How Much Does Debt Review Cost in South Africa? (Fees Explained)
OurPower - Last verified 2026-08-15 against the National Credit Act 34 of 2005 and its regulations
First, the thing almost nobody tells you
Only one debt review fee is fixed by law: the application fee, which section 86(3)(a) and regulation 24(1)(d) limit to the amount prescribed in Schedule 2 of the Act. That is R50.
Everything else comes from the NCR's Debt Counselling Fee Guidelines. As the name says, it is a guideline. Debtfree Magazine's write-up of the update put it bluntly: the guideline reflects the NCR's view on what fees could be charged, it is not legally binding. Registered debt counsellors are expected to follow it and the NCR uses it in compliance monitoring, but it is not the same thing as a regulated tariff.
That matters because it means the honest answer to 'what is the maximum a debt counsellor may charge' is more complicated than most sites admit. We would rather tell you that than quote you a confident number that turns out to be the wrong one.
The fee structure, which is not in dispute
The shape of the fee schedule is stable and worth understanding properly, because the single most misunderstood fee is the restructuring fee.
- Application fee - R50, once off, prescribed by Schedule 2 of the Act.
- Rejection fee - R300 excluding VAT, charged only where the debt counsellor finds you are not over-indebted and rejects under section 86(7)(a).
- Restructuring fee - the LESSER of your first re-arranged instalment or the guideline cap. It is not a flat fee. If your restructured instalment is R3,200, the restructuring fee is R3,200. 100% of it is payable at the first instalment.
- Aftercare fee - 5% excluding VAT of your monthly instalment for the first 24 months, then reducing to 3% for the remaining period, each subject to a monthly cap. It starts in the second month after the restructuring fee has been paid.
- Legal fee for a consent order - R750, and it may only be deducted in the second month after the restructuring fee has been paid.
- Payment Distribution Agency fee - charged monthly, separate from your debt counsellor's fees.
If your matter cannot be resolved by consent order and needs further legal work, the NCR guideline says those additional costs must be separately negotiated with you, and your debt counsellor should be able to produce the pro-forma invoices issued to them by their attorneys. Ask for them.
The caps: two published figures, and why we show both
Here the honest answer gets uncomfortable. The fee guideline document the NCR publishes on its own website records one set of caps and states they became effective on 1 August 2011. Industry bodies and practising debt counsellors apply higher figures, following an update reported as effective April 2018. Both are below.
| Cap | NCR document published on ncr.org.za | Applied by debt counsellors and industry bodies |
|---|---|---|
| Restructuring fee, single application | R6,000 excl VAT | R8,000 excl VAT |
| Restructuring fee, joint application | R6,000 excl VAT | R9,000 excl VAT |
| Aftercare fee, monthly cap | R400 excl VAT | R450 excl VAT |
| Administration fee | not itemised | R300 |
| Reckless lending investigation | not itemised | R1,500 excl VAT |
| Source | The document states these fees became effective 1 August 2011. NCR fee guideline | DCASA is the Debt Counsellors Association of South Africa. Reported as effective April 2018. DCASA fee page |
We cannot resolve this discrepancy from published sources, and we are not going to guess at it. Before you sign a fee addendum, phone the NCR on 0860 627 627 and ask what the current cap is. Remember too that for most consumers the cap never bites, because the restructuring fee is the lesser of your first re-arranged instalment or the cap.
Most sites pick one of these columns and present it as the legal maximum. We are showing you both because we cannot verify from published sources which is currently operative, and a wrong cap is the single most damaging figure we could publish on this page - you would use it to judge whether you are being overcharged.
The protections built into the fee guideline
These are the levers you actually have, and they are rarely explained to consumers:
What the fees buy you
The NCR's own information sheet describes what the professional assessment covers: the client interview and assessment, evaluation of affordability, processing the file, obtaining certificates of balance, sending Form 17.2 to all credit providers, arranging PDA loadings, preparing the proposal and dealing with responses, and producing documents for court.
Aftercare covers updating the PDA with the revised and final payment plans, following up on non-payment, dealing with letters of demand and terminations received from credit providers, obtaining settlement amounts if you can settle a debt, an annual review of your financial position, obtaining proof of final repayment from all credit providers, and issuing the clearance certificate.
Aftercare explicitly does not include legal action other than the debt review application itself, rescission of judgments or garnishee orders, or legal action brought by credit providers because you stopped paying. Those are extra, and they are the costs that surprise people.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get debt review for free?
No. Debt counsellors are private practitioners who charge the fees in the NCR guideline, and section 86(3)(b) forbids them from being paid by your credit providers instead. Free debt intervention for applicants with under R50,000 of unsecured debt was legislated in the National Credit Amendment Act 7 of 2019, but its commencement depends on a presidential proclamation that had not been made as at 15 August 2026, so it cannot currently be applied for.
Are the fees added to my debt?
They are paid out of your monthly payment, which is why the restructuring fee is described as equal to your first instalment - in the first month, your payment covers the fee rather than going to your credit providers. Ask your debt counsellor for a written breakdown of where each month's money goes for the first three months.
What if I cannot afford the restructuring fee?
It is structured as your first instalment precisely so that it is set at a level you have already been assessed as able to pay. If the number you are being quoted is larger than the instalment you were assessed for, that is a reason to question it and to call the NCR.
Is VAT extra?
The guideline figures are quoted excluding VAT, so a VAT-registered debt counsellor will add VAT on top. The R50 application fee is the amount prescribed in Schedule 2 of the Act. Ask for the VAT-inclusive rand figure in writing before you sign.
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OurPower is not a debt counsellor and is not registered with the National Credit Regulator. This page is general information about South African debt review law, not financial, legal or debt counselling advice. Debt review is not the right answer for everyone. Only an NCR-registered debt counsellor or a court can determine whether you are over-indebted. Legislation verified 2026-08-15. Sources: National Credit Act 34 of 2005 (as amended), the National Credit Regulations, the NCR Debt Counselling Fee Guidelines, and the NCR.