Know what is listed
Compare small-loan products from banks and non-bank lenders. Some run for days; others for several months. This is an editorial grouping, not a statutory credit classification.
Check your next few months
Check whether the balance is due on your next salary date or in instalments. A monthly interest rate is not an annual rate, and neither alone shows the full cost.
Avoid borrowing to repeat
If a new loan would repay another short-term loan, pause and look at your budget or consider support first.
Fees & details
Fees & insurance
Express Loan has its own costs and insurance requirements. Personal Loan tariffs are not automatically applied to it.
- Initiation fee
- An initiation fee applies, but the Express Loan page does not state the amount, formula or VAT treatment. Confirm it in your quote.
- Monthly service fee
- Service fees apply, but the Express Loan page does not publish a monthly amount or VAT breakdown.
- Credit life / protection
- Credit protection is required. You may replace it with your own suitable existing credit life policy that stays in force for the full loan agreement. The premium and calculation basis are not published on the reviewed page; request the policy schedule.
Before you apply
- 18 or older; SA ID and proof of address
- At least R1,500 monthly income
- Transactional account active for at least three months
- Three payslips or bank statements
What to check
Interest is stated per month: up to 5% on the first loan and 3% on subsequent loans in the same calendar year. The page inconsistently says exclusive to Absa clients but also gives a branch/call-centre route for new customers. Confirm the route and terms.
Source checked 7 November 2026. Registration stated by lender: NCRCP7.
Fees & details
Fees & insurance
The currently linked Instant Loan FAQ describes an upfront fee and limited free death cover. These terms are specific to Instant Loan.
- Initiation fee
- The FAQ describes a fee from R80 up to 10% of the loan amount, excluding VAT, deducted upfront. It does not give a complete formula; confirm the exact fee and net amount paid to you.
- Monthly service fee
- A separate monthly service fee is not confirmed in the reviewed Instant Loan FAQ. Check the quote; the R69 Personal Loan fee is not assumed.
- Credit life / protection
- The FAQ states that death cover is free, capped at R5,627. This is not full-balance cover for every loan up to R8,000. Broader disability or retrenchment benefits are not confirmed; check the applicable terms and exclusions.
Before you apply
- 18 or older; qualifying existing Absa account
- At least R3,000 monthly income paid into that account
- Good credit record and a preselected qualifying limit
- Prior Instant Loan settled; maximum nine per year
What to check
Full repayment is due on the next salary date, within 35 days. The rate covers the entire loan duration, not a month or a year. A 0% rate does not remove initiation fees or VAT. The free death benefit does not cover the full R8,000 maximum.
Source checked 7 November 2026. Registration stated by lender: NCRCP7.
Fees & details
Fees & insurance
Atlas’s policy and marketing disagree about insurance cost. Obtain the current premium and full written repayment breakdown.
- Initiation fee
- No numerical fee or formula is confirmed on the reviewed loan pages. Ask for the amount, VAT treatment and whether it is financed.
- Monthly service fee
- No numerical monthly service fee or VAT breakdown is confirmed on the reviewed loan pages.
- Credit life / protection
- The credit life policy requires cover and says premiums are payable monthly, while the loan marketing calls cover free. Equivalent replacement cover is allowed. The policy includes death, disability and retrenchment/loss-of-income benefits, subject to conditions. The premium amount and calculation basis are not confirmed; resolve the cost discrepancy in writing.
Before you apply
- Original ID, or passport and work permit for foreign applicants
- Latest payslip
- Three months bank statements
- Affordability and credit assessment
What to check
This is the general cash-loan product. The separate domestic-worker product has lower limits (up to R4,000 / four months) and is not represented by the R20,000 range. Marketing short-term language does not establish a legal credit category.
Source checked 7 November 2026. Registration stated by lender: NCRCP3994.
Fees & details
Fees & insurance
Support publishes a fee formula; the homepage insurance amount is only a representative example. Confirm the complete quote, including VAT.
- Initiation fee
- R165 plus 10% of the loan amount above R1,000, capped at 15% of the loan amount; add 15% VAT to the fee and cap, as stated in Support.
- Monthly service fee
- R60 per month plus 15% VAT (R69).
- Credit life / protection
- The homepage’s R6,000 / 6-month example is above the R5,000 new-customer limit, so its R18 insurance figure does not establish your premium. A new-customer premium, billing basis, compulsory status, covered events and replacement-cover conditions are not confirmed. Request the current policy and quote.
Before you apply
- South African ID
- Age 18 or older
- Access to internet banking
- Verifiable income for the last 90 days
- Employment and income information
- Online banking link and affordability check
What to check
Support gives 0.17% per day; the homepage example uses 3% per month and separately labels a maximum APR of 60%. These are not treated as one comparable rate. Available amount/term combinations and the returning-customer minimum must be confirmed.
Source checked 7 November 2026. Registration stated by lender: NCRCP5361.
Fees & details
Fees & insurance
Support publishes a fee formula; the homepage insurance amount is only a representative example. Confirm the complete quote, including VAT.
- Initiation fee
- R165 plus 10% of the loan amount above R1,000, capped at 15% of the loan amount; add 15% VAT to the fee and cap, as stated in Support.
- Monthly service fee
- R60 per month plus 15% VAT (R69).
- Credit life / protection
- The R6,000 / 6-month example lists R18 credit life insurance, but does not explicitly state its billing period or calculation basis. Compulsory status, covered events and replacement-cover conditions are not confirmed. Do not apply R18 to every loan; request the current policy and quote.
Before you apply
- South African ID
- Age 18 or older
- Access to internet banking
- Verifiable income for the last 90 days
- Employment and income information
- Online banking link and affordability check
What to check
Support gives 0.17% per day; the homepage example uses 3% per month and separately labels a maximum APR of 60%. These are not treated as one comparable rate. Available amount/term combinations and the returning-customer minimum must be confirmed.
Source checked 7 November 2026. Registration stated by lender: NCRCP5361.
Fees & details
Fees & insurance
The R5,000 / 3-month example totals R6,126 including interest, fees and insurance. Free activation does not mean free borrowing.
- Initiation fee
- Charged in portions as money is withdrawn. The loan agreement does not publish a universal numerical tariff; check the pre-agreement quotation.
- Monthly service fee
- The amount is specified in the pre-agreement quotation. A numerical monthly fee and VAT breakdown are not confirmed on the reviewed pages.
- Credit life / protection
- The Personal Protection Plan is mandatory, with equivalent replacement cover allowed. Unlike a regular loan, MobiMoney premiums use the deferred balance from time to time, at a rate per R1,000. No numerical premium rate is published; check the policy schedule for your covered risks and exclusions.
Before you apply
- Approved MobiMoney account and affordability assessment
- Accept a DebiCheck mandate
- Upload the documents requested by Finchoice
What to check
The withdrawal range starts at R100; the calculator starts at R500. These are withdrawals against an approved limit, not standalone personal loans. The example rate is not a guaranteed offer.
Source checked 7 November 2026. Registration stated by lender: NCRCP8162 / NCRCP23514.
Fees & details
Fees & insurance
The reviewed public pages do not disclose numerical charges. The pre-agreement quotation must be checked for the complete borrowing cost.
- Initiation fee
- Amount, formula and VAT treatment are not disclosed on the reviewed public pages. Obtain the initiation charge in the pre-agreement quotation.
- Monthly service fee
- A numerical monthly service fee and VAT treatment are not disclosed on the reviewed public pages. Confirm whether a fee applies.
- Credit life / protection
- The reviewed pages do not confirm compulsory status, a premium, calculation basis or covered events. Request the applicable insurance terms; unknown costs are not zero.
Before you apply
- SA ID number
- Cellphone number and email address
- Bank account and employment details
- Latest 3 months bank statements showing the latest 3 salary deposits
- Fixed income and affordability assessment
- Electronic agreement and DebiCheck authorisation
What to check
The public calculator spans R500–R8,000 and 5–90 days. Ninety days is not treated as three calendar months. No distinct first-time/returning limit was confirmed. Available combinations depend on assessment.
Source checked 7 November 2026. Registration stated by lender: NCRCP8077.
Fees & details
Fees & insurance
Quick Loan pricing is personalised and disclosed before acceptance. The older salary-advance tariff is not used for this product.
- Initiation fee
- An initiation fee applies, including on early settlement. The Quick Loan FAQ does not publish a numerical tariff; check the quote.
- Monthly service fee
- A separate monthly service-fee amount is not confirmed in the Quick Loan FAQ. Ask whether it applies and whether the quoted charges include VAT.
- Credit life / protection
- The reviewed Quick Loan page does not confirm compulsory cover, a premium or its calculation basis. Confirm insurance separately; Personal Loan Assurance terms are not assumed to apply to Quick Loans.
Before you apply
- South African citizen, aged 18–65
- Income paid electronically into a bank account
- Permanent, contract or self-employment and affordability assessment
What to check
This current product offers R500–R50,000 over 1–12 months. The 2026 pricing guide separately lists an older R250–R6,000 salary-linked short-term product. Its 8% fee is not applied to Quick Loans.
Source checked 7 November 2026. Registration stated by lender: NCRCP16.
Fees & details
Fees & insurance
Unifi’s R8,000 / 6-month example publishes VAT-inclusive fees. Those figures are not a universal quote.
- Initiation fee
- R995 including VAT in the R8,000 / 6-month example. A universal fee formula is not confirmed.
- Monthly service fee
- R69 per month including VAT in the representative example.
- Credit life / protection
- The reviewed South Africa product page and FAQ do not specify compulsory insurance, a premium, its calculation basis or replacement-cover conditions. Confirm whether cover applies and request its terms.
Before you apply
- South African citizen over 20
- Formally employed
- Monthly salary paid into own active bank account
- Supported banks: Absa, FNB, Standard Bank, Capitec, Nedbank, African Bank, TymeBank
- FAQ excludes debt-review/insolvent applicants and weekly/fortnightly/self-employed income schedules
What to check
The official article gives a R12,000 first-time limit; a minimum and returning-customer limit are unconfirmed. The homepage example’s instalments and total do not reconcile. Its 3% interest label has no explicit period. We display the separately published APR, without deriving a repayment.
Source checked 7 November 2026. Registration stated by lender: NCRCP4849.
Fees & details
Fees & insurance
Wonga publishes VAT-inclusive fees and shows the loan-specific breakdown in its calculator. Check the final quote before accepting.
- Initiation fee
- An initiation fee applies. The reviewed Transparency section does not publish a formula or fixed amount; check the calculator and quote. Published fees include 15% VAT.
- Monthly service fee
- R69 per month, pro-rated for the first 30 days, including 15% VAT.
- Credit life / protection
- Compulsory status, premium, cover and replacement-policy conditions are not disclosed on the reviewed pages. Confirm whether insurance applies; undisclosed does not mean free.
Before you apply
- Cellphone number
- SA ID number
- Bank account details
- Employment, income and expenses information
- Most recent payslip or bank statement to verify income
- Affordability/credit decision and DebiCheck approval
What to check
New customers: R500–R5,000, up to three months; returning customers: up to R8,000, up to six. The public slider’s day limits change with the date; they are not treated as permanent term bounds. Minimum term and returning-customer minimum amount need confirmation.
Source checked 7 November 2026. Registration stated by lender: NCRCP12875.
Fees & details
Fees & insurance
Wonga publishes VAT-inclusive fees and shows the loan-specific breakdown in its calculator. Check the final quote before accepting.
- Initiation fee
- An initiation fee applies. The reviewed Transparency section does not publish a formula or fixed amount; check the calculator and quote. Published fees include 15% VAT.
- Monthly service fee
- R69 per month, pro-rated for the first 30 days, including 15% VAT.
- Credit life / protection
- Compulsory status, premium, cover and replacement-policy conditions are not disclosed on the reviewed pages. Confirm whether insurance applies; undisclosed does not mean free.
Before you apply
- Cellphone number
- SA ID number
- Bank account details
- Employment, income and expenses information
- Most recent payslip or bank statement to verify income
- Affordability/credit decision and DebiCheck approval
What to check
New customers: R500–R5,000, up to three months; returning customers: up to R8,000, up to six. The public slider’s day limits change with the date; they are not treated as permanent term bounds. Minimum term and returning-customer minimum amount need confirmation.
Source checked 7 November 2026. Registration stated by lender: NCRCP12875.
A selection of the market, not every lender. Rates and approval depend on your circumstances. How we compare