There is no list — there is a record
No register in South Africa marks a person as blacklisted. Credit bureaus keep a record of how you have repaid credit: which accounts you have, whether you paid on time, and whether anything went wrong, such as an account handed over for collection or a court judgment. When people say they are blacklisted, they usually mean that something negative on that record makes lenders say no.
Each lender reads the record in its own way and decides for itself. Two lenders can look at the same report and reach different answers, which is why it pays to know what is on yours before you apply anywhere.
Get your free report from each bureau
Under the National Credit Act you are entitled to one free credit report a year from every registered credit bureau. The large consumer bureaus are TransUnion, Experian, XDS and Compuscan. Each holds its own copy of your record, and they are not always identical, so it is worth checking more than one.
You can request the report on each bureau's website after confirming your identity with your ID number and some personal details. Some free apps also show your Experian record at any time. Reports beyond the free one may carry a small fee, according to the National Credit Regulator.
What to look for on the report
Start with your personal details: a wrong address or ID number can mean someone else's information has been mixed into yours. Then read the accounts one by one and check the payment history of each, month by month.
The entries that make lenders cautious are adverse listings, such as an account marked in default, handed over or written off; civil judgments; an administration order or sequestration; and a debt review flag. Note also how many enquiries lenders have made recently: many applications in a short time can count against you on their own.
What the report does not tell you
A report shows the facts a bureau holds, not a verdict. It cannot tell you whether a particular lender will approve you, because each one weighs the record against its own rules and against your income and expenses.
Many reports also show a credit score. Each bureau uses its own scale, so a number from one bureau cannot be compared with a number from another. Our guide on loans with a low credit score explains what the numbers mean in practice.
What to do with what you find
If something on the report is wrong, you can dispute it with the bureau for free; the bureau must investigate. If it is right but old, it may soon drop off on its own: how long negative information stays depends on the kind of listing.
If you need to borrow now, know your record first and apply to providers who consider applicants like you, rather than to everyone at once. Our page on loans for blacklisted people explains who still lends with a poor credit record and what it usually costs.