Government · Complaint & ombud
Financial Ombudsman South Africa Contact Details
All complaint & ombud routesCheck this is the right body
The National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) answers on 0860 800 900, with an alternative number on +27 76 574 8055. General enquiries go to info@nfosa.co.za. One step comes first: you have to take the complaint to your bank, insurer or credit provider before the NFO will look at it.
Financial ombudsman contact details
| Route | Details |
|---|---|
| Telephone | 0860 800 900 |
| Alternative number | +27 76 574 8055 |
| General enquiries email | info@nfosa.co.za |
| Media enquiries only | media@nfosa.co.za |
| Online complaint form and complaint tracking | nfosa.co.za |
What the National Financial Ombud handles
The NFO is the financial ombudsman for South Africa and takes complaints about banks, credit providers, life insurers and non-life insurers in one office. It operates three divisions and routes your complaint to the one that fits: Banking and Credit, Non-Life Insurance, and Life Insurance. That single-office structure is why it now covers matters that used to go to several separate ombud schemes.
It publishes its rules, case studies, rulings and annual reports, runs a service for vulnerable consumers, and maintains a directory of other ombuds and industry bodies for complaints that fall outside its mandate.
NFO offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town
The Johannesburg office is at 110 Oxford Road, Houghton Estate, Johannesburg, 2198, with the parking entrance at 19 Ninth Street, Houghton Estate, Illovo, 2198. The Cape Town office is on the 6th Floor, Claremont Central Building, 6 Vineyard Road, Claremont, Cape Town, 7708. Complaints can be lodged in writing on the prescribed application form, and the NFO also provides a telephonic and a walk-in service.
How to complain: the steps and what to send
Before complaining to the NFO you must first contact your financial services provider, which the NFO calls a participant, and try to resolve the problem with them. Only if it remains unresolved may you bring it to the NFO. When you do, supply the following:
- The name of the participant.
- Your account or policy number.
- Your full contact details.
- A factual summary of the complaint.
- Copies of all relevant correspondence and supporting documents.
You will then receive a letter of acknowledgement, and the NFO will ask the participant to respond in writing within 21 working days if you had not previously lodged the complaint with them. You are given an opportunity to comment on that response, and the NFO may request further information from any party at any stage. If you are unhappy with the NFO itself, it publishes a separate complaints against the NFO route.
Frequently asked questions
What is the financial ombudsman contact number?
The National Financial Ombud Scheme answers on 0860 800 900, with an alternative number on +27 76 574 8055. The complaint form and tracking live on nfosa.co.za, and general enquiries go to info@nfosa.co.za.
Can the financial ombudsman help without contacting the bank first?
No. The NFO requires you to take the matter to the provider first and try to resolve it with them. Only a complaint that remains unresolved may be brought to the ombudsman.
Where is the National Financial Ombud office?
In Johannesburg it is at 110 Oxford Road, Houghton Estate (parking entrance at 19 Ninth Street, Illovo), and in Cape Town on the 6th floor of Claremont Central Building, 6 Vineyard Road, Claremont. The NFO takes complaints by phone, in writing on the prescribed form, and in person.
How long does the financial ombudsman take?
After you lodge the complaint you get a letter of acknowledgement, and the NFO asks the provider to respond in writing within 21 working days where you had not already complained to them. You may comment on the response, and the NFO can ask either side for more information at any stage.
Sources
- National Financial Ombud contact page and office addresses: nfosa.co.za/contact-us/
- National Financial Ombud how to complain and complaints process: nfosa.co.za/how-to-complain/