FAQs

faqs

Most Popular Questions

We help you see the world differently, discover opportunities you may never have imagined and achieve results that bridge what is with what can be.

HOW IMMIDIATE IS DEBT REVIEW?

During the first 5 days after you enter into Debt Review, we’ll draw up an affordable debt repayment plan, easing your cash flow and accommodating your living costs. Ntenteni will assess your financial circumstances – income, expenses and what you can afford to pay towards debt each month.

DO I HAVE TO COME INTO YOUR OFFICES OR GO TO COURT?

No, you do not need to come into our office or go to court. The Debt Review application process can be finalised online, via email and over the phone, which means you can enter Debt Review with NDA anywhere in South Africa.

Moreover, you won’t have to appear in court because your Debt Counsellor will apply for your debt repayment plan to be declared a Court Order on your behalf.

WILL MY CREDIT PROVIDERS HARASS ME WHILE I AM UNDER DEBT REVIEW?

Your credit providers will be notified that you have entered Debt Review with Ntenteni within 2 – 5 days. Naturally, we aim to do this ASAP because as soon as we do, the law prevents them from contacting you. We will deal with your credit providers for you from that point on. Be warned that not all credit providers operate by the book, so if they do keep harassing you, just let Ntenteni know and we’ll make sure it does not happen again.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I ENTER DEBT REVIEW?

WILL I QUALIFY IF I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED TO COURT OR HAVE JUDGMENTS AGAINST ME?

If you fail to contact your credit provider, after they have sent you a letter of demand or summons, they will obtain a court order and get a default judgment against your name. In which case, we will not be able to include the debt you defaulted on in your restructured repayment plan, as part of your debt review.

However, even if you have been served with a summons or have a judgment against your name, NDA may still be able to help you. So, will I qualify if I have been summoned to court or have judgments against me? We will only be able to tell if we have a debt solution to offer you, after assessing your personal circumstances. Therefore, we encourage you to still get in touch.

Remember, debt review includes several debts with different credit providers. So, even if we cannot include a certain debt in your restructured repayment plan, we may still include others. In which case, we can get your instalments and interest rates reduced for these debts.

WILL UNDERGOING DEBT REVIEW AFFECT MY JOB OPPORTUNITIES?

No, there is no reason why entering Debt Review should affect a potential employer’s decision to hire you, as it shows you have taken charge of your debt situation. On the other hand, if they find out you are over-indebted and haven’t done anything about it, this may cause a prospective employer to view you as irresponsible.

WHAT IS DEBT REVIEW?

Debt Review was implemented by the National Credit Act (NCA) as a legal debt relief process. How it works is your Debt Counsellor proposes a reorganized debt repayment plan to your Credit Providers, allowing you to make just one lower payment towards all your debts each month. This plan is then declared a legally binding Court Order.

WILL I LOSE MY HOME OR CAR IF I GO UNDER DEBT REVIEW?

No, quite the opposite actually! Debt Review can prevent you from losing your home and car, if credit providers are threatening to repossess and auction them off to recoup the debts you owe.

On the other hand, it will be too late for Debt Review to save your home and car if:

10 or more days have passed since you received a Section 129 Letter of Demand.
You’ve been served with a Summons relating to your mortgage bond or car finance.
Your Debt Review was terminated because you missed a payment.
Your credit providers have already seized your luxury vehicles i.e. jet skis, quad bikes etc.

WHAT ARE THE COSTS INVOLVED WITH DEBT REVIEW?

The purpose of Debt Review is to provide you with debt relief. As such, Debt Counselling fees are built into your affordable, reorganized debt repayment plan, taking your living costs and personal circumstances into account.

These fees are also monitored by the National Credit Regulator to ensure that Debt Counsellors’ don’t take advantage of you by charging you exorbitant fees.

A Ntenteni Consultant will explain these fees to you upfront before you enter Debt Review, so you can rest assured that you’ll stay informed and be able to afford these with ease.

Debt Counselling fees include an application fee, a restructuring fee, a small monthly fee, and a legal fee for the consent order.

CAN I TRUST NTENTENI WITH MY PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Absolutely, Debt Counsellors are bound by law to treat the personal information of all consumers who apply for Debt Review as strictly confidential.

We will notify your credit providers and the credit bureaus of your status, but this will only benefit you as Debt Review protects your consumer rights.

You alone can permit a potential landlord, employer etc. to access your credit report. If you consent to someone running a credit a check on you, they will be able to see that you are under Debt Review from your credit profile.

This may seem like a bad thing, but being under debt review shows that you are committed to getting out of debt, which gives a good impression of you if anything.

CAN I ENTER DEBT REVIEW IF I AM UNEMPLOYED?

In order to qualify for debt review, you will need to be permanently unemployed. This lets your debt counsellor know that you have a regular income, and in turn, you are able to afford your debt at a reduced rate. Being permanently employed also gives your lack of affordability more credibility to your creditors, who are the ones who need to agree to your reduced rates negotiated by your debt counsellor.

This is why it is important for you to understand your financial situation and look for solutions before things get out of control.

Here’s a list of qualifying requirements for those who are thinking about going under debt review:

You need to be a South African
You need to be permanently employed
You need to be over-indebted

WHAT IF I AM RETRENCHED OR HOSPITALISED WHILE UNDER DEBT REVIEW?

The best thing to do would be to get in touch with us immediately, so we can make other arrangements and notify your Credit Providers of your situation.