Absa runs two different mortgage desks and the distinction is easy to miss. Ordinary home loans go to one number, but Absa publishes a separate international mortgages line with its own mailbox, which is the one to use if you live outside South Africa or are buying here as a non resident.
Official provider route
- International mortgages: 011 501 5072 or [email protected]
- Home loans within South Africa: 0860 111 007 or [email protected]
- If you are struggling with repayments, manage my debt: 0860 000 786
- Complaint Resolution Suite: 0800 41 41 41 or [email protected]
- International callers, general banking: 011 335 4019
Product or service support
A mortgage and a home loan are the same product in South African usage: the loan is advanced and the property is bonded as security. Absa splits the servicing rather than the product. The local desk handles applications, existing bonds, statements and settlement figures for customers in the country, and the international desk handles lending where the borrower is abroad. Ask for a settlement quote in writing when you are selling or switching, because that figure has a validity date and an out of date one will not be accepted by the transferring attorney.
Eligibility, account or policy requirements
Lending to a borrower who lives outside South Africa is assessed differently from ordinary local lending, so speak to the international desk before making an offer rather than after. Expect questions about the source and currency of your income and about your residence status, and confirm with the desk what deposit and documentation apply to your situation rather than assuming the local terms carry over. There is also an exchange control dimension: money brought into South Africa to buy property should be introduced and recorded properly through an authorised dealer bank, because that record is what supports taking the proceeds out again when you eventually sell. Ask the international mortgages desk and the conveyancing attorney to confirm how your funds should be routed before you transfer anything.
Escalation route
For a dispute about the bond, use the relevant desk first and then the Complaint Resolution Suite, keeping the reference. A mortgage is a credit agreement, so a complaint about the agreement, its cost, its disclosure or reckless lending goes to the National Credit Regulator on 0860 627 627. A complaint about the bank conduct or how it handled your account goes to the National Financial Ombud on 0860 800 900 after the bank process is exhausted. Note that the conveyancing attorney is not the bank: an attorney handling the transfer or the bond registration is regulated by the Legal Practice Council, and the Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund exists for losses caused by the theft of trust money, which is the relevant route if money paid to an attorney goes missing.
Sources
- Absa talk to us directory listing home loans, international mortgages, manage my debt and complaint resolution contacts: absa.co.za/talk-to-us/
- Absa home loan product pages: absa.co.za/personal/loans/for-a-home/
Related: Absa NATIS Request Contact Details · Absa Online Contact Details · Absa Payment Relief contact details