In terms of the National Credit Act No. 34 of 2005 consumers have a right to apply for Debt Counselling to restructure their debt. From 1 June 2007 this service is provided by Debt Counsellors.
Debt Counselling is a new profession. All Debt Counsellors are required to undergo training approved by the National Credit Regulator and they need to be registered by the National Credit Regulator.
This new profession requires new skills and processes and for this reason the Debt Counsellors Association of South Africa (DCASA) was formed in 2007.
The aims of DCASA include the following:
Set standards for members to ensure professional delivery to consumers;
Debt Counselling process development and standards;
Interaction with stakeholders such as the National Credit Regulator (NCR), Credit Providers and Credit Bureaus;
Interaction with Service Providers to Debt Counsellors with the aim to improve service delivery to consumers;
Training of its members; and
Provision of general information and specific information to members.
