- Amount
- up to R8 000from R500
Compare all 9 lenders and choose your loan
The basic requirements every lender checks
Five things come up at nearly every lender:
- A valid South African ID. Some lenders ask for the ID number only, some for a copy; foreigners are covered in the FAQ below.
- A minimum age. 18 is the usual floor. Unifi states over 20, Cashgist 21 and Nedbank’s Quick Loan 18 to 65.
- Proof of income. Bank statements for the last three months, a payslip, or both.
- A bank account in your name to receive the money and to pay by debit order.
- A phone number that receives SMS for one-time PINs, and a bank app to approve the DebiCheck debit order.
Behind the list is the law. A registered lender has to assess affordability before it lends (National Credit Act, section 81). Under regulation 23A that means validating your gross income with your latest payslips or with bank statements showing three salary deposits, and for people without a payslip with three months of statements or financial statements. The lender also reads the debt instalments on your bureau profile. Each lender then adds its own rules on top.
Requirements lender by lender
What each lender writes on its own site, as recorded on our cards (cards checked 7 and 25 Oct 2026; Kredio, Cashgist and Nedbank’s Quick Loan read on their sites on 27 Oct 2026). Ordered by minimum age, then by name. “Not stated” means the pages we read do not say. It is not a ranking.
| Lender | Minimum age | Documents | Citizenship, income and other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boodle Apply at Kredio | 18 | Valid South African ID; access to internet banking; verifiable income for the last 90 days | New customers up to R5 000, existing up to R8 000 |
| Capfin Apply at Creditbar | 18 | Valid SA ID; 3 latest payslips or 3 latest bank statements; valid cellphone number; a bank account at a supported bank | Must be permanently employed and earning a monthly salary |
| Creditbar Apply | 18 | Valid SA ID; bank statements for the last 3 months; active phone number | SA citizen or permanent resident with a regular source of income |
| Crediwise Apply | 18 | Valid SA ID; latest 3 months’ statements; valid cellphone number | Not stated |
| FASTA Apply at JabulaniMoney | 18 | Valid South African ID number; 3 months’ bank statements; valid bank account; valid email address and mobile number | Minimum monthly salary of R6 000 for the last 3 months |
| Kredio Apply | 18 | Valid SA ID; bank statement not older than 3 months; proof of steady income; active SA phone number | Statement uploaded automatically for listed banks; says a lower score does not automatically disqualify |
| LendPlus Apply | 18 | Valid SA ID; latest 3 months’ statements; valid cellphone number | Not stated |
| Nedbank Quick Loan | 18 to 65 | No documents to upload; apply in the Money app | South African citizen with a valid SA ID; income paid electronically; permanent, self-employed or contract employment |
| Primeloans Apply | 18 | ID number and copy; latest 3 statements and a payslip; proof of residence; cellphone number | Not stated |
| RCS | 18 and older | South African ID or driver’s licence; South African bank account | Employed |
| Unifi | Over 20 | Formal employment with salary paid monthly into a bank account at a listed bank | South African citizen |
| Cashgist Apply | 21 | Valid SA ID; proof of steady income for the last 3 months (a bank statement showing 3 salary deposits); access to internet banking | South African citizen |
| Absa | Not stated | Not stated on our card | Instant Loan and personal loan terms are on the card |
| Century Apply | Not stated | SA ID; cellphone number; bank account details; last 3 months’ statements (3 salary deposits) | Not stated |
| DirectAxis | Not stated | SA ID; proof of residential address; up to 3 months’ statements or payslips; a bank account into which the salary is paid | Good credit record; regular monthly income of at least R5 000 |
| Finbond | Not stated | Certified ID; 3 months’ payslips; 3 months’ statements; certified proof of address | Not stated |
| Standard Bank | Not stated | South African ID; proof of home address not older than 3 months; proof of income | Not stated |
| Capitec | Not stated on our card | Capitec lists its requirements and minimum income on its own credit pages, which did not open for our check on 27 Oct 2026 | Read them on Capitec’s site |
| African Bank | Not stated on our card | Its website did not open for our check on 27 Oct 2026 | Read the requirements on the bank’s site |
Open a lender’s page for the source and date of each line and for the full terms.
Apply for a loan online in South Africa
See all 9 lendersHighest amount on the list: up to R8 000
- Amount
- up to R8 000from R500
See terms
- Source of the terms
- kredio.co.za · 27 Oct 2026
- Registration
- NCRCP24149 · NCR register
- Application and payout
- decision in 15 min or less · applications 24/7, according to the lender
- Amount
- up to R5 000from R500
- Term
- up to 61 daysfrom 7 days
See terms
- Source of the terms
- creditbar.co.za · 25 Oct 2026
- Registration
- NCRCP23238 · NCR register
- Application and payout
- applications 24/7, according to the lender
JabulaniMoney
Why each document is asked for
Each document answers a question the lender must ask:
- ID. Who you are, and your age. A South African ID number is the key to your credit file.
- Bank statements. Income, debit orders and existing loans. Lenders that ask for “3 salary deposits” suit regular pay better than one-off transfers. If your pay is partly cash, it will not show.
- Payslip. Gross and net pay and the employer. Most online lenders in the table list no payslip; Primeloans does, Capfin takes payslips or statements, and banks usually want one.
- Proof of address. Mostly banks: a document showing your address; Standard Bank wants one not older than three months.
Statements are the item that most often delays an application. Download a clean PDF for the last three months from your banking app, and check that the name and account number match your ID. Creditbar and Kredio say the statement is uploaded automatically for the banks they support.
How much must you earn?
There is no single income threshold in the law. The Regulations make the lender work out what is left of your income after your living expenses and debt instalments, and decide on that. Where a lender has published a minimum, it is in the table:
- DirectAxis: regular monthly income of at least R5 000.
- FASTA: a minimum monthly salary of R6 000 for the last 3 months.
- Boodle: verifiable income for the last 90 days; no figure.
- Cashgist, Creditbar, Crediwise, Kredio, LendPlus and Primeloans: proof of steady or regular income or bank statements; no figure.
- Capitec: its page on how to qualify for credit states a minimum income; we could not open it on 27 Oct 2026, so read it on Capitec’s site rather than from us.
If your income is below a stated minimum, a lender with no stated minimum is not an easier route: it still has to check that the instalment is affordable.
How to apply for a loan online in 5 steps
- Decide the amount and the term. The smaller and shorter, the cheaper in fees.
- Collect the documents. ID, three months of statements, a payslip if the lender asks, a recent proof of address for banks.
- Check the lender. Find its NCRCP number and match it to the legal name in the NCR register.
- Apply on the lender’s own site or app. Creditbar says the application takes up to 10 minutes (creditbar.co.za, 29 Oct 2026). Details that do not match your ID hold a decision up. Lenders with their own app are in loan apps in South Africa.
- Read the quotation, then sign. Approve the DebiCheck debit order in your banking app. Pay on the due date and settle early if you can.
Compare lenders on online loans in South Africa first, then apply once: every application can leave an enquiry on your report for up to a year.
FAQ
What documents do I need for a loan?
At minimum a valid South African ID, three months of bank statements and a cellphone number. Some lenders add a payslip (Primeloans, Capfin and most banks) and proof of address (banks). Kredio also asks for proof of steady income. The table above has each lender’s list.
Can I get a loan at 18?
Several lenders state 18 as the minimum age: Boodle, Capfin, Creditbar, Crediwise, FASTA, Kredio, LendPlus and Primeloans. Unifi states over 20 and Cashgist 21. Approval is still the lender’s decision after its affordability check. Studying? Student loans in South Africa covers NSFAS, education lenders and bank study loans.
Do I need a payslip?
Not for every lender. Of the online lenders, only Primeloans lists a payslip; the others ask for bank statements. Banks and Capfin ask for payslips or statements. See loans without a payslip for what to use instead.
Can foreigners get a loan in South Africa?
It depends on the lender. Creditbar asks for a South African citizen or permanent resident; Cashgist is for South African citizens aged 21 or older; Crediwise, Kredio, LendPlus and Primeloans ask for a South African ID; Nedbank’s Quick Loan is for citizens only. Check the requirements on the lender’s page first.
Important information
Requirements are those the lenders publish and can change; the lender’s agreement and quotation are what bind it. Lender cards were checked on 7 Oct 2026 (banks and larger lenders) and 25 Oct 2026 (online lenders); Kredio, Cashgist and Nedbank’s Quick Loan were read on 27 Oct 2026. Capitec’s and African Bank’s websites did not open for our automated check, so no figures from them are quoted. Legal basis: National Credit Act section 81 and regulation 23A.
- Kredio: terms from the lender’s website, as of 27 Oct 2026