More credit consumers turn to ombud – and more are getting results
The NFO’s Credit Division recorded a 58% jump in complaints during 2025, while recoveries for consumers more than tripled and favourable outcomes outpaced every other division.
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From fraud listings to repossessions: inside the credit ombud’s case files
The NFO’s case studies show how disputes over evidence, process failures, and consumer rights can escalate into costly battles between credit providers and customers.
Debt pressure shifts up the income ladder despite rate relief
DebtBusters data shows repayments still swallow most take-home pay, with pressure shifting upwards to higher earners and credit thinning out for lower-income households.
Gen Z may be the key to fixing SA’s debt crisis
While Millennials and Gen X buckle under rising debt, Gen Z’s openness to credit education and digital tools offers hope for reversing South Africa’s deepening financial crisis.
Surge in unregulated buy-now-pay-later raises affordability concerns
Credit expansion is coming almost entirely from the deeper use of cards and personal loans by current credit-active consumers, rather than fresh market entrants, says RCS.
Debt crisis deepens: South Africans using up to 75% of income to repay debt
DebtBusters’ Q4 2024 Debt Index reveals a worsening cash flow crunch, with rising reliance on short-term loans and record-high debt service ratios.
Personal loan surge: originations up 16.7% as lenders balance risk and demand
With credit card originations growing by 9.3% and Gen Z leading the charge, 38% of new credit cards were issued to first-time cardholders – the highest proportion since early 2020.
Why your salary feels smaller: purchasing power plummets as debt levels soar
Even as inflation eases, high interest rates continue to erode incomes, forcing many South Africans to rely on loans to get by.
