The National Credit Regulator does not hold your credit record. It licenses the companies that do, and there are 49 registered credit bureaus in South Africa. If something on your record is wrong, you fix it with the bureau first and take it to the NCR only if the bureau fails you.
The bureaus most people actually need
- TransUnion, NCRCB4: 086 148 2435, transunion.com
- Experian South Africa, NCRCB16: 086 110 5665, experian.co.za
- Consumer Profile Bureau, NCRCB2: 010 590 9505, consumerprofilebureau.com
- VeriCred Credit Bureau, NCRCB21: 087 150 3601, vccb.co.za
- Xpert Decision Systems, NCRCB5: 011 645 9100, and LexisNexis Risk Management, NCRCB27: 087 230 0299
Your free report, and why you may need more than one
- You are entitled to one free credit report a year from each registered bureau under the National Credit Act. That is one per bureau, not one in total
- Different lenders report to different bureaus, so a listing that appears at one bureau may be missing at another. If you are chasing a specific problem, pull your report from more than one
- A bureau must investigate a disputed entry and, while it does, the entry must be flagged as disputed
- Prescribed debt, older than three years with no acknowledgement or payment, may not be collected or re-listed. Paying anything on it restarts the clock
Reaching the regulator about a bureau
- NCR call centre: 0860 627 627. Reception: 011 554 2700
- Complaints mailbox: [email protected]. Send a complaint there rather than to the general enquiries address, which is a slower queue
- The NCR acts once the bureau own dispute process has failed. Lodge with the bureau first and keep its reference number
- A credit bureau may not charge you for the free annual report, and may not require you to buy a subscription to see your own record
Check a bureau is real before you hand over your ID
- Every legitimate bureau has an NCRCB number and appears on the NCR register of registered credit bureaus at ncr.org.za
- Search that register by name before giving anyone your ID number, bank details or a payment for a report
- Sites promising to remove a legitimate listing or to clear your name for a fee are selling something no one can lawfully deliver. Only a wrong entry can be removed, and that is free
- A registered bureau will not ask you to pay by voucher, gift card or an instant EFT to a personal account
Sources
- National Credit Regulator register of registered credit bureaus, which returned 49 records, for the bureau names, NCR registration numbers, telephone numbers and website addresses listed above
- National Credit Regulator published call centre, reception and complaints contact details
- National Credit Act provisions on the annual free credit report, disputed entries and prescription, as summarised by the regulator