Debt review companies
Consumer Assist debt review review
By Lerato Molefe · 5 min read · Updated 24 June 2026
- Type
- NCR-registered debt counsellor
- Service
- Full debt review under the National Credit Act
- Free assessment
- Yes
- Online portal
- Varies
- How they are paid
- Regulated NCR fees added to your monthly payment
- Contact
- Via their official website and NCR-registered details
Consumer Assist is an NCR-registered debt counsellor in South Africa that offers debt assessments, restructures your debt into one reduced monthly payment and negotiates with your creditors, but, as with all debt review, the debt review flag appears on your credit profile while active, you cannot take new credit and regulated fees are added to your repayment.
This review explains what Consumer Assist does, how the process works and the trade-offs, so you can compare it against other counsellors. We are independent and earn nothing from Consumer Assist.
The legal process is identical at every registered firm because it follows the National Credit Act. The variables are service and fee clarity.
What Consumer Assist does
Consumer Assist is a debt counsellor. It assesses whether you are over-indebted, restructures your debt into one affordable monthly payment and has it distributed to your creditors by a registered agency. It negotiates reduced instalments and interest and gives you the legal protection of debt review.
It is not a lender. The focus is making existing debt affordable, not adding new credit.
How the process works
Consumer Assist follows the standard legal steps: a free affordability assessment, an application notifying creditors and bureaus, a restructured plan confirmed by court where required, then one monthly payment until your debts are cleared and a clearance certificate is issued.
Much of the process is handled remotely, so location rarely matters.
Consumer Assist vs the category norm
Fees and downsides
Consumer Assist charges the regulated fees from the NCR guidelines: an application or restructuring fee, a legal fee, a monthly aftercare fee and the distribution agency fee, added to your monthly payment. Fees scale with your debt, so we give ranges rather than a fixed figure.
The downsides apply to every provider: the debt review flag while active, no new credit, fees off your monthly payment and a process that can take years. The benefit is one affordable payment and protection from legal action.
Frequently asked questions
Is Consumer Assist legit?
Consumer Assist operates as a registered debt counsellor with the National Credit Regulator. Verify the registration on the NCR website before committing.
How does Consumer Assist debt review work?
It assesses your affordability, files a debt review application, negotiates reduced instalments and collects one monthly payment distributed to your creditors until your debts are cleared.
Does Consumer Assist give loans?
No. Consumer Assist is a debt counsellor, not a lender. It restructures existing debt rather than giving new credit.
How much does Consumer Assist charge?
Fees follow NCR guidelines and scale with your debt: an application fee, a legal fee, a monthly aftercare fee and a distribution fee, all added to your monthly payment.
How do I contact Consumer Assist?
Use the contact details on the official Consumer Assist website or their verified NCR listing. We do not publish phone numbers because they change.
How long does Consumer Assist debt review take?
Unsecured debt usually clears in three to five years, while a bond can extend it. A clearance certificate follows once everything except a running home loan is settled.
Can I cancel Consumer Assist debt review?
After a court grants the order you cannot just stop. You complete the plan or apply formally for removal, usually by proving you are no longer over-indebted.
