Check a credit provider on the NCR register before you apply

Know what the register shows

Everyone who gives out credit in South Africa must be registered with the National Credit Regulator and follow the rules in the National Credit Act. The regulator publishes a list of registered credit providers on its website. Each entry shows a full legal name, a trading name where one exists, the NCR registration number, the final registration date, a physical address, a town and a status line.

Registration numbers for credit providers usually start with the letters NCRCP followed by digits, and the number of digits is not always the same. The register also has separate lists for registrations that were voluntarily cancelled, cancelled by the National Consumer Tribunal or allowed to lapse. A name that appears only on one of those lists is not the same as a current registration.

Search, then compare every detail

Search by the full legal name or by the NCRCP number you were given. Then compare the result with what you know about the business: the legal name on its documents, its trading name, its address and the way it contacted you. Write down any difference rather than explaining it away.

This matters because fake lenders often borrow the registration details of a genuine provider. A correct number pasted into a social media post or a text message does not prove that the sender works for that provider. If you want to deal with a registered business, find its contact details yourself, from its own published information, and start the conversation from there.

Keep a short record of the check

Note the date of your search, the name and number you searched for and what the register showed. If the details do not match, or the business pressures you to apply before you have checked, treat that as a reason to stop. Registration is a starting point, not a recommendation: a registered provider must still explain its costs and terms, and you can still decide not to borrow.

Loan Bank of South Africa does not lend money or assess applications. This check is a habit to use with any provider, before you hand over an identity document, payslip or bank statement.

Your register checklist

Work through these points before you send any application documents.

• Search the NCR register by full legal name or NCRCP number.
• Confirm the status is a current registration, not cancelled or lapsed.
• Match the name, address and trading name to the business contacting you.
• Contact the provider through details you found independently.
• Record the date and result of your check.