action from their creditors. 

JDG TRADING DEBT 

REVIEW MAKING CHANGES 

The JD Group consists of various companies 

and retailers such as Joshua Doore, Russels, 

Morkels, Bradlows, Price & Pride and the 

former Electric Express. It also includes various 

other brands such as Incredible Connection, 

Hi Fi Corporation, Furniture Warehouse, 

Sleepmasters and Barnetts. Many people don’t 

realize that the giant group also own Penny 

Pinchers, Timber City, Hardware Warehouse, 

POCO, Rochester, E Best Buy Beds and Bed and 

Lounge. As a result of their credit offerings and 

large, diverse portfolio of brands, they have to 

deal with a lot of debt review matters. Recently 

JDG sent out a communication saying that they 

were not going to be able to handle debt review 

proposals over the next few days. Everyone 

began to wonder what was going on. It has 

now been revealed that JDG will be using the 

services of award winning outsourced credit 

provider debt review handling firm Consumer 

Friend. Consumer Friend has won awards at 

the last 2 annual Debt Review Awards in the 

retail section for their fast turn around times, 

good communication and excellent service. 

They currently represent firms like Woolworths, 

Truworths, RCS, Sanlam, Capfin, Forchini and 

others. They have a good reputation industry 

wide. Thus it is hoped that they will be able to 

take their latest client (JDG) to new heights in 

regard to debt review matters.


NEW HEAD OF NEDBANK 

DEBT REVIEW CENTRE 

When, long time debt review head, Anton 

Thomas announced that he would be moving 

on internally at Nedbank, the industry 

wondered who would be brought in to fill 

the post. Nedbank recently announced that 

a familiar face, Denise Hartley has taken over 

the post. Denise has been a familiar name (and 

signature) for a number of years in the debt 

review space with regard to legal matters. 

She has attended and spoken at various debt 

counselling association meetings and Nedbank 

workshops and is well respected throughout 

the industry. 

MAYIBUYE CASH LOANS 

– NO MORE 

This month the National Consumer Tribunal 

(NCT) cancelled the registration of credit 

provider, Mayibuye Cash Loans which used to 

operate in Barberton in Mpumalanga. Mayibuye 

recently made the news when several men were 

found to be drawing money from an ATM with 

a total of 499 Sassa social grant cards. When 

they were arrested they had around R80 000 

in cash on them. They were then linked to the 

credit provider. The cancellation of Mayibuye’s 

registration with the National Credit Regulator 

(NCR) came after an investigation that followed 

this event, by the NCR into their credit lending 

practices. The NCR found there to be a number 

of serious contraventions of the National Credit 

Act (NCA) and as a result referred the matter 

to the NCT to rule on. Among other things the 

NCR say they found that Mayibuye were not 

performing any sort of proper affordability 

assessments. This is when a creditor checks 

that a consumer can afford to repay a loan 

based on their monthly running costs and their 

other debt obligations. Mayibuye also never 

gave consumers a copy of a pre-agreement 

or quotations. Credit Providers have to inform 

you of all the costs of the loan, up front, and 

make sure you understand the obligations of 

taking credit. Mayibuye were also charging 

the incorrect and illegal amount of interest on 

loans and higher than allowed fees. The matter 

went to the NCT recently and they have ruled 

against Mayibule and have declared them to 

be in repeated contravention of the NCA. As 

a result they have cancelled their registration 

and ordered that all the consumers who were 

over charged must be repaid. This is great 

news for these consumers. The NCT have also 

ordered a fine against the company to the tune 

of R500 000. 

DEBT COUNSELLING 

FEE STRUCTURE REVIEW 

POSTPONED 

The National Credit Regulator (NCR) recently 

announced, at the Debt Counsellors 

Association of South Africa annual conference, 

that they were busy with a review of the fees 

Debt Counsellors charge for debt review. The 

NCR have issued guidelines about the fees 

that they want Debt Counsellors to charge in 

the past. The fees have been adjusted once 

since the process began back in 2007 and 

Debt Counsellors are pushing for the NCR to 

once again adjust the fees in line with how the 

industry has changed. Most Debt Counsellors 

now make 1/3rd less than they did back in 

2009, as the industry has become more and 

more labour intensive and complicated. The 

NCR announcement at the DCASA conference

All professionals have professional indemnity if the unforeseen 

happens. Do you as a professional Debt Counselor have 

professional indemnity as stipulated by the ethical code? 

contact us today for more information 

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mentioned that the NCR had put out to tender 

the process of reviewing and reporting on the 

fees. There was talk that a service provider had 

been chosen through the tender process. This 

caused a lot of excitement across the industry. 

The NCR have now crushed that joy as they 

have announced that they have run out of 

money for this project during this financial 

year and are shutting it down till they get some 

more funding next year. 

JO’BURG BREAKING THE LAW? 

The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) have supposedly 

been caught ignoring the Prescription Act 

and National Credit Act (NCA) in regard to 

collecting old debt. Some forms of debt expire 

(or ‘prescribe’) after 3 years if the consumer 

does not pay, or the creditor does not begin 

legal action to collect. One debt counselling 

firm in Gauteng reports that their clients have 

been getting demands from the City of Jo’Burg 

to pay old debts. The city’s collection team 

have also been asking that consumers sign 

acknowledgement of debt. There is a common 

misconception that once a debt has prescribed 

a consumer making payment toward this debt 

somehow reactivates the debt. It does not. 

The debt has already prescribed and thus the 

consumer can never be liable for it again. In 

fact, collecting on the debt is illegal as stated 

in the amended National Credit Act and the 

Prescription Act. 

AFRICAN BANK DELAYED 

BY INTERNAL GREED? 

A deal to sell off part of ABIL (African Bank) has 

resulted in African Bank’s Good Bank launch 

being pushed back (but not written off) untill 

at least April 2016. Insurance Company Stagen, 

was part of African Bank and was one of the 

many insurance companies who have been 

making a ridiculous fortune insuring credit 

and seeing very few claims. This seems to have 

confused shareholders as to the real value of 

the company which African Bank Curator Mr. 

Tom Winterboer was in the process of trying to 

sell off. ABIL were trying to sell the company to 

African Bank (the good part) for 1.4 Billion but 

two of its BEE shareholders tanked that sale 

when they went to court and got an urgent 

interdict against the sale and demanded more 

money. 

Ironically this seems to have tanked the whole 

sale deal and could see the firm simply being 

liquidated and getting almost no return on their 

investment. It could also potentially have seen 

the whole African Bank business rescue come 

crashing down without some fancy footwork 

by Mr. Winterboer. Stagen supposedly had 

R1.6 Billion lying around in March 2015 (on 

its balance sheets). It is also slated to make a 

lot of profit should it continue running. Mr. 

Winterboer points to the harsh reality that if 

they do not go into business with Good Bank 

then they have no clients and can look forward 

to no profits what so ever. Beyond that, it is 

doubtful that profits will remain as high in the 

changed waters of the insurance industry at 

present. There has been a growing outrage in 

government and the public at the overpricing 

of insurance on credit and new regulations 

are seeing this former cash cow been slowly 

drained of its crazy profitability. It now looks 

like Stagen are indeed being cut out of the 

rescue deal entirely and their role is now being 

replaced by another firm which African Bank 

will be creating themselves. This has meant a lot 

of extra paperwork and agreements regarding


liability etc but looks like we will see the entity 

in place for an April launch for Good Bank. It 

appears that the Stagen shareholder’s desire 

for a higher selling price has shot themselves in 

the foot and African Bank will simply side step 

them on the way to re-establishing the bank. 

Mr. Winterboer has said any renegotiation 

is unlikely as he wants to avoid any further 

delays (which, of course, he would say if he was 

negotiating very hard). 

NCR USE WARRANTS IN 

NORMAL MONITORING 

VISITS NOW? 

A team of NCR representatives reportedly 

recently showed up at a large Cape Town Debt 

Counselling firm with a court ordered warrant 

to seize files and information. They did so 

supposedly without any advanced warning 

and in the end left with little or no files. It seems 

that workers at the company were informed 

that this was now the standard NCR process 

and that several other visits to local firms 

would happen each day that week. The NCR 

representatives arrived with a court document 

dated from the previous week and interviewed 

many staff members and asked after recordings 

of phone calls and to look at documentation 

(which was stored electronically). Strangely the 

NCR have the legal right to visit and request 

information as part of most Debt Counsellors 

conditions of registration. They have however 

recently been complaining that some Debt 

Counsellors are dodging their appointments 

requests, and this use of court warrants may be 

the extreme response. 

BARNARDT CASE HITS 

THE POPULAR PRESS 

In the September issue of Debtfree DIGI we 

published information about court cases in 

Pretoria and Bloemfontein which were calling 

into question the NCR issued Fee Guideline 

(non binding opinion) and common industry 

norms. This story now seems to have hit the 

mainstream press and the issue is gaining 

wider public concern. The Judge, in the case 

mentioned in the press, refers to the present 

fee structure, review process and proposals 

made as being, among other things, irrational 

and complains that due to the way the court 

applications were made that the DC seems 

to get their fees at the expense of the credit 

provider. Also of concern is the fact that the 

Debt Counsellor ended up having to pay a cost 

order for most of the court fees for everyone, 

even though they were just doing their job as 

set out by the NCR and industry agreements. 

The case has called into question the ‘normal’ 

way of doing debt review and the fee guidelines 

issued by the NCR. Though these are seldom 

an issue, it seems that, in this case, it was called 

into question by two of the credit providers 

involved who wanted to get out of the debt 

review. Though the court ordered amount 

each month had never been missed by the 

consumer and he was, in fact, now paying 

much more each month the credit providers 

seem to want to try sell off the consumers 

assets on auction to recover funds faster. 

CAPITEC PLAN TO 

CHARGE FOR CREDIT LIFE 

The DTI have announced that they will soon be 

releasing a cap for charges that can be made

don’t be a twit 

http://twitter.com/Debtfree_DIGI


for insurance on credit. At present, the industry 

norm is around R7 / R1000 credit and it has 

been indicated that the proposed cap may 

be much less at R4/ R1000 of credit. This will 

mean that those firms who have offered this 

very seldom-used form of cover (about 20% 

claim rate as opposed to normal short term 

insurance claim rates of 60%) will be losing out 

on their past huge profit margins. One credit 

provider who, in the past, stood out from 

the crowd was Capitec Bank who offered a 

type of built in credit life insurance for which 

consumers did not have to directly pay. It has 

now been said that, should the lowered rate 

be published by the DTI, that Capitec will have 

to change that policy and start charging their 

clients for this sort of cover as an extra offering 

in the credit contract. Consumers can choose 

to use the creditor’s offered insurance or can 

provide their own when taking on credit. 

FAKE MONEY IN THE ATM 

The Hawks have arrested a bank employee 

who was loading fake money into the ATM 

at his bank. Allegedly, this Mpumalanga bank 

employee has, for a long time, been loading 

the ATM with a mixture of the bank’s real 

money with fake notes which unsuspecting 

consumers were drawing and trying to use 

without ever realising they had been duped. 

Apparently the man would load about half the 

real money from the bank and then pocket 

the other half and replace them with fakes. 

Consumers who trustingly went to draw cash at 

the ATM never even realised. It is estimated by 

the Hawks, that by the time they apprehended 

the 30 year old bank employee had already 

swapped out an amazing R2 200 000. The bank 

eventually figured out what was happening 

and where it was happening and alerted the 

Hawks, who swooped in to arrest the man in 

the Groblersdal area in Mpumalanga. 

ABSA PAYING BACK 

MILLIONS TO CLIENTS 

Thousands of ABSA customers did not even 

notice when ABSA’s computers started 

charging them the wrong amount of interest 

on their credit cards and other loans for years. 

Now ABSA have publicly admitted their error 

and are paying the money back. ABSA are 

busy refunding what amounts to millions of 

Rands in incorrectly charged fees on certain 

credit accounts. After an extensive and very 

time consuming internal review ABSA figured 

out what the problem was and who was 

effected and have now announced that they 

are refunding the money to their clients. The 

NCR have been notified (and have asked for a 

full audit of the situation from ABSA). The SA 

Reserve Bank have also been notified along 

with several other Regulators. Apparently 

the problem arose years ago, during late 

2009, when an interest rate change was not 

correctly made on ABSA’s system. They ended 

up charging certain consumers 9% instead 

of the legal 8.5% at the time. The issue came 

to light when one client (Mr. Achuko) made a 

complaint about the interest calculation on his 

car loan. Though this happened years ago and 

the situation seemed to then have been sorted 

out at the time, the same consumer soon 

realised that the interest he was being charged 

was once again wrong (in 2010, 2011 and 2012) 

and he raised the issue again. In fact, this time 

Mr. Achuko took the matter to court. The legal 

action really got ABSA’s (and other consumers) 

attention. Now after several years, ongoing


legal action and a rigorous internal review 

(which some media are reporting that the NCR 

were not aware of at all during all that time) it 

seems ABSA are finally in the position to refund 

the money to the effected consumers. ABSA are 

now confident that they have their computers 

under control again and that the situation will 

not repeat itself. They have publicly admitted 

the mistake (which brought in millions and 

millions of Rands during one of the toughest 

economic times in recent history) and are busy 

refunding the effected consumers. Mr. Achuko 

has generously had the extra illegal fees written 

off by ABSA, though they are still busy fighting 

in court about the matter. It seems this one 

attentive consumer just saved SA consumers 

millions of Rands in incorrect fees. 

CREDIT BUREAUS GIVE 

AWAY FREE REPORTS 

TransUnion, XDS, Compu-scan and CPB credit 

bureaus have been busy handing out free 

credit bureau reports to consumers visiting the 

Greenstone Mall in East JHB. They explained 

the various aspects of credit bureau reports to 

consumers. The initiative, by these companies 

and the Credit Ombud is in conjunction with 

the National Credit Regulator and the Credit 

Bureau Association. At present there are 13 

different credit bureaus in South Africa. Under 

SA law it is a requirement that consumers 

be given free access to their credit bureau 

report at least once a year so that they can 

check to see what is showing. It is good to 

see the bureaus being so proactive about this. 

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WHAT TO DO 

IF YOU LOSE YOUR 

A SURVIVAL GUID

Losing your job can be a real 

kick in the teeth. Yesterday 

all was well. You could plan 

for the end of the month, 

pay your bills and support 

your family. Then your boss 

has ‘the conversation’ with 

you and suddenly your world 

has changed. The future is 

suddenly a scary place where 

you expect a upward battle 

looking for a new job in a 

tough economic environment 

and with bills to pay. 

JOB 

E 

Losing your job is rated the 5th most stressful 

things that will ever happen to you in your 

entire life. It is rated very close to going to jail 

or finding out you have a major illness. If this 

happens to you (for whatever reason) it is 

important to take a few deep breaths. You are 

not your job. That is something you do to make 

money to care for your family. It does not define 

you. Then you need to consider what steps you 

can take to improve your situation. Lets look at 

a few options you have: 

First off, you need to go home and discuss the 

matter with your family. Don’t try to hide it from 

them. Together you can deal with the situation 

as a team. Don’t try go solo, be honest, open 

and realistic.

Next you need to figure out your true current financial situation. Check what you have in the 

bank. Find out what (if any) retrenchment benefits you might get from the company. What will 

your new reduced monthly income as a family be? Compare your new reduced income with 

your current monthly spending habits and work out the gap. Knowing this figure will help you 

work out what steps you need to take and what salary you will be looking for. 

Identify things that you own that could be sold (even some of the big things like your home and 

car). Find out what these items (big and small) sell for by checking websites like Gumtree and 

perhaps even calling a real estate agent. 

Contact each creditor and inform them, in writing, of the situation and ask for information on 

your credit life insurance cover (that you have on all your credit facilities) and how to make an 

insurance claim in regard to retrenchment. These policies can cover several month’s worth of 

debt repayments, which will greatly reduce your stress levels. Insist on this information. Ask for 

the original contract documents, if necessary. After these insurance payments expire (they can 

last for anywhere from 3 months to 9 months) you can make written offers of very reduced 

payments to your creditors, should you not have found a new job by then. Don’t try to hide your 

job lose from your creditors, it will cause problems. Tell them and make a plan. Rather pay them 

R10 than R0 each month. Paying something (even a few rand) puts you in a different (better) 

collection process. 

Find out about claiming UIF. Start the process asap. 

Cut out every single thing that even seems like a slight luxury. Be ruthless. Have you been buying 

cool drink? Stop. Drink tap water. Have you been smoking or drinking? Stop. Have you been 

having lots of get-togethers at your house? Stop. Rather go to your friends places for the next 

while. Get rid of any TV package subscription that might tempt you into sitting in front of the 

screen and relaxing instead of going out to get a new job. 

Collect old debts that others owe you. Even collect your old furniture, tools etc that you loaned 

others. Sell them, if necessary. 

Rent out a room in your home or your garage. Seriously consider moving in with family and 

renting out your place for a while. Discomfort is better than debt. 

If using credit, do so as little as possible. Do not continue spending as you did before losing your 

job. Make massive reductions in your spending habits. 

Make your new job that of finding a job. Work at it at least 4 hours every day. Visit sites like

jobsearching.co.za to learn about how to make your CV stand out, how to go after the jobs you 

want and how to use your network of friends to find or create work. 

Throw your pride out the window and do any work that comes your way to get in additional 

income. Having work even once a week or one hour a day will lead to further opportunities. It 

will also reduce your desperation and help you avoid falling into a deep pit of debt. 

Create a printed mini CV ( name, qualification and contact details) and give it to all your friends, 

family and former workmates and contacts. Give them each a copy or two. Rather than have just 

yourself look for work get everyone you know to help you. 

If you are under debt review, you should immediately contact your Debt Counsellor at once and 

schedule a sit down meeting to discuss all your options. These might include asking creditors 

for a payment holiday, claiming from retrenchment cover (which people under debt review can 

get from companies like ONE insurance), going back to court to ask to suspend or reduce debt 

repayments temporarily etc. Your Debt Counsellor can also look at your current situation and 

discuss drastic changes to your monthly budget. 

If you are not under debt review, consider going to talk to a professional Debt Counsellor for 

advice on how to make ends meet during a retrenchment. Talk to them about your realistic 

future prospects and to see if you might need to enter debt review until the situation improves. 

Many families with only one (or a greatly reduced) monthly income have temporarily used the 

debt review process to get through tough times. Do this soon after getting your notice. Sooner 

is better. 

These days, with the tough economic environment, many people find they are out of work for 

a prolonged time period. Don’t fool yourself and try to just go on with life as normal should you 

lose your job. Take drastic action to reduce your spending, find other sources of income and talk 

to your creditors rather than hide from them. Get professional help straight away. Be careful of 

unregistered people offering mediation services and asking for money up front to deal with your 

creditors. These are normally scams and will see you lose all the money you give them. Rather 

do it yourself or use a NCR registered professional Debt Counsellor, who’s office is in your area.

DEALING WITH 

DEBT AS A TEAM

There is little that can stress 

a relationship like money 

problems. Money problems 

can force a wedge between 

family, friends, business 

partners and is toxic in any 

relationship. How can you deal 

with debt as a couple? 

We look at practical steps which you can take 

to avoid letting debt ruin your relationships. 

First, it is important to realise that men and 

women look at money (and debt) in totally 

different ways. Let’s generalise for a moment 

or two. 

Men, in general, learn at an early age to be 

rough and daring, to take risks and win at all 

costs. Girls are, generally, taught to be soft, 

vulnerable and open. Men value independence 

and view emotion as a liablity. They worry 

less about debt than women. Women value 

security, tend to be more conservative and are 

not afraid to express their emotions (including 

about finances). As such, it should be no big 

surprise that it is mostly women who seek help 

in dealing with debt rather than men. 

Most men feel that talking about their debt is 

a sign that things are not going well, where as 

most women feel the opposite; that talking 

about debt is a sign that your relationship is 

doing well. Thus as couples you may have very 

different ways of thinking about ( and dealing 

with) your situation. Some people prefer to

hide the full extent of their families debt situation from their partner. Others don’t like to consult 

others and prefer to call the shots. Still others feel that they are martyrs who are accruing more 

and more debt for the benefit of their partner. All of these views can have very negative outcomes 

and prevent couples from dealing with debt in a timely fashion. 

TIPS FOR COUPLES: 

Remember you communicate about debt in a different way from your partner. Be sure to listen 

when they talk. Ask their view and opinion. 

Have a regular set day and time to discuss your finances (good or bad). If it is a regular event 

(maybe accompanied by a fun meal) then when times are tough you will feel more comfortable 

talking about the situation. 

Review your budget ( you need one) and discuss how price increases are effecting the amount 

you have allowed for each type of expense. 

Involve your kids in your financial situation (within limits). Don’t think you can hide your debt 

situation from your kids. Rather than worry and frustrate them by always saying: “no” when they 

ask for things, help them be part of the solution and keep them generally informed. 

Have a joint household account for routine household expenses. Avoid the ‘your money’ and ‘my 

money’ mentality. 

Make sure both partners are sharing the load of dealing with the finances so that neither feels 

they are doing all the hard work without support from the other. 

Avoid comparing your situation with that of your friends or how things used to be in the “good 

old days”. Deal in facts and not in blame or comparison. 

Set short term and long term financial goals and realistic steps you can take to reach them. Track 

your progress and adjust as needed. 

Make a list of money saving tricks and try tick them off when you do them. 

If you feel you need help with your spending or debt get professional help sooner rather than 

later. Debt Counsellors can help draw up a new budget that allows for necessities and repaying 

your debts responsibly.

“ It always seems 

impossible until 

it is done” - Nelson Mandela 

Specialist Attorneys dealing 

with Debt Review matters 

Magistrates Court 

and High Court Matters 

TEL 021 913 2514 FAX 0866070940 EMAIL info@liddles.co.za 

PHYSICAL ADDRESS 7 Chenin Blanc Street, Oude Westhof POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 3407, tygervalley, 7536

DEBT COUNSELLOR PROFILE 

ANNIENNE NEL 

DEBT REVIEW AND SUPPORT CENTRE 

TEL: 082 641 2328 / 021 948 9781 

EMAIL: bellvilledcc@gmail.com

How long have you been a DC? I was registered in February 2015 

What did you do before becoming a DC? 

I was a long time assistant for a Debt Counsellor and Admin team leader. 

What area do you practice in? I have a small focused practice in Bellville, and service clients in 

Cape Town and the Western Cape. 

What do you think makes your business a success? I think I am able to assist my consumers 

because I dare to care. I am passionate about helping people. 

Where do you find new business? 

Mostly from referrals from existing clients as well as from the internet. 

Who are your most co-operative and least co-operative credit provider at the moment? 

African Bank under curatorship are co-operating while Edgars not updating their records and 

ABSA are causing us problems. 

What is the biggest challenge facing Debt Counsellors at the moment? 

When consumers default on their restructuring monthly payments. Also a big issue is supposed 

debt mediation companies mushrooming up everywhere and the NCR not regulating the 

debt mediation Industry to date. I see many consumers with serious problems because of 

mismanagement of their payments by these illegal operators who are not registered debt 

counsellors. 

What is the biggest challenge facing your consumers at the moment? 

Inflation ie: Often our clients get an annual salary increase of 3.5% while their medical aids annual 

increase is about 9.50% . Add to that the increase in basic daily expenses, fuel, electricity, food, 

public transport, short term insurance etc. We also see some consumers who default on their 

agreements with banks and don’t keep their vehicle insured. 

What advice do you have for consumers under debt review? 

Stick to the plan, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Stay in contact with your DC. Talk to 

your DC when you find issues you feel your DC is not dealing with effectively. It is your money 

and debt, take responsibility for your debt review by ensuring your receive monthly distribution 

statements. Follow up with creditors every 12 months for latest statements to ensure your PDA 

balances remain updated. Don’t forget to change your address when you move with your DC and 

your creditors. Take out credit life and income protector to cover you against unemployment. 

Don’t default on credit agreements under debt review. Always make sure your DC is in good 

standing with the NCR.

The National Credit Regulator has busted Shoprite and its furniture 

subsidiaries, Ok! And House & Home for reckless lending and unlawful 

insurance coverage. 

Shoprite Investments and Shoprite Insurance Company have been selling retrenchment and 

occupational disability insurance to pensioners and government grant beneficiaries. These 

vulnerable consumers cannot claim benefits on these forms of coverage, as they are unemployed. 

They should not be paying premiums on them at all. Shoprite has also been granting reckless 

credit to consumers for Ok! Furniture and House & Home, leaving them struggling to survive. 

CEO of National Debt Advisors and Debt Counsellor, Sebastien Alexanderson said of the Shoprite 

bust, “This is strongly reminiscent of the insurance scandal, which cost the UK banks over £40 

billion and is still ongoing.” 

GOOD NEWS FOR CONSUMERS 

The NCR has referred Shoprite to the National Consumer Tribunal for violating the National 

Credit Act and has called for the Tribunal to have Shoprite reimburse the wronged consumers, 

write off reckless loans and be fined. The regulator has really turned up the heat on reckless 

lenders of late, as consumer over-indebtedness proliferates, in the wake of rising interest rates 

and a collapsing economy. 

BAD NEWS FOR RECKLESS LENDERS 

The regulator fined African Bank Investments Ltd. (ABIL) and its furniture businesses, Ellerines, 

Bears and Geen & Richards for reckless lending, before the bank’s demise in August 2014. 

Moreover, the NCR recently requested the tribunal fine furniture retailers, Lewis and JD Group 

for selling unlawful insurance. Recently, the regulator has also conducted investigations into 

the lending practices of Capitec Bank Holdings Ltd. 

Credit providers are undoubtedly starting to sweat bullets, as the heads of reckless lenders, at 

last, have begun to roll. 

National Debt Advisors – Fighting for Consumer Justice! 

www.nationaldebtadvisors.co.za 

Tel. 021 007 1688

CAPITEC BANK 

EXPLAINS DEBT REVIEW 

We offer simplified, transparent banking. This transparency extends to 

our debt review process, so we’d like to introduce Michelle Nortman, 

Manager of Process Recoveries, to shed more light on the subject. 

Hi Michelle. A number of clients are confused about the 

debt review process and what it means for their credit 

record. They worry that it will affect their chance of 

getting credit in the future again. 

We support the debt review process and want to be sure 

that we walk beside our clients, helping them wherever we 

can. If you are under debt review, it won’t affect your credit 

record and after you’ve paid off what you owe, you’re 

welcome to take credit again based on your affordability. 

Our support for this process was also recently recognised 

by the nomination we received at the Debt Review Awards 

2015. 

Tell us more about the Debt Review Awards nomination. 

Michelle: In 2014 we won the public voting category for favourite bank in the Ask Afrika Orange 

Index. Customer service awards. We were also nominated for the best Medium Credit Provider 

in the Debt Review Awards 2015. Although we didn’t win it, it is still a great achievement as 

a year ago we weren’t nominated for any awards. We think the reason for our success is our 

transparency – we always make the client a priority. 

Can you tell us more about your unique debt review system? 

It has been designed specifically for us and our clients by a company called I Create. The entire 

debt review system (DRS) is automated, leading to quicker turnaround times and no room for 

human error. While it was designed in India, we have a support team in Stellenbosch to adapt 

the system to any changes resulting from new legislation being passed. Our DRS complies with 

all laws around debt review.

You must have a committed work force. How big is your team? 

There are 27 people in our team, including: debt review operations manager; 2 team leaders; 

systems administrator; 14 debt review operations agents; 8 debt review follow-up and 

enforcement agents; 1 debt review legal agent. 

Our follow-up and enforcement teams regularly visit debt review counsellors to inform them 

about our debt review practices. We have a very close working relationship with them. In October 

we visited debt review counsellors in the Western Cape, and in November we will be visiting 

KwaZulu-Natal. We’ve made this a priority as a lot of debt review happens around Christmas 

when people need to make sure they have enough money. 

TIP 

Clients should always apply for debt review before they 

are in arrears to avoid affecting their credit record negatively. 

What are some of the big industry developments affecting you? 

Michelle: The big trend in the industry is affordability. Very recently we’ve seen new legislation 

being introduced. It’s centred around one question: Can clients actually afford the debt that they 

are taking out? 

TIP 

When taking credit, it’s important to make sure you take the total cost into account, not just what 

you’ll be paying every month. Also take note of all the fees you’re paying. For example, some credit 

providers will give you a lower installment but will charge you more for credit life insurance.

IN A NUTSHELL 

ARE TOO MANY RULES DESTROYING 

YOUR BUSINESS PRODUCTIVITY? 

The Oxford Dictionary defines productivity as ‘The effectiveness of productive effort, especially 

in industry, as measured in terms of the rate of output (of goods, products, etc.) per unit of 

input (of labour, materials, equipment, etc.).Technically and mathematically this is correct, 

but herein lies the problem. Too many businesses focus on the pure measurement of efficiency 

and effectiveness without considering that human cooperation is far more powerful. 

Why do businesses with fewer resources sometimes outperform far more skilled and resourceful 

competitors? The answer lies not in what can be measured, but in the power of what people can 

achieve when everyone works together to achieve a common goal. When people cooperate the 

result is often bigger than the sum of the individual parts. 

Yves Morieux, managing director and expert in corporate transformation in Boston Consulting 

Group’s Paris office, points out in a Ted Talk that productivity has steadily dropped since the 

1950’s. Between 1950 and the early 1970’s productivity was at its highest at 5% per annum, 

in the largest European economies, as well as Japan and the United States (U.S.). Since 1995, 

productivity amongst these countries has dropped to approximately 1% per annum. http:// 

www.ted.com/talks/yves_morieux_how_too_many_rules_at_work_keep_you_from_getting_ 

things_done#t-71520 .This scenario is not that different in South Africa. Productivity is directly 

linked to the standard of living of a country. Yves Morieux points out that when productivity

is at 3% per annum, the standard of living doubles for every generation. When it drops to 1% 

p.a., it takes three generations to double the standard of living. At this low rate, it means many 

people’s grandchildren will not have better lives than they did. Why is it that in the age of the 

internet, when we have the easiest access to communicate, we are cooperating less? 

According to Morieux over focus on the “holy trinity of efficiency: clarity, measurement and 

accountability” are counter-productive, as it takes little consideration of the capacity of human 

effort when people choose to cooperate. Group effort has a multiplier effect on performance. 

In Moriuex’s Ted Talk, two female relay teams, one from the U.S. and one from France compete 

in the World Championship relay finals. The U.S. team based on statistics is by far the favourite 

to win. The U.S. team has the world’s two fastest 100-metre female runners. The total race time, 

based on the top scores of the individual runners, estimates that the U.S. team have a 6.4-metre 

advantage on the French team. On race day, the French relay team win. The reason? The French 

team cooperate better as a team, they’ve mastered the art of passing the baton, they encourage 

each other, their energy transcends from one runner to the next. As a team, they are far more 

successful. 

Take another real life example, two major Debt Counselling firms (DC A and DC B), both based in 

the same region, both call centre based. DC A employs 13 staff and processes 155 new applications 

per month. 139 new consumers pay. DC B is a much bigger, more resourceful DC. DC B employs 

200 staff members and processes 710 new applications per day. 300 new consumers pay. 

Which DC is more successful? DC A’s productivity is a ratio of 10.7 new consumers per staff 

member versus DC B’s productivity ratio of 1.5. DC A is seven times more efficient than DC B at 

converting new applicants. Why? DC A’s management believes it’s because they work harder 

as a team (cooperate) to engage each new client, and ensure that they understand and are fully 

committed to the debt review process. They are also purposefully give each client the attention 

and service that results in peace of mind. The new frontier of productivity is not achieved with 

lots of complicated structures, rules, processes and metrics but through motivated teams, 

cooperating to achieve the same goal. 

With cooperation, you can do more with less. 

IN A NUTSHELL is brought you by The Business Partnership Programme, designed 

to support debt counsellors and consumers during the debt review process, in 

collaboration with the National Payment Distribution Agency (NPDA). For help, 

contact the NPDA on 0861 628 628. If you have suggestions for topics that you would 

like covered in future, please email them to info@dcmgroup.co.za 

The NPDA was recognised as the industry winner for PAYMENT DISTRIBUTION and Care Premier as the industry 

winner for DEBT COUNSELLING SOFTWARE at the Debt Review Awards 2015.

DEBT REVIEW AWARDS 2014 

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Adding value through innovation and partnership. 

To increase your revenue, contact us on 

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INCREASE IN 

PAYING CUSTOMERS 

Better Payment Behaviour 

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Consumer Protection Provided 

(DCM Protector Card) 

Consumer Support Provided 

(24hr Stress Helpline; Bank Account Facilitation; Creditor Support) 

Consumers Educated & Nudged 

Leaders in creating 

sustainable financial wellbeing

DEBT COUNSELLORS ASSOCIATIONS 

ANNOUNCEMENT BOARD 

The Annual General Meeting will be held 

on November 11th (starting at 10am) at 

the Kempton Park Golf Club. Members 

welcome. 

We wish to say a big THANK YOU to Alecea 

Louw for all her hard work over the years 

and wish her all the best as she moves 

abroad 

Listen to a 15 minute interview 

with Tony Webbstock, a lawyer who 

explains the law of prescription. 

http://downloads.newera.org.za/Interviews/ 

(right click on the file and ‘save target as.’) 

www.dcasa.co.za 

www.newera.org.za 

Thank you to all our members in KZN who 

attended our recent regional meeting during 

September. We will be holding meetings in 

other regions soon and will notify members via 

email of the location and dates well in advance. 

Also be sure to check out the new Akani Credit 

Report App www.akanisolutions.co.za 

Visit our members Facebook page 

to find out more about the Annual 

General Meeting (AGM) and to join 

discussions on current industry 

topics. 

www.bdcf.co.za 

www.allprodc.org


COMMUNITY SUPPORT 

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - THANK YOU 

We were so happy that we could help a troubled consumer cover his transport 

costs and that we were (with some help from our sponsors) able to pay for the 

consumer’s entire debt review payment for the month of September 2015 to the 

tune of R2500. This meant that the consumer, who was in a world of problems and 

about to fall out of debt review, as well as, potentially lose his job, was able to deal 

with this, once off, disastrous DEBT situation COUNSELLING 

and still stay in the process. Thank you to 

the DC firm who told COMMUNITY us about this emergency SUPPORT 

situation and to the sponsors who 

made all of this possible. You have changed a life! 

FAMILY VACATION GIFT BAG 

During December DCCS will be helping vulnerable debt review families have a bit 

of fun (and ease some of their financial burden) as the year comes to a close with 

Family Vacation Gift Bags. The Family Vacation Gift Bag includes a R1000 Pick n 

Pay Food (or clothing) Voucher, a bunch of fun and educational toys for the kids, 

as well as, a little something special for the grown ups to help them relax. If you 

know of vulnerable families under debt review who are taking strain then please 

let us know and if you want to get involved and help sponsor a gift bag contact us 

on: admin@dccsupport.co.za 



If you are a Debt Counsellor and know of a client who has hit a speed 

bump and might need a little help this month to not miss their 

payment chat to us about our 17.3 Project. Perhaps we can assist 

keep your vulnerable client in the process. 

admin@dccsupport.co.za

OCTOBER 

NEWSLETTER 

COURT CASES AND 

THE NCR FEE STRUCTURE 

It seems that the Barnardt case is getting 

a lot of attention recently in the press 

and we will be chatting about it on our 

dedicated members Facebook page 

in the next few days. Please weigh in 

on what we can and should do in this 

regard. It is likely that this matter (costs 

orders against Debt Counsellors and the 

Fee Guideline in court) will be raised at 

the Credit Industry Forum in the near 

future. 

FRB IN COURT MATTERS 

When dealing with Wesbank or FNB it 

is good for members to remember that 

they are actually dealing with FirstRand 

Bank Limited (who are registered with 

the NCR as NCRCP20) . Often on court 

documents relating to Direct Axis, 

Call Direct, Clicks and Wesbank Debt 

Counsellors name these separate entities 

as respondents in the court papers (and 

are listed as such by us in our 17.1s and 

2s) but members should consider if 

these are, in fact, NCR registered entities 

or actually fall under the FRB umbrella. 

In the past some courts have picked this 

up and have even issued costs orders. 

Members will want to work according to 

the NCA requirements to avoid mistakes. 

We will be talking more about this on 

our members page on Facebook. 

AGM 

Our Annual General Meeting will be held 

shortly and we will be emailing all our 

members an invitation. Please attend 

the AGM to discuss the year gone by 

and the plans for the next 12 months or 

send your proxy votes with one of the 

members who do attend. 

CONTACT DETAILS 

FORUM: www.debtconcern.webs.com / WEBSITE: www.allprodc.org / 

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/AllProDC / TWITTER: www.twitter.com/AllProDC

WELCOME TO THE BEST PDA TEAM! 

Meet our new DC Partner staff - Regional Agents 

Giovanni Coetzee 

Gerhard Olivier 

How do you like working in the 

Debt Review Market? 

The Debt Counselling industry is definitely 

exciting and full of surprises. I love the fact 

that people can be assisted with their debt 

burden .It’s great to be part of a company like 

DC Partner, which provides such an excellent 

level of service to their clients! 

How do you like working in the 

Debt Review Market? 

The Debt Review Industry is constantly 

changing, making it exciting and rewarding 

to work in. I have learned so much in a short 

time. Working for DC Partner, I realized there 

are still companies with high ethical business 

practices and high moral values. The whole 

industry has such a positive impact in the lives 

of people and it’s great to see the consumers 

and creditors reaping the rewards. 

Payment Distribution Agency appointed by the NCR 

TEL: 044 – 873 4530 FAX: 0862462493 EMAIL: petro@dcpartner.co.za 

www.dcpartner.co.za

CLICK THE C 

SERVICE D 

DEBT COUNSELLORS 

SUPPORT 

SERVICES 

TRAINING 

FINANCIAL 

FINANCIAL 

PLANNING

IRECTORY 

ATEGORY 

DO YOU WANT TO LIST 

YOUR COMPANY? 

directory@debtfreedigi.co.za 

LEGAL 

CREDIT BUREAUS 

PAYMENT 

DISTRIBUTION 

AGENCIES 

CREDIT PROVIDER CONTACT 

DETAILS & ESCALATION PROCESS

DEBT COUNSELLORS 

GAUTENG 

KWAZULU- 

NATAL 

FREE STATE

LIMPOPO NORTH WEST EASTERN CAPE 

MPUMALANGA NORTHERN CAPE WESTERN CAPE

National Debt Advisors 

Fighting For Consumer Justice 

Tel: 021 007 1688 


Credit Matters 

South Africa’s Leading 

Debt Counsellors 

14th Floor, The Pinnacle 

Cnr Strand & Burg St 

Cape Town 

Tel: 086 111 6197 

Fax: 021 425 6292 

info@creditmatters.co.za 

GAUTENG 

Armani Debt Counselling 

Take the First Step 

to Financial Freedom 

Tania Dekker 

Tel: 011 849 3654 / 7659 

www.armanigroup.co.za 

Dynamix Debt Counselling TLC 

Alida Christie NCRDC2324 

Office 1, 34 Beefwoodstreet, 

Vanderbijlpark, 1911 

Tel: 079 520 4369 

Tel: 016 100 8020 

tlcdebt@mweb.co.za

Specialist Debt Management Centre 

Beverley Ludick, NCRDC948 

Pretoria 

Tel: 012 377-3557 

Email: obligco@gmail.com 

Email: dc@obligco.co.za 

www.obligco.co.za Tel: 0861 123 644 

Email: info@debtrescue.co.za 

NCRDC197 

Tel: 011 660 9970 

Fax: 086 540 5017 

KRUGERSDORP 

e-mail: nicky@nvdmdc.co.za 

www.nvdmdc.co.za



Tel: 021 007 1688 







Cape Town 

Tel: 086 111 6197 

Fax: 021 425 6292 


KWAZULU- 

NATAL 

Tel: 0861 123 644 

Email: info@debtrescue.co.za



Tel: 021 007 1688 







Cape Town 

Tel: 086 111 6197 

Fax: 021 425 6292 


FREE STATE 

Tel: 0861 123 644 




Tel: 021 007 1688 







Cape Town 

Tel: 086 111 6197 

Fax: 021 425 6292 


LIMPOPO 

SMS Salary Management Services 

Annerien de Jager 

Registered Debt Counsellor 

NCRDC0075 

015 307 2772 

info@smslimpopo.co.za 

Tel: 0861 123 644 




Tel: 021 007 1688 


Tel: 0861 123 644 


MPUMALANGA 






Cape Town 

Tel: 086 111 6197 

Fax: 021 425 6292 

info@creditmatters.co.za



Tel: 021 007 1688 







Cape Town 

Tel: 086 111 6197 

Fax: 021 425 6292 


NORTH WEST 

Tel: 0861 123 644 




Tel: 021 007 1688 







Cape Town 

Tel: 086 111 6197 

Fax: 021 425 6292 


NORTHERN CAPE 

Tel: 0861 123 644 




Tel: 021 007 1688 







Cape Town 

Tel: 086 111 6197 

Fax: 021 425 6292 


EASTERN CAPE 

Debt Counselling Group SA 

Affordable Assistance with offices across 

the EASTERN CAPE. 

Casper Francois le Grange 

NCRDC 1560 / CALL: 086 100 1047 

Offices: 

East London: Shop 7, New Colonnade 

Building, Devereux Av, Vincent 

Port Elizabeth: Room 302, Pier 14, 444 

Goven Mbeki Av, North End 

Queenstown: Office 107, Nedbank 

Building, 89 Cathcart Road 

King Williams Town: Office 4, 49 Eales 

Street 

E-mail: help@dcgsa.co.za 

www.dcgsa.co.za 

www.facebook.com/dcg.southafrica 

Tel: 0861 123 644 




Tel: 021 007 1688 







Cape Town 

Tel: 086 111 6197 

Fax: 021 425 6292 


WESTERN CAPE 

CONSOLIDEBT 

Heidie Knorr NCRDC209 

Paarl, Worcester, Wellington, Ceres, 

Piketberg, Clanwilliam, Vredendal 

Tel: 021 863 2754 / 082 380 4401 

consolidebt@vodamail.co.za 

Encouraging Freedom, Creating Wealth 

Etienne Pieterse (NCRDC 2210) 

Tel. (021) 826-2699 

etienne@financialfreedomsolutions.co.za 

www.financialfreedomsolutions.co.za

ISISEKO DEBT HELP 

Get Your Life back on track 

TEL: 087 230 0223 

FAX: 086 551 1649 

EMAIL: makanti@isiseko.co.za 

WEB: www.isiseko.co.za 

BELLVILLE DEBT 

COUNSELLING CENTRE 

Annienne Nel NCRDC2452 

23 Salisbury Street • Boston • 

Bellville 

Tel: 021 9489781 

0219495007 

0826412328 

Fax: 086 563 3264 

e-mail: info@debtcentre.co.za 

www.debtcentre.co.za 

NCRDC1142 

No 2 Golden Isle Building 

281 Durban Road, Oakdale, 

Bellville, 7535 

Tel: 086 111 3749 

Email: help@zerodebt.co.za 

www.zerodebt.co.za 

Tel: 0861 123 644 


All Debt Solutions 

Fast tracking your financial freedom 

Tel: 0861 255 3328 / 021-557 9981 

Email: info@allds.co.za 

www.alldebtsolutions.co.za 

https://www.facebook.com/ 

alldebtsolutions 

Debt Budget 

One Monthly Payment For All Your Debt 

Bruce Leslie Borez 

NCRDC1643 

52 Church Street, 

“NBS Building”,Wynberg 

Tel: 021 824 8885 

www.debtbudget.co.za

SUPPORT SERVICES 

lana Van Herwaarde, 

DC Operation Centre (PTY) 

Tel: 0867227405 Email: 

info@dcoperations.co.za 

www.dcoperations.co.za 



Help Keep Consumers In Debt Review 

Tel: 021 872 1968 

admin@dccsupport.co.za 

www.facebook.com/dccsupport 

www.dccsupport.co.za 



DEBT 

086 126 6562 

debt@one.za.com 

www.one.za.com

COMING SOON 

TRAINING 

COMING SOON 

FINANCIAL PLANNING

LEGAL 

Liddles & Associates 

“It always seems impossible until it 

is done” N. Mandela 

Tel: 021 913 2514 

Fax: 0866070940 

Email: info@liddles.co.za 

PO Box 3407, tygervalley, 7536 

7 Chenin Blanc Street, Oude 

Westhof 

Steyn Coetzee Attorneys / 

Prokureurs 

Adri de Bruyn 

11 Market Street / Markstraat 11, 

Paarl, 7646 

Tel: 021 872 1968 

Fax: 021 872 2678 

adri@steyncoetzee.co.za 

RM Brown and Associates 



Cape Town 

Tel: 021 431 9127, f: 021 425 0875 

Email: oliver@rmbrown.co.za

Kim Armfield 

Attorney & Family Law Mediator 

Address: Unit 1B, FinansHuis, 7 

Voortrekker Road, Bellville 

Tel: 021 949 1758 / 021 945 2526 

Office cell: 084 8588 284 

kim@legalwc.co.za 

COMING SOON 

CREDIT BUREAUS

PAYMENT DISTRIBUTION AGENCIES 

DC Partner 

044 873 4530 

Hyphen PDA 

011 303 0060 

NPDA 

0861 628 628

don’t be a twit 

http://twitter.com/Debtfree_DIGI

CAPITEC CONTACT DETAILS 

Form 17’s 

Proposals 

Court documents 

General Queries 

Refund Requests / 

Cancellation of Debit Orders 

Complaints 

Insurance Certificates 

ccsforms17@capitecbank.co.za 

ccsproposals@capitecbank.co.za 

ccsdebtrevieworders@capitecbank.co.za 

ccsdebtreviewqueries@capitecbank.co.za 

ccsrefundrequests@capitecbank.co.za 

ComplaintManagement@capitecbank.co.za 

coming soon 

Sharecall Contact Number 086 066 7783 - Select Option 2 

ESCALATION PROCESS 

COMING SOON

STANDARD BANK CONTACT DETAILS 

0861 111402 

Debt Review specific queries 

Debt Review specific 

complaints and escalations 

Debit order cancellations 

Debt Review application notification 

(Form 17.1 by Debt Counsellors): 

Debt Counsellors to submit Form 17.2 

and Debt Review proposals 

Debt Review court applications 

Debt Review payment related matters 

Reckless Lending 

DebtReviewServices@standardbank.co.za 

debtreviewcomplaints@standardbank.co.za 

coming soon 

coming soon 

coming soon 

coming soon 

coming soon 

coming soon 


COMING SOON

ABSA CONTACT DETAILS 

0861 22 22 72 


COMING 

SOON

FNB Debt Review Centre Escalation Process 

FIRST POINT OF CONTACT VIA THE FOLLOWING MEANS: 

Call Centre: 087 730 1166 

Email: FRBDebtReviewCentre@firstrand.co.za 

Fax: 086 011 7532 

FIRST ESCALATION – AFTER 48 HOURS: 

Onboarding - New applications and Certificates of Balance: 

Kagiso Tlhoaele – KTlhoaele@fnb.co.za 

Document Management – Sorting & Uploading, Indexing, campaigns 

Zanobia Phillips – Zanobia.Phillips@fnb.co.za 

Queries: Charlene Antoni – CAntoni@fnb.co.za 

Call Centre: Charlene Antoni – CAntoni@fnb.co.za 

Terminations, Re-instatements and Missing Payments: 

Zanele Masilela –MasilelaZ@fnb.co.za 

Pro-Rata Proposals: Pamella Sithole – Pamella.Sithole@fnb.co.za 

DCRS and Final Proposals: Sabelo Mkabela – SMkabela@fnb.co.za 

Notices of Set Down/Instructions: Abraham Booysen - BooysenA@fnb.co.za 

Court Orders/Reviews: Joyce Machethe - JMachethe@fnb.co.za 

SECOND ESCALATION – AFTER 72 HOURS: 

New applications, Certificate of Balance, Queries and Call Centre: 

Karen van Musschenbroek – KVanMusschenbroek@fnb.co.za 

Withdrawals, Terminations,Re-instatements and Missing Payments: 

Faadiel Toffie – FToffie@fnb.co.za 

Proposals, Notices and Court Orders: 

Karen van Musschenbroek – KVanMusschenbroek@fnb.co.za 

THIRD ESCALATION: 

Athaly Khan – AKhan5@fnb.co.za

NEDBANK CONTACT DETAILS 

& ESCALATION PROCESS 

COMING 

SOON

AFRICAN BANK CONTACT DETAILS 

011 256 9323 

DebtCounselling@africanbank.co.za 


COMING 

SOON

Debtfree DIGI October 2015

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