Debtfree Issue October 2022 DebtBusters Special Edition

SPECIAL
EDITION
ARE YOU
READY
FOR THE END
OF THE YEAR?
Issue 10 of 2022

EXCELLENCE IS DOING
ORDINARY THINGS
EXTRAORDINARILY
WELL
– John W. Gardner

WHAT MAKES US
EXCELLENT?
/ Unimpaired and automated PDA systems
/ Integration with top-ranked Debt Counsellor systems
/ Best customer support in the country – queries are resolved within 24 hours
/ Strong compliance and best-industry-practice implementation is at our centre
Call Saishen Krishnan
Head of Hyphen PDA | 071 884 7300
Or call our friendly support centre on 011 303 0060 - Option 2
or visit our website www.hyphenpda.co.za

FROM THE EDITOR
There is something exciting about getting a new
hair cut or a pair of new shoes. Somehow it makes
you walk taller, feel lighter and makes the world
seem full of possibility. It puts a real spring in your
step.
It might be a small change and the feeling may only last a little
while but it in that moment it can make you feel (and hopefully
look) great.
The Debtfree team have that feeling this month as we launch
our updated look and feel for the website and magazine. The
idea is to bring the reading experience closer together than ever
before and give our readers as many options to gain access to
the magazine content as possible.
As such, as you go through the magazine this month you may
note a few small changes here and there. Nothing crazy, just a
fresh look and some minor adjustments. Hopefully they make
your reading experience better, particularly if you are on mobile.
Easier to read, easier to navigate, easier on the eyes.

Be sure to check out the article about getting ready for the
December/Jan end of year. Crazy to think that we are now
talking about the end of the year, I know. But we have to. It can
sneak up on you and if you are not prepared it is a time that
can pose serious financial risks. Risks that might even see you
bomb out of debt review or miss important debt repayment
obligations. A little advance thought and planning now will really
help so, check out the tips and suggestions in this issue.
We also do a deeper dive into the fun and results of this years
Annual Debt Review Awards. Well done to all 50 of the Debt
Counsellors identified and all the hard working credit providers
who make it possible for hundreds of thousands of consumers
to live a decent life while settling their debts. These hard
working people are often hidden from view and it is great to see
you thrown into the spot light and recognised for your efforts.
Besides that we have some news, reviews, interviews and more.
All of which is designed to help you get through this month and
the next and the next until you can have that fresh and amazing
‘spring in your step’ feeling when you are finally debt free.

FROM THE
DESK
BE CREDIT SAVVY
THIS SALES SEASON
Besides the year-end
summer holidays and festive
season, there’s plenty to
tempt consumers during the
last quarter of the year.
Inducements to spend, include
Black Friday and Tech Tuesday.
It’s important to remember that
in previous years low inflation
and interest rates have helped
shield consumers. Now there is
upward pressure on inflation and
the Reserve Bank is likely to keep
increasing interest rates.

Consumers who took advantage of low interest rates to get a bond
or finance a car are most at risk as interest rate increases immediately
impact them, increasing their monthly payments”
The data in DebtBusters’ most recent Debt Index bears this out.
Nominal income is the same as 2016, but when cumulative inflation
over the past six years is considered, purchasing power has declined
by 34%. Inflation in 2022 is significantly higher than any time since
2016. This combined with successive interest-rate increases and no
income growth will intensify the pressure on consumers.
Consumers applying for debt counselling are spending about 63% of
take-home pay to service their debt. Those earning between R10 000
– R20 000 per month are feeling the pressures of both interest and
inflationary increases. The overall debt-to-income ratio for this group,
at 127%, is close to the highest recorded.
The bottom line is that if you have debt obligations, now is a risky
time to be spending money unnecessarily, especially if that means
taking on more debt.
If you are in a situation where the combination of your monthly
expenditure and debt repayments regularly exceeds your income
you may need help. A free debt assessment will show whether or
not you need to consider a debt management solution such as debt
counselling. The assessment will also tell you whether you are at risk
of increased debt repayments if interest rates go up, by looking into
type of debt you have.

DEBT REVIEW
BUDGET | INCOME
When working out your monthly budget
you need to know how much money you
will have as a household each month.
This means your “take home” pay (after all
the tax etc is taken) and includes income
from everyone in the house who shares the
costs.
Be careful of including overtime or extra
shifts if it might not always happen.

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CONTENTS
DANGEROUS DECEMBER...
ARE YOU READY FOR
THE END OF THE YEAR
20 YEARS AGO
THE BANK SOLD
THEIR HOUSE
FOR R100
2022 MEDIUM
TERM BUDGET
HIGHLIGHTS
DEBT REVIEW
AWARDS
RESULTS
DISCLAIMER
Debtfree Magazine considers its sources reliable and verifies as
much information as possible. However, reporting inaccuracies
can occur, consequently readers using this information do so
at their own risk. Debtfree Magazine makes content available
with the understanding that the publisher is not rendering legal
services or financial advice. Although persons and companies
mentioned herein are believed to be reputable, neither
Debtfree Magazine nor any of its employees, sales executives
or contributors accept any responsibility whatsoever for their
activities. Debtfree Magazine contains material supplied to
us by advertisers which does not necessarily reflect the views
and opinions of the Debtfree Magazine team. No person,
organization or party can copy or re-produce the content
on this site and/or magazine or any part of this publication
without a written consent from the editors’ panel and the
author of the content, as applicable. Debtfree Magazine,
authors and contributors reserve their rights with regards to
copyright of their work.

ARE YOU
READY
FOR THE
END OF
THE YEAR

ARE YOU READY FOR THE END OF THE YEAR
DANGEROUS
DECEMBER
It might seem strange to talk about the end of the year
already, but time flies and if you are to avoid dropping
out of the debt review process at the end of this year,
you need to prepare for it now.
A lot of consumers, both outside and in debt review, struggle to deal
successfully with the end of year madness that December brings.
For many, it is a month where you earn less or where you are paid
early, and then have to stretch your funds until the end of January.
Most people find the gap between their two pay checks hard to
navigate, especially with so many reasons to spend more.
This is made even trickier, when you can’t just reach for the credit
card to make it through.
If you are under prepared and over-spend, you may find it hard to
make your restructured debt repayment, and you could lose all the
protection of the debt review process.
So, what can consumers do now to prepare for December?

ARE YOU READY FOR THE END OF THE YEAR
EARNING
LESS
Some industries close early in December, which is
great for relaxing and re-cooperating, but not so good
if you are paid by the hour or day. It can seriously
impact how much you take home in December.
Similarly, January can be the same, with some businesses only
opening a couple of days into the month.
How do you cover your costs when you are earning less?
One thing you can do right now, is figure out what you are going to
need to make it through December. With that figure in mind, you can
look at how much you are probably going to earn, and if you see that
you will not have enough, you need to make some plans.
For example, you might try to set aside a little over the end of
October and November, in advance, to help bolster your December
income.
You might also make plans to do some small jobs or sell some things
to make a little extra cash over that time of year. Line up those clients
now, to ensure you have what you need, come December.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE END OF THE YEAR
PAID
EARLY
Money tends to burn a hole in our
pocket. You will probably find that
you spend most of your money in
the first few days after you get paid
each month.
If you are paid early in December, this could
also cause some issues. We may end up
overspending too early in the month, and not
have enough to cover our obligatory debt
repayments later.
Missing that payment will throw your whole
world into financial chaos.
What you can do is speak to your Debt
Counsellor in advance about making your
regular debt repayment earlier too. This can
help you avoid temptation and problems.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE END OF THE YEAR
HOLIDAYS &
GIFTS
Some parents like to reward their
kids for doing well during the school
year. Others give gifts as part of
religious holidays at the end of the
year.
These additional costs do not fit in your
usual monthly budget, and it may be hard to
suddenly find the extra cash.
If you are going to have some extra expenses,
for whatever reason, in December or January,
then it is good to save a little over the next pay
days to help make that possible.
Alternatively you can focus on more
affordable gifts or activities to reduce
expenses.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE END OF THE YEAR
SCHOOL
HOLIDAYS
When your kids are home, it’s easy
to end up spending more money
to keep them amused. But it can
quickly make a serious dent in your
purse or wallet.
If money is tight, have an honest chat with
your kids in advance, and try to focus on low
cost fun activities, such as heading to the
beach or a walk in nature. Hanging around
with friends can be fun, and doesn’t have to
break the bank.
Advanced planning is your friend. You can
even pool your resources with other parents
to help share expenses.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE END OF THE YEAR
COUNT THE COST BEFORE
YOU COMMIT
It might have been your habit to go
away every December, or to join
family far away for some relaxing
time. While this is very nice and
totally enjoyable, you may need
to properly evaluate if you can
realistically afford it this year.
If you add up the cost and realise it can’t be
done, then perhaps think about asking them
to come to you, or to meet you half way to
reduce travel costs.
Explore options like staying with friends, rather
than paying for accommodation, or even
consider delaying the trip for a future date
when you have saved up enough.
Don’t over-commit and put your entire
financial future in jeopardy for a few days
away.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE END OF THE YEAR
END OF YEAR IMPULSE
SPENDING
It is not uncommon for your friends
to suggest something fun while you
are hanging out in December. But,
it may be something that causes
you to spend money you had not
planned to.
It may be an ice-cream on the beach or a trip
to the movies.
Beware of impulse spending while on holiday.
It can be fun to just forget about your financial
pressures and spend without thinking, but
even small impulse purchases add up.
What can you do now to avoid overspending?

It is a good idea to
plan for unplanned
spending.
That’s right, if you
know that you are
going to be relaxing
with friends and family,
why not adjust your
budget over the next
few weeks to make
sure you have a little
set aside for random
fun purchases. After all,
you deserve something
nice (as long as you
can afford it).

ARE YOU READY FOR THE END OF THE YEAR
BONUS
TIME
Though it is perhaps unlikely, you
might be one of those very few who
get a small bonus in December.
Some companies split bonuses
across December and January.
If this is the case then sure, use a little of the
bonus for some fun. But also consider what
else you could accomplish with those funds.
You may be able to settle a smaller debt
that is almost paid off. Chat with your Debt
Counsellor about that. You may be able to
take care of things you have neglected, like a
car service or new tyres that will make driving
safer.
If you have kids, you may be able to set some
of the funds aside for the scary amount of
January school related costs that come along.
Have some fun, but also chat to your Debt
Counsellor about how best you might use
some of these funds.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE END OF THE YEAR
IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN
YOU ARE
PLANNING TO FAIL
Planning ahead for any added
pressures that December or January
bring you, can result in a relaxing
year-end for the whole family.
All it takes is a few quiet minutes with a piece
of paper and a calculator.
Why not do that right now, stop reading and
think about it.
Work out when you will be paid and how
much. Figure out what extra costs you might
face, and then plan for how you can set aside
funds now for when those expenses arrive.
That way you can have a relaxing end of the
year, instead of a stressful one.

20 YEARS AGO
THE BANK
SOLD
THEIR HOUSE
FOR R100

THE BANK SOLD THEIR HOUSE FOR R100
GOING, GOING
GONE!
When Agnes Malinga and Joseph
Njoko recently received a scary
eviction notice from someone
they had never heard of, they were
very confused, and had to resort
to fighting at court to protect their
home.
20 years ago the couple missed some
payments during the confusion that followed
NBS merging with other entities (which
happened a few times). Over time, the bond
ended up with BOE Bank and eventually
Nedbank. At the time the couple said they
didn’t even know who to pay their bond
amount to (for a while).
When the couple missed some payments,
the bank, at the time, was able to get a sale in
execution and sell their property.
Guess who bought it?

THE BANK SOLD THEIR HOUSE FOR R100
ETHICALLY
BANKRUPT
Guess who bought it?
The bank itself.
For how much?
R100.
Since then, the bank had been collecting
payments from the couple but were calling
it rent, and not a bond instalment. The bank
even sold the property to someone else who
sold it to someone else, who sold it….. Well
you get the idea. They eventually sold it to an
individual who wanted to evict the couple.
Back in those days, there were many dodgy
dealings when it came to auctions, thankfully
today, this sort of thing would never fly. In
fact, we are now seeing massive class actions
about similar matters from way back then.
The Judge considering the case now, looked
over the history of all the various mergers,
sales and what-not (for example, when an

entity called Company
Unique Finance sold
the house to a very
similarly named CUF
Properties) and ruled
that there was no
way that there had
been proper judicial
oversight when
the bank first got
their claws into the
property.
As a result the judge
undid the last 20
years of transfers and
sales, and restored the
property to the couple
who have been paying
monthly over the last 2
decades.

DEBT REVIEW
BUDGET | EXPENSES
When working out your budget you need to
consider all the things you have to pay for
other than your debts.
This includes rent, food, cleaning, electricity,
transport, phone contracts, school fees etc.
You can always add up what you spent on
these things last month to give you an idea.
Also try add in the small amounts that you
should be saving each month that add up to
cover big annual costs (eg. A car service or
school clothes in Jan).

FREE BOOKLET
TO DOWNLOAD AND SHARE
How do you leave Debt Review?
How do you have the Credit Bureau remove
the Debt Review listing on your credit report?
Leaving Debt Review Is Not As Simple As To Simply Stop Paying.
Consumers can only leave the debt review process at certain times
and in certain ways.
This free e book will help you navigate this process and avoid many
of the common mistakes people make when wanting to leave debt
review.
If you are curious about how you can leave debt review properly and
with no risk to your assets then be sure to download and read this
free booklet
DOWNLOAD AND SHARE

2022
MEDIUM TERM BUDGET
HIGHLIGHTS

THE BUDGET IN A NUTSHELL
2022 MEDIUM TERM BUDGET
HIGHLIGHTS
Finance Minister Enoch
Godongwana announced the
6-month review and adjustments
to the annual budget.
It is good to review your budget regularly,
even government does so. Each year after a
few months, the Finance Minister will make an
announcement about how things are going, and
what items in the budget have been tweaked.
it is good to look at
your budget regularly
Circumstances change, this is why it is good
to look at your budget regularly (e.g. once per
month) to see if there has been any change to
income or expenses. This keeps your budget
current and relevant.

THE BUDGET IN A NUTSHELL
A WAR IN EUROPE &
MORE INCOME
This month, the SA Finance Minister
announced that there have been
both a significant change in income,
as well as world circumstances.
Both of these factors mean that Government
will be adjusting some of their spending plans.
Russia invading Ukraine and the resulting war
in Europe, along with the subsequent global
sanctions against Russia, and the resulting
energy crisis has changed the world economic
outlook. Even here at the foot of Africa, we
are not exempt from the pressures (and
opportunities) this presents.
At the same time, Government has made
more money from tax than they were
expecting to make. Quite a lot of extra money
actually, approximately R83.5 Billion extra.
These funds (and others) are being used to
bail out some of SA’s biggest problem children
namely Eskom, Denel, Sanral and Transnet.

THE BUDGET IN A NUTSHELL
LET’S TALK
ESKOM
The future isn’t looking too bright,
but that’s probably because of loadshedding.
Because we need Eskom to keep the lights on,
Government has decided to take on either 1/3
or even 2/3 of its debt to try rescue it from its
massive debt burden and years of abuse and
looting.
The final figure will be announced early next
year during the next Budget speech.

THE BUDGET IN A NUTSHELL
E TOLLS &
SANRAL
For whom the bell ETolls...
People hate paying for E Tolls in Gauteng so,
Government (provincial and National) will pay
the current debts owed and then…well, who
knows? It is a bit unclear as to what happens
next.
Government will bail out Sanral to the tune of
R23.7 Billion.

THE BUDGET IN A NUTSHELL
LET’S TALK
TRANSNET
This once proud entity has veered
off the rails.
The floods in KZN and the Eastern Cape mean
that rail repairs are needed to both fix what was
damaged, but also increase capacity as road
routes come under added pressure.
Transnet get R5.8 Billion.

THE BUDGET IN A NUTSHELL
DEALING WITH
DENEL
The people at Denel have access to
lots of weapons, but not so much
money.
Government will help them try turn things
around, by handing them a bailout of R204.7
Million.

THE BUDGET IN A NUTSHELL
THE R350
GRANT
In efforts to avoid any basic income
grant discussions (and where that
money could ever possibly come
from) Government has wisely
decided to extend the R350 grant till
March next year.
Since a lot of people never got to claim it this
year with all the confusion and changes they
had extra money lying around anyway, so they
are going to carry on paying out this grant to
those who can figure out how to claim it, and if
they qualify.

THE BUDGET IN A NUTSHELL
SALARY
INCREASES
Even civil servants are feeling the
pressure.
Government are really sticking to their 3%
increase offer… they are just adding R1,000
per month on top of it so, it kind of makes it
somewhere around 7% for a lot of employees.
The extra cash will be in place until the next
Budget.

THE BUDGET IN A NUTSHELL
YOU GET A BAIL OUT,
YOU GET A BAIL OUT,
EVERYONE GETS A BAILOUT
(NOT YOU SAA)
All in all, it seems that efforts are
being made to use the extra income
to address some of the country’s
biggest problems.
If you have a monthly budget, then remember
to review it from time to time.
If you don’t have a budget, and find managing
your finances tricky consider asking a Debt
Counsellor for some advice. Most Debt
Counsellors will assist consumers with this
service for free.

WWW.DEBTREVIEWAWARDS.CO.ZA

A WIN FOR THE
ENTIRE DEBT REVIEW
INDUSTRY
For nearly a decade now, the debt review industry
has been taking part in peer reviews of their industry
counterparts and rating their performance. Each year,
the results of these peer reviews are announced at a
small gala event called the Debt Review Awards.
For the past 3 years people across the country have been able to tune
in (via YouTube) and watch the show live and find out who among the
industry, were the highest rated in various categories.
This year, the event was held in Cape Town and once again, live
streamed to thousands across the country. Many debt counselling and
credit provider offices closed shop a little early on a Friday afternoon and
tuned in.
Here are some of the highlights from the day.

THE
GUESTS
The event is a
humble affair, but
the organisers
do try to give the
guests a reason to
get dressed up.
It was great for many to
get their first chance in
many years to spend time
together, face to face.

THE
VENUE
The event was held in the Cape Town CBD at the Pier
Place restaurant and roof top garden.
This indoor/outdoor venue offered guests a unique view of the ocean,
city and famous Table Mountain.

PRESENTATIONS &
SPEECHES
The event was introduced by internet personality
Schalk Bezuidenhout with his off-beat sense of
humour.
After a few laughs and some pictures of people who work across the
industry, it was time for some more serious stuff.
Our Editor, Mr Zak King was the host for the day and he warmly
commended all who work within the industry for the way they are
changing lives, improving consumers mental and fiscal well-being, and
saving families and relationships.

NCT Chairperson, Mr Trevor Bailey gave an
impassioned speech about how valuable debt
review is, and its role in assisting consumers. He
told the audience that the NCT have increased
their capacity, and are ready to help even more
consumers.
Next, viewers and guests were treated to a minidocumentary
about the debt review process.
The documentary started with Ms. Kedilatile
Legodi of the NCR who discussed how back
before 2007 there was a real need for updated
and improved legislation to protect consumers.
It was out of this need that the National Credit
Act was born.
Other familiar faces from across the industry
at various credit providers, debt counselling
practices, PDAs or attorney firms shared their
experiences of how things had changed and
improved over the years up to today, when the
process is successfully assisting hundreds of
thousands of consumers.

STEP-BY-STEP
DREX GUIDE
DREX simplifies the exchange of data and makes managing the
debt review process less admin intensive.
The below links take you to step-by-step guides on how to use the
DC Portal on DREX.
How to Register on the DC Portal
Introduction to the DC Portal
Accessing a Consumer's Profile

A SAD
FAREWELL
The audience also got to hear a few messages of
farewell to the long-time industry stalwart, Mr Chris
Van der Straaten of Hyphen PDA.
Saishen Krishnan (SK) who is now heading up the team at Hyphen,
shared some kind words about the role Chris has played both in the
industry and at Hyphen PDA and shared some videos from team
members and others in the industry, who sent farewells and best wishes
as Chris moves onto his post-employment plans.
The Debtfree Magazine team have enjoyed working with Chris over
the years, and we also want to send Chris our best and look forward to
engaging with him in the future.

PARTNER
AWARDS
Each year the Debt Review Awards partners with select
service providers to recognise the efforts of particular
individuals who work within the industry or consumers
who are in the process.
DEBT REVIEW AWARDS | ONE SIGNIFICANT
CONTRIBUTION TO DEBT REVIEW AWARDS
Well known insurance provider ONE have partnered with the Awards for
several years now in an effort to recognise and reward individuals who
are making an effort to improve the process and industry.
With the help of ONE and the industry wide peer reviews, it was once
again possible to identify two incredibly hard working and deserving
individuals who are going above and beyond to help improve the debt
review industry.

This year the Debt Review Awards | ONE Significant Contribution to the
Debt Review Process Award went to:
Timmy van der Grjip | VDGC
Timmy worked for many years at the regulator and since leaving has
been very busy assisting debt counsellors and credit providers with
advice and assistance. He has also been orgainsing free industry online
webinars and promoting information sharing.
This year the Debt Review Awards | ONE Significant Contribution to the
Debt Review Process Award went to:
Ansie Greef | iPDA
Everyone who has met Ansie, knows that she is a kind and caring person
who will offer assistance and advice, day or night. She has for many years
now been a pivotal part of both iPDA and the industry. Her consistent
positive efforts were recognised this year.

DEBT REVIEW AWARDS | SLIPSTREAM
TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION AWARD
The debt review industry is a sophisticated one and technology plays an
ever increasing role in making debt review services possible. Technology
is making it possible for Debt Counsellors to do more, in less time, and
giving consumers who are in the process, increased transparency and
access to data about their matters.
This is why the Debt Review Awards have partnered with Slipstream
to recognise the Debt Counsellor who is making the best use of their
systems, and whose clients are the most active in using the system.
This year the Debt Review Awards
| Slipstream Technology Adoption
award went to:
Eugene Cilliers |
PayPlan Solutions

CAPITAL DATA DEBT REPRIEVE
In an exciting new partnership the Awards and Capital Data were happy
to help bring some much needed relief to loyal consumers, who have
been in the process for some time.
Debt Counsellors all have those clients who have been loyally sticking to
the process for some time, making their payments monthly but who are
now taking strain due to the ever increasing cost of living. Many clients are
also closer to retirement age, and this can be an added source of stress.
It was from among this group of very deserving, regularly paying
consumers that Capital Data decided to offer some relief. During the
Awards show, two team members from Capital Data announced the
names of several consumers who would have their debt with Capital
Data set aside.
In an amazing show of support for such hard working and loyal clients,
who have been sticking with the process, a total of over R30 000 was set
aside. The announcements were met with rounds of applause from debt
counsellors and credit providers alike. The guests and online viewers can
only imagine how exciting it will be for these clients to get a call from
their Debt Counsellor to let them know the great news.
The organisers want to say a very big THANK YOU to Capital Data who
ended their presentation by telling the audience to “watch this space
next year”.

AWARDS
PAYMENT DISTRIBUTION AGENTS
The four officially NCR registered, and legitimate Payment Distribution
Agents which consumers can make use of to help them distribute their
monthly debt repayments are:
• CollectNet PDA
• DC Partner PDA
• Hyphen PDA
• iPDA
The Awards in the PDA categories were split between:
• DC Partner PDA (who took home the Award as reviewed by Debt
Counsellors); and
• Hyphen PDA (who took home the award as reviewed by credit
providers).

AWARDS
CREDIT PROVIDERS
Credit providers’ debt review departments in different size and type
categories were recognised.
• Most improved CP Debt Review Department | ABSA Bank
• Short Term Finance | FinChoice (a division of HomeChoice)
• Retail Finance | Consumer Friend (obo various clients)
• Large Non-Bank CP | Old Mutual
• Vehicle Finance | Wesbank (a division of FirstRand Bank Ltd)
• Banks – Unsecured | African Bank
• Banks – Secured | ABSA Bank
New Award Category:
• Highest Rated CP Debt Review Department | African Bank

AWARDS
BOUTIQUE DEBT COUNSELLORS
Top 5 Boutique Debt Counselling Practices Alphabetically:
• Angela Marcell Crowder | Refine Debt Solutions
• Lee Lombard | Garden Route Debt Counsellors
• Olivia Mocke | DebtCrew
• Olwen Jacobs | Newlo Debt Counsellors
• Petra Swanepoel | Streamline Debt Counselling
The Highest Rated In This Category:

AWARDS
SMALL DEBT COUNSELLORS
Top 5 Small Debt Counselling Practices Alphabetically:
• Anthony Mac Minn | 2nd Chance Debt Counsellors
• Jacobus Stephanus de Vos | Complete Debt Counselling
• Mark James Fulton | Consumer Relief
• Shaun Zeelie | Master Your Money
• Thomas Chauke | TP Debt Solutions
The Highest Rated In This Category:

AWARDS
MEDIUM DEBT COUNSELLORS
Top 5 Medium Debt Counselling Practices Alphabetically:
• Annienne Nel | Consumer Debt Support
• Awie Coetzee | SA Debt Help
• Cornel Strydom | Debt Review Centre
• Gerhard Stoltz | Gerhard Stoltz Debt Counsellors
• Tania Dekker | Debt Free with Armani
The Highest Rated In This Category:

AWARDS
LARGE DEBT COUNSELLORS
Top 5 Large Debt Counselling Practices Alphabetically:
• Credit Matters
• DCGsa
• Debt Therapy
• Meerkat
• Vantage Debt Management
The Highest Rated In This Category:

AWARDS
NATIONAL DEBT COUNSELLORS
Top 5 National Debt Counselling Practices Alphabetically:
• ADC Experts
• Debt Rescue
• DebtBusters
• National Debt Advisors (NDA)
• National Debt Counsellors (NDC)
The Highest Rated In This Category:

AFTER THE EVENT
The weather in Cape Town cooperated on the day, and after the
speeches and Awards were over, guests got a chance to enjoy some
refreshments and the amazing city and mountain views on the open
rooftop garden.
SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS
The entire process throughout the year and the annual event would
not be possible without the ongoing support of our supporters and
sponsors. They participate, promote and contribute towards the process
each year. Here are some of our sponsors and supporters this year:

The process is audited by Moore SA and we wish to particularly thank Mr
Barry Fuchs for his efforts.
We also need to every single participant in the peer reviews this year.
Regardless if it was a 3min review or a 30min review your combined
efforts help identify those role players who are striving for excellence.
THANK YOU!
The organisers finally want to thank every member of the extended
team who helped make the event possible this year. From design work,
video editing, planning, social media, organising, accounting, emailing,
phoning, updating websites and all that good stuff. Thanks everyone.

DEBT REVIEW
BUDGET | DEBTS
When working out if you have enough
money each month be sure to make a list
of your debts.
You can arrange the list by the over
all total owed or the monthly payment
demanded.
Add up all the different monthly payment
obligations to get one big figure.

SUGGESTIONS
The organisers are always looking
for ways to make the event more
accessible, more convenient, more
transparent, and more fun.
If you have any suggestions about the
event please do not hesitate to email
suggestions@debtfreedigi.co.za
Next year is the 10th year
and we want to have the
best event ever.
Please share your ideas for the
2022/2023 awards process and Awards
Show. Your suggestions are more than
welcome!

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT
STANDARD BANK
DHESHINI NAIDOO

Debtfree Magazine got a chance to
talk to Dheshini Naidoo, the new
department head at Standard Bank’s
Regulatory Customer Solutions,
which handle all debt review related
matters.
To start with, tell us, what do you do when you
are not running one of the busiest debt review
departments in SA?
Well, all my spare time is family time. I have
precocious 4 year old twins that keep me on
my toes.
Tell us about your past work experience
My career path has already been a lengthy, but
an enjoyable one. I started off in the systems
and business analytics space. During this
period, I focused extensively on process reengineering
and project management.

Since then, I have worked in the collections
and credit spaces, across the spectrum and
in both operations and strategy, while also
learning how to bridge the gap between IT
and Business.
In 2017, I joined the Debt Review space,
largely involved in the strategic and
engagement areas and most recently, I was
blessed with the opportunity to Head up our
amazing Operational team.
What is a typical day (or week) in your new
position?
Fairly eventful and full of to-do lists.
It generally starts with engagements with
the leadership team, where we connect and
unpack the previous day, while planning out
the current day.
This is generally followed by a number of
meetings, which often run deep into the
afternoon.
My night is usually rounded off by dealing with
emails and closing out any remaining items on
my to-do list.

Looking ahead, in the industry, what do you
think we can expect?
We see the increase in people entering debt
review, and looking at where we are from an
economic perspective, this is likely to increase.
I am hoping for a renewed vigour of industry
engagements, similar to what we had before
the COVID pandemic.
Any tips for Debt Counsellors dealing with SBSA
matters?
Keep our customer at the centre of what you
do. Please reach out to us when customers
circumstances are changing.
We would also love for our debt counsellors
to partner with us for those older matters that
are not solving. We have tried to reach out to
impacted debt counsellors in order to assist
these customers, with little or no response so
far. So, we encourage those debt cousellors to
get in touch with us about such cases, we are
ready to look at these matters.
Debtfree Magazine really enjoyed getting to
know a little more about Dheshini, and her
twins, and wish her the best with her new role
at Standard Bank.