At a National Credit Act conference held recently, National Credit Regulator Gabriel Davel warned credit providers the regulator would undertake a survey of loans that had been rejected and compare them with the credit bureaus’ ratings scores to see if there is a racial undertone in lending Âpractices.
Davel says the third-biggest complaint to the regulator in the two months since the Act has been in force has been about the rejection of credit applications.
Although the Act requires the credit provider to give only the basic reason for rejecting the loan, for example stating lack of affordability, he has concerns that there is a racial bias when it comes to loans, particularly when done through branch managers. “This is true in more cases than we want to admit,” says Davel.
He says consumers would like to be provided with alternatives rather than just a rejection, such as the level of loan for which they might qualify.
Advocate Ashina Singh of the Credit Bureau Association says it would be advisable for credit providers to provide more detailed reasons for refusal. “If you don’t provide a reason there is an inference of discrimination”.
The number of calls to the regulator has soared from 5 000 to 20 000 since June. Davel says the two major areas of complaint received by the regulator refer to over-indebtedness and credit bureau inquiries.
He says the motor industry has generated the most complaints about indebtedness, followed by credit cards. Complaints about credit bureaus usually come from consumers who are unhappy about their credit records, or who are having problems trying to get certain inaccurate information removed.
National Credit Regulator Gabriel Davel expects that the next credit numbers will show consumer credit clocking in at more than R800-billion, making up nearly 50% of gross domestic product and continuing to grow at a rapid rate.
Without a protective framework in place, Davel says the country could face serious risk.
He says that over and above formal credit there is about R2-billion of additional consumer credit.
But he admits this is all really a thumb-suck.
A primary function of the regulator is to undertake further research to understand the true indebtedness of the nation. The national figure of 76% debt to household income is relatively low in global terms, but this is skewed probably towards higher-income earners, who have larger asset-backed debts, such as houses and cars.
Very little is understood by lower-income debt levels. “We need more information on the levels of indebtedness at different levels and what major products are the problem.”
South Africa’s debt
National Credit Regulator Gabriel Davel expects that the next credit numbers will show consumer credit clocking in at more than R800-billion, making up nearly 50% of gross domestic product and continuing to grow at a rapid rate.
Without a protective framework in place, Davel says the country could face serious risk.
He says that over and above formal credit there is about R2-billion of additional consumer credit.
But he admits this is all really a thumb-suck.
A primary function of the regulator is to undertake further research to understand the true indebtedness of the nation. The national figure of 76% debt to household income is relatively low in global terms, but this is skewed probably towards higher-income earners, who have larger asset-backed debts, such as houses and cars.
Very little is understood by lower-income debt levels. “We need more information on the levels of indebtedness at different levels and what major products are the problem.”