Debt counselling (also known as debt review) is a formal debt management process regulated by the National Credit Act.

A registered debt counsellor works with your credit providers to restructure your debt into one affordable monthly repayment. This typically includes reduced interest rates and extended repayment terms, making it easier for you to meet your monthly obligations while still covering your essential living expenses.

The process is designed to provide immediate financial relief and help you regain control of your finances in a structured and legally protected way. Through DebtCrew, this process is managed efficiently to help you work towards becoming debt-free with confidence.

Yes. If you are married in community of property, the application is treated as a joint application.

This means both spouses must be included in the debt review process, as all assets and liabilities are legally shared. This ensures that your repayment plan is accurate, fair, and compliant with the National Credit Act.

In most cases, no. The aim of debt review is to help you retain important assets such as your home and vehicle while restructuring your debt into an affordable repayment plan.

In some situations, it may be advisable to sell non-essential assets to reduce your debt more quickly. This will always be discussed with you, and where appropriate, you may be referred to a qualified financial advisor for guidance.

Debt review also offers protection against legal action, which can help prevent repossession of your assets—as long as you keep up with your agreed payments.

Our goal is to help you regain financial stability while protecting what matters most to you.

If you have received a summons or a Section 129 notice, it means your creditors have started legal action—but you still have options. It is important to act quickly and seek professional advice as soon as possible.

A Debt Counsellor can assist in negotiating repayment arrangements with your creditors, including those who may have already taken legal steps such as judgments or garnishee orders. While these accounts may not always form part of the formal debt review court order, they are still taken into account when assessing your overall financial situation and monthly affordability.

The sooner you take action, the more options you will have to regain control of your finances.

Your payment is based on your disposable income after essential living expenses are taken into account.

The goal is to ensure the repayment is affordable and sustainable, while still settling your debt as efficiently as possible.

Once the process is in place and your creditors have been notified, all communication is usually redirected through your debt counsellor.

This significantly reduces or eliminates direct contact from creditors.

Yes. While under debt review, your credit profile will reflect this status.

However, this is temporary and is removed once you successfully complete the process and receive your clearance certificate.

Yes. You are legally allowed to apply for debt review again.

However, the outcome will depend on your previous experience. If you were under debt review before and did not complete the process, credit providers may be more cautious, and it can be more challenging to reach a new agreement.

If you successfully completed debt review in the past and later experienced financial difficulties again, the process is generally more straightforward, and credit providers are typically more willing to cooperate.

Debt review is still a valuable solution—but it requires commitment. Taking the time to understand what went wrong previously can help you approach the process with confidence and achieve a successful outcome this time.

The duration of debt review depends on your individual financial situation, including the amount of debt you have and what you can afford to repay each month.

Many consumers complete the process within approximately 60 months. In some cases, smaller debts are settled sooner, leaving only a home loan outstanding.

Once all short-term debt has been repaid, it may be possible to exit the debt review process, provided the remaining obligations are up to date and meet the required criteria.

Debt review is a structured path toward financial freedom—and with each payment, you are one step closer to being debt-free.

Yes. DebtCrew makes use of a registered Payment Distribution Agent (PDA) that is accredited by the National Credit Regulator (NCR).

You will make your monthly payment directly to the PDA, who will then distribute the funds to your credit providers according to your approved repayment plan. This ensures that your payments are handled securely and correctly.

You will also receive regular statements from the PDA, keeping you fully informed about how your money is being allocated.

No. While under debt counselling, you are not allowed to apply for or make use of any form of credit.

In terms of the National Credit Act, once you have applied for debt counselling, you may not incur any further debt or enter into new credit agreements. This includes the use of credit cards, store accounts, or personal loans.

As part of the process, all credit facilities must be closed to help you stay on track and become debt-free as quickly as possible.

No. Once DebtCrew has negotiated new repayment terms with your credit providers, these terms are made legally binding by a court order.

This includes reduced interest rates and more affordable monthly instalments. After the court grants the order, all parties are required to follow it.

As long as you continue making your payments on time and in full, your credit providers cannot change the terms or cancel the agreement. This provides you with long-term protection and peace of mind while you work towards becoming debt-free.

Yes. Once all your debt has been settled, a clearance certificate will be issued to formally end the debt counselling process.

Your credit profile will then be updated with the credit bureaus to reflect that you are no longer under debt review. This allows you to move forward financially with a clean slate.