Financial Tips & Guides

guides

Debt Collectors in South Africa: What They May Do, What They May Not, and How to Stop the Rest

You cannot be arrested for owing money. Check the CFDC register before you talk, demand proof of the debt in writing, and know that a complaint to the Council must be a sworn affidavit to have any teeth.

Romans • 24 Aug 2026

8 min read

guides

Reckless Lending: The NCA Right That Can Cancel a Debt Entirely

Sections 80 to 84 of the NCA let a court set a debt aside completely or suspend it with no interest running. Here is what makes credit reckless, the lender defence that defeats most claims, and the six credit types it does not cover.

Romans • 20 Aug 2026

8 min read

guides

Paying Off Debt Without the Constant Pressure

The pressure comes from structure, not the size of the number. Aligning every debit order to the day after payday, snowball vs avalanche honestly compared, prescribed debt under Section 126B, and the minimum viable plan.

Romans • 18 Aug 2026

9 min read

guides

Every Way to Borrow Money in South Africa, Sorted by What You Put at Risk

Unsecured credit, logbook loans against your car, property-backed lending, crypto collateral, two-pot withdrawals and relationship credit — the full map of South African financing, ranked by consequence rather than product name.

Romans • 16 Aug 2026

8 min read

guides

SASSA Grants, Loans and Deductions: The 31 August Card Deadline Is Your Chance to Stop Them

Gold Cards stop working after 31 August 2026. Only one funeral deduction capped at 10% is legal on a grant — everything else is not. Why the free Black Card swap breaks unlawful deductions and card-holding lenders.

Romans • 14 Aug 2026

9 min read

guides

Logbook Loans and “Pawn Your Car and Still Drive It”: What You Are Actually Signing

Borrowing against your car in South Africa comes in two shapes. One is NCA-regulated and capped at 5% a month. In the other you sign over ownership and rent your own car back — the NCR calls it a scam.

Romans • 11 Aug 2026

9 min read

guides

Prime Is Being Retired: What Happens to the 12 Million Loans That Reference It

The SARB proposes scrapping prime and pricing retail loans off the repo rate instead. 12 million contracts, R3.2 trillion. Your rate does not change — but the margin conversion is worth checking yourself.

Romans • 05 Aug 2026

7 min read

guides

Your SARS Refund Is Not Money Yet: Refund Borrowing and the Scam Taking It

SARS paid R8bn in refunds in 72 hours this July. Two ways people are losing that money: borrowing against a refund that arrives late or reduced, and AI phishing that hijacks eFiling profiles to redirect it.

Romans • 03 Aug 2026

9 min read

guides

62% of Two-Pot Withdrawals Are Now Third-Timers: The Arithmetic of Raiding Your Retirement to Pay Debt

Only 5% of two-pot claims this tax year are first-timers. R60bn has come out, mostly for debt. Withdraw R30,000 and you receive about R16,000 — here is when that trade is worth it and when it is not.

Romans • 31 Jul 2026

9 min read

guides

Money Taken From Your Salary? Garnishee Orders and EAOs Explained

The Constitutional Court struck down how most EAOs were obtained in 2016 — but the orders keep running until someone challenges them. How to check whether yours is lawful, and get free help.

Romans • 29 Jul 2026

9 min read

guides

Mashonisa Loans in South Africa: What Is Legal, What Is Not, and Your Rights

An honest look at South Africa's informal loan economy: why it exists, what 30–50% a month actually costs, which parts are criminal, and what to do if a mashonisa holds your bank card or ID.

Romans • 28 Jul 2026

9 min read