National Debt Advisors (NDA) review

NDA is a debt counsellor. It assesses whether you are over-indebted, then restructures your debt into a single, lower monthly payment distributed to your creditors by a registered payment distribution agency. It negotiates reduced instalments and interest and gives you the legal protection that comes with debt review.

NDA is not a lender. The aim is to make your existing debt affordable, not to add new debt. If you want a single new loan to clear your debts, that is debt consolidation, which is a different route with different risks.

The steps mirror the legal process every counsellor follows:

1. Free assessment of income, expenses and debts.
2. Confirmation of whether you are over-indebted.
3. Application filed and creditors plus bureaus notified, which stops most legal action on listed accounts.
4. A restructured plan proposed and, where required, confirmed by a magistrate's court.
5. One monthly payment until your debts (excluding a still-running bond) are settled, followed by a clearance certificate.

NDA handles most of this remotely, so you can be a client anywhere in South Africa.

Structurally NDA matches the category. Judge it on responsiveness and how transparently it lays out fees before you sign.

NDA charges the regulated debt review fees from the NCR guidelines: an application or restructuring fee, a legal fee, a monthly aftercare fee and the distribution fee, all added to your monthly payment. We give ranges rather than a fixed figure because the amount scales with your debt.

The usual downsides apply. The debt review flag sits on your profile while active, new credit is off the table, fees come out of your monthly payment and the process can take years. Weigh that against the protection from creditors and the relief of one affordable payment.