Privacy Policy

DebtCo Group

Last updated: February 2026

DebtCo Group (Pty) Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a registered debt counsellor with the National Credit Regulator (NCR Registration Number: NCRDC 3277). Our principal place of business is at Block J, Sable Square, Milnerton, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is collected, used, stored, and shared in a lawful, transparent, and secure manner. This Privacy Policy explains how we process your personal information in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), the National Credit Act, 2005 (NCA), and other applicable laws.

1. Personal Information We Collect

We collect and process personal information necessary to provide debt review and debt counselling services. This may include:

Identity and contact information: Full name, ID number, date of birth, gender, marital status, contact numbers, email address, physical and postal address.
Financial information: Income details, expenses, bank statements, payslips, credit agreements, debt obligations, credit bureau records, assets, liabilities.
Employment and household information: Employer details, occupation, household composition, dependents.
Sensitive personal information: Where relevant and with your consent or as required by law (e.g., health information if it impacts financial over-indebtedness assessment).
Technical and usage information: IP address, browser type, device information, website usage data (cookies, logs) when you visit our site or submit online applications.

We collect this information directly from you (via application forms, consultations, emails, telephone, or our website), from credit providers, credit bureaus, payment distribution agents (PDAs), the NCR Debt Help system, or other third parties as permitted by law.

2. How We Use Your Personal Information

We process your personal information for the following purposes:

To assess whether you are over-indebted and eligible for debt review under section 86 of the NCA.
To prepare and submit debt restructuring proposals to credit providers and, if necessary, apply to court for debt rearrangement orders.
To notify credit providers, credit bureaus, and the NCR of your debt review application and status updates (as required by the NCA).
To administer your debt review file, including coordinating payments via a registered PDA.
To communicate with you about your application, progress, payments, legal requirements, and aftercare.
To comply with legal obligations (e.g., NCR registration conditions, reporting to credit bureaus, anti-money laundering laws).
To improve our services, conduct internal audits, prevent fraud, and for statistical analysis (anonymised where possible).
To respond to queries, complaints, or disputes.

We rely on the following lawful bases under POPIA:

Your consent (where required, e.g., for direct marketing).
Performance of a contract (your debt counselling agreement).
Compliance with a legal obligation (NCA, NCR requirements).
Legitimate interests (e.g., fraud prevention, service administration), balanced against your rights.
Protection of your vital interests (in limited cases).

3. Sharing Your Personal Information

We may share your personal information with:

Credit providers and their authorised representatives.
Credit bureaus (as required under the NCA).
The National Credit Regulator (NCR) and Debt Help system.
Registered Payment Distribution Agents (PDAs).
Courts, attorneys, or other legal representatives (for debt review applications or enforcement).
Our service providers (e.g., IT, cloud storage, legal, auditing) under strict confidentiality agreements.
Regulatory authorities or law enforcement where required by law.

We do not sell your personal information. Cross-border transfers (e.g., to cloud providers) occur only with adequate protections in place (e.g., binding corporate rules or POPIA-compliant agreements).

4. Security of Your Personal Information

We implement reasonable technical, organisational, and physical security measures to protect your personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include encryption, access controls, firewalls, and staff training.

Unfortunately, no data transmission or storage is 100% secure. If a data breach occurs, we will notify you and the Information Regulator where required by POPIA.

5. Retention of Personal Information

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law (e.g., NCA record-keeping requirements, tax laws). After your debt review concludes (e.g., clearance certificate issued), we retain records for a period required by applicable laws (typically 5–7 years), after which they are securely destroyed or anonymised.

6. Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

Access your personal information we hold.
Request correction or deletion of inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, or unlawfully processed information.
Object to processing for direct marketing or on grounds relating to your particular situation.
Withdraw consent (where processing is based on consent) — note this may affect our ability to provide debt review services.
Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa): complaints.IR@justice.gov.za or visit justice.gov.za/inforeg.

To exercise these rights, contact our Information Officer (details below).

7. Cookies and Website Usage

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies for functionality, analytics, and security. You can manage cookie preferences via your browser settings. For details, see our Cookie Policy (if separate) or contact us.

8. Direct Marketing

We may send you updates or information related to debt counselling services. You can opt out at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe link in communications.

9. Contact Information

Information Officer: Alice Barnard (or designated officer)

DebtCo Group

Block J, Sable Square, Milnerton, Cape Town, Western Cape

Email: [info@debtcogroup.co.za] (or your primary compliance email)

Telephone: 021 007 1422 / 071 208 2810

For any privacy-related queries, please contact our Information Officer.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will be posted on our website with the updated date. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance.

By submitting your application or engaging our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy.