When the amount is bigger than one salary can absorb, spreading it over several months keeps each repayment manageable. These 3 options let you borrow from R500 up to R50 000 and repay over months rather than in one go.
Facts taken from each provider’s website
A Cape Town direct lender: R500 to R8 000 from 5 days to 6 months, with every rate and fee published next to the calculator. Affiliate link · Century Financial Services (Pty) Ltd decides on approval after an affordability check.
One short form for loans of R500 to R10 000 over 61 to 365 days, with an APR range and a cost example on the page. Affiliate link · Creditomax does not lend: you sign the agreement with the lender you choose.
A free showcase of loan offers from R500 to R50 000 over 61 to 365 days, including low-cost first loans for new customers. Affiliate link · FinPug does not lend: you sign the agreement with the lender you choose.
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission if you apply through “See offer”, at no cost to you. Order: editorial selection; it may reflect commercial agreements.
A personal loan is unsecured credit that you repay in fixed monthly instalments. You do not offer your car or home as security; the lender relies on your income and your repayment history. Online, the whole process takes place on your phone: the form, the bank statements, the quote and the signature.
It suits costs that one salary cannot cover: a fridge that has given up, a deposit on a flat, a trip home for a family event, or several small debts that you want to bring into one repayment. If you only need a few hundred rand until payday, a short-term loan is quicker and simpler.
Each option on this page covers a different range:
| Provider | Amount | Term | Published cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| FinPug | R500 – R50 000 | 61 – 365 days | Annual rate 0% to 36% |
| Creditomax | Up to R10 000 | 61 – 365 days | APR 3.65% to 180% |
| Century (CreditZA) | R500 – R8 000 | Instalments over 1 – 6 months | 0.16% a day (new clients), 0.1% a day (returning) |
FinPug and Creditomax are free loan-matching services: they show you offers from partner lenders, and the lender sets your final amount and term. Century is a direct lender with an instalment option of up to 6 months.
Compare the total amount to repay for the same amount and the same term. A lower monthly instalment over a longer term can cost more in total, so put the options side by side on equal terms.
The law caps what you can be charged. For unsecured credit above the short-term limits, interest may not exceed the Reserve Bank repo rate plus 21% a year; the initiation fee is capped at R165 plus 10% of the amount above R1 000, with a maximum of R1 050, and the monthly service fee at R60. Loans of up to R8 000 repayable within 6 months follow the short-term caps instead.
Use our loan calculator to see the instalment and the interest for your amount, then check the lender’s quote, which must list every fee and the total cost before you sign.
Before it signs, every credit provider must take reasonable steps to assess your existing financial means, your obligations and your repayment history. In practice, lenders read your bank statements to see your income and your regular expenses, and they check your credit bureau profile.
| Service | Type | Amount | Term | Published example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Century (CreditZA) | Direct lender | R 500 – R 8 000 | 5 days to 6 months | Calculator on creditza.co.za: loan amount R 1700, loan period 5 days, repayable amount R 1,991.60. Century notes that the calculator is a reference only and that an offer is made once your affordability has been calculated. |
| Creditomax | Loan-matching service | R 500 – R 10 000 | 61 to 365 days | For example, if you request a loan of 500 ZAR that will be repaid in 61 days with 180% interest rate per year, the total payment of the loan will be 583 ZAR. |
| FinPug | Loan-matching service | R 500 – R 50 000 | 61 to 365 days | For example, for a loan of 1000 R with a repayment in 67 days, the costs will be 0 R and the total amount to be repaid will be 1000 R with a CAT of 0%. |
A short-term loan is up to R8 000 repayable within 6 months, often in one payment on payday. A personal loan is usually larger and repaid in monthly instalments over several months or more, with a different legal interest cap.
On this page, from R500 up to R50 000. FinPug shows offers up to R50 000, Creditomax up to R10 000 and Century up to R8 000. The amount you are offered depends on your affordability.
For unsecured credit, the National Credit Act regulations cap interest at the Reserve Bank repo rate plus 21% a year. Loans of up to R8 000 over a maximum of 6 months follow the short-term caps of 5% or 3% a month.
Yes. You may settle at any time by paying the outstanding balance plus interest and fees up to that date, and you may prepay any amount without penalty.
No. FinPug and Creditomax are free for you. They are paid by the partner lenders, and the lender’s quote shows its own interest and fees.