How to choose a debt counsellor

Only a counsellor registered with the NCR can do debt counselling, and that includes attorneys. The NCR registers counsellors as individuals, not companies, so a company name alone cannot be checked. Even when a counsellor trades under a business name, you have the right to their name and surname, place of practice and NCR registration number, which starts with NCRDC.

A registered counsellor receives a registration certificate that must be displayed at the place of practice, and you can ask to see it. Check the number on the NCR's register of debt counsellors. The register search matches the counsellor's own name, so ask for it, because the trading name may not find them.

If a firm cannot or will not give you a registration number, do not go further. Unregistered operators cannot legally provide debt counselling, and you may have no recourse if something goes wrong. For a starting point, see our list of NCR-registered counsellors with the registration numbers each one shows.

Debt review fees follow the NCR fee guideline, but you still need them spelled out. Ask for a written breakdown of the application fee, the administration fee, the restructuring fee, the monthly after-care fee, any attorney fee and any payment distribution agent fee. The NCR says all applicable fees must be disclosed to you in writing, and that you should ask for a receipt when you pay the application and administration fees.

The R50 application fee and R300 administration fee are paid upfront and in full, and the restructuring fee is due in month one after the proposals are submitted. If a counsellor demands more upfront cash than that, treat it as a red flag. Never hand a counsellor money to pass on to your creditors: the NCR says counsellors may not collect it, and you pay your credit providers directly or through a registered distribution agent. See what the fees are.

You will be with this counsellor for the whole plan, so aftercare matters. Ask how you contact them, how quickly they respond, how you can follow your plan and who handles disputes with creditors.

Firms differ here. Some advertise a client login, some a dedicated account manager and some a contact form for existing clients. None of that is a legal requirement, so ask what you would get and how quickly you would hear back.

A good firm answers when you call months later. A poor one goes quiet once the application is filed. Read independent reviews, but weigh them against the firm's transparency rather than a single complaint.

Avoid any counsellor that:

• Guarantees a fixed timeline or instant removal of the debt review flag, or advertises percentage savings, written-off debt or "government approved" relief.
• Says you can keep taking new credit while under review. You cannot.
• Will not give a registration number or put fees in writing.
• Pressures you to sign on the spot.
• Phones you about "consolidation" or "reduced interest" and sends a link to sign. Placing consumers under debt review without their knowledge and consent is prohibited.
• Sells you a "debt review removal" service for a fee before you have even started. See our removal guide.

These are signs to walk away and find a counsellor who earns your trust.

Before you sign, ask what happens at the end. You can be cleared when all the debts under your plan are paid, or when all your short-term debts are paid and the only debt left is a home loan that is up to date under the order. Vehicle finance counts as a short-term debt and must be paid first. The counsellor must then issue your clearance certificate within seven days and file it with the national register and the credit bureaus, and the bureaus must remove the debt review flag and the default information that led to it. Your payment history stays on your record for the normal retention period.

If your counsellor refuses or fails to issue the certificate, you can apply to the National Consumer Tribunal to review the decision.

Ask too what happens if you ever want to leave early. Since 7 March 2022 the NCR's withdrawal guidelines say you cannot withdraw once you have applied, and your counsellor cannot withdraw you either. The only exit is a clearance certificate. There are narrow exceptions, which our removal guide sets out.

Not every firm that talks about debt is a registered debt counsellor. Stop if you see any of these:

• No registration number. The website or advert shows no NCRDC number, or the number does not match a named counsellor on the NCR register. The NCR says not to trust debt counselling advertising that has no registration number.
• A parked or unfinished website. In our own checks we found a debt counselling domain that was only a "Reserved for" parked page, and another whose site still carried theme demo text, had a contact form that was missing and showed no company name or registration number. A real counsellor's website tells you who the counsellor is.
• A name that only appears on the lapsed or cancelled lists. Besides the register of registered counsellors, the NCR keeps lists of counsellors whose registration has lapsed or been cancelled, including counsellors who stopped doing debt counselling. A trading name found only there is not a registered counsellor today.
• A lookalike name. Similar names can belong to different businesses. Match the full trading name, the counsellor's own name and the number, not just part of it.
• Promises no counsellor can make. An immediate improvement in cashflow or keeping all your assets are examples.
• A removal firm that wants money upfront. NCR Circular 2 of 2025 says consumers are being asked to pay up to R10 000 upfront for "debt review removal", that in most instances the status is not removed as claimed and that most of these firms are not registered with the NCR, so disappointed consumers have no recourse. Section 126A(3) says no one offering to remove information from a bureau may be paid until the service is fully performed.
• A call from the "NCR". The NCR holds no personal information about consumers and will never contact you to discuss your debt review status. Report anyone who says otherwise.

If you were placed under debt review without your knowledge and consent, complain to the NCR.