Debt Review Centre

What Debt Review Centre does

Debt Review Centre (DRC) is a South African NCR-registered debt counselling firm founded in 2008 and headquartered in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha). The company provides regulated debt relief services to over-indebted South African consumers under the National Credit Act, having served more than 10,000 clients and facilitated over R280 million in total debt restructuring. Its core service is formal debt review, which consolidates multiple unsecured credit agreements into a single court-approved monthly payment, with interest rates reduced by an average of 95% and monthly payments lowered by an average of 35%; complementary offerings include debt consolidation, debt negotiation, debt settlement for lump-sum cases, and informal debt management for short-term relief. Operationally, DRC operates the NCR-mandated Debt Counselling Rules System (DCRS) for interest recalculation and a Payment Distribution Agent (PDA / DC Partner) for fund handling and SMS notification. The company is a direct-to-consumer business with no intermediated distribution, relying on organic/SEO content marketing, a free online calculator, a qualification quiz, and phone/WhatsApp lead capture. Revenue is fully regulated by the National Credit Regulator: a once-off restructuring fee capped at R8,000 (single) or R9,000 (dual) in month one, plus a 5% aftercare fee on the monthly instalment from month two onward, with a R300 rejection fee and no upfront charges to clients. DRC holds two NCR registrations (NCRDC 1437 and NCRDC 1355) and is a member of the Debt Counsellors Association of South Africa.

Name

Debt Review Centre

Legal name

Debt Review Centre

Website

https://debtreviewcentre.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Debt Review Centre is an NCR-registered South African debt counselling firm founded in 2008 that helps over-indebted consumers consolidate debt, reduce interest rates, and stop creditor harassment through formal legal processes under the National Credit Act.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Debt Counselling Services

NAICS

Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320)

akta.pro primary industry

Collections & Creditor Negotiation Support (Debtor-Side) (FSAEAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Debt Settlement / Negotiation Programs (Non-loan) (FSAKAIAK)

Keywords

• Debt counselling
• Debt review services
• Debt consolidation
• Debt negotiation
• Credit management

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Elizabeth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Debt Review Fees: Fees are regulated by the National Credit Regulator (NCR) and built into the reduced monthly payment. Includes restructuring fee (once-off, month 1), aftercare fee (5% of monthly instalment from month 2 onwards), and rejection fee for declined applications. No upfront fees charged to clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Debt Review Centre operates as an NCR-registered debt counselling firm in South Africa that consolidates clients' multiple credit agreements into a single affordable monthly payment under the National Credit Act. The service includes creditor negotiations to reduce interest rates (reportedly up to 95%), lower monthly instalments (reportedly up to 60%), and immediate legal protection from creditor harassment. Complementary offerings include debt consolidation, debt negotiation, debt settlement, and informal debt management, supported by free online tools such as a debt review calculator and free credit report.

Product overview

Debt Review Centre operates as a debt counselling and management services company offering a suite of interconnected financial relief products. The core offering is Debt Review (Debt Counselling), a formal NCA-protected process that consolidates multiple debts into one affordable monthly payment. This is complemented by Debt Consolidation (combining debts into a single loan) and Debt Negotiation (direct creditor negotiations). Additional services include Debt Settlement (lump-sum account clearance with negotiated discounts) and Informal Debt Management (short-term relief without full legal process). Supporting tools include a Debt Review Calculator for savings estimates and Free Credit Report service. The company also provides a blog with educational content covering debt management topics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Debt Review (Debt Counselling) Formal debt relief process under the National Credit Act that consolidates multiple debts into one affordable monthly payment with legal protection from creditors, including interest rate reductions and a court-approved payment plan. Targeted at over-indebted South African residents with regular income.
• Debt Consolidation

Quantifiable outcome

• Average 35% payment reduction achieved
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Corporate Consumer GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Business Rescue and Management Consulting firm that partnered with Debt Review Centre's DRC Cares community assistance program to offer free advice to individuals and companies in financial distress in drought-affected areas.
• DC Partner (Payment Distribution Agent)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNCR-registered Payment Distribution Agent that manages client payments and distributes funds among creditors according to debt review agreements. Provides SMS notifications to clients when payments are deducted and distributed. Ensures transparency and security of fund handling as required by NCR regulations.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DebtBusters: One of the largest NCR-registered debt counselling firms in South Africa, offering debt review, debt consolidation, and related services to over-indebted consumers nationally — directly comparable in product, regulatory positioning, and target customer.
• Debt Rescue: Major South African NCR-registered debt counselling company providing debt review, debt consolidation, and debt negotiation to consumers — competes for the same primary segment with similar regulatory moat.
• Debtline: South African NCR-registered debt counselling service providing debt review and related solutions to consumers — comparable niche player in the same regulatory framework.
• DebtCare: South African NCR-registered debt counsellor offering debt review and related services — comparable direct competitor in the same regulatory and service category.
• National Debt Advisors: South African NCR-registered debt counselling and debt consolidation service provider targeting over-indebted consumers — directly comparable regulatory model and service offering.

Broad incumbents

• African Bank: South African retail bank offering personal loans and unsecured credit — relevant as both a potential partner and a frequent counterparty in debt review negotiations.
• Bayport Financial Services: Large South African personal lending and financial services provider that, as a major credit provider, frequently sits on the creditor side of debt review arrangements and offers broader financial services.
• Old Mutual South Africa: Major South African financial services group providing lending, insurance, and wealth products — adjacent incumbent whose lending products regularly feature in debt review cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Debt Review Centre