National Debt Counselling Association: Goals for professionalising the sector in 2026
3 min read
In its goals for 2026, the National Debt Counselling Association (NDCA) has prioritised professionalising the sector, implementing fit-and-proper requirements for practitioners and establishing a framework for consumers ‘stuck’ in debt counselling to exit the process.
NDCA chairperson René Moonsamy says that in October 2025, the association submitted a proposal to enhance standards in the sector and prevent unregistered or unethical practitioners from posing as legitimate debt counsellors.
The Department of Trade, Industry & Competition, the National Credit Regulator and other debt-counselling industry players are now reviewing the proposal.
It details fit-and-proper requirements for practitioners, based on existing regulations in the National Credit Act, enhanced by provisions in the Conduct of Financial Institutions and Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) principles.
“We hope the entire proposal, or at least a substantial number of the recommendations, will be included in amendments to the National Credit Act and its regulations. This will help professionalise the sector, and get rid of fly-by-nights and chancers,” says Moonsamy. “It would also help bring TCF principles to debt counselling, and bring it in line with the rest of the financial services industry.”
In addition to its proposal regulating practitioners and ensuring debt counselling businesses operate fairly, the NDCA is also working on recommendations for an exit framework for over-indebted consumers who begin, but cannot complete, the debt counselling process due to unforeseen circumstances.
When this happens, consumers’ debt is not fully settled, and they remain listed as undergoing debt counselling with credit providers and bureaux.
According to Moonsamy, the lack of a standardised exit framework leads to consumer frustration, and opportunities for scammers who offer ‘remove debt counselling’ services by misusing their debt counselling licences.
“There must be an accepted, transparent framework to deal with incomplete debt counselling cases, so consumers are not left in limbo and have a means to have an orderly financial rehabilitation without falling prey to scams.”
The NDCA will share details of this proposal once it is finalised.
Image credit: Freepik/Drazen Zigic
