Understanding Your Credit Score in South Africa

Your credit score is a number that credit bureaus calculate based on your repayment history, how much credit you're using relative to your limits, the length of your credit history, and how many new credit applications you've made recently.

In South Africa, the major credit bureaus — TransUnion, Experian, Compuscan and XDS — each calculate scores slightly differently, which is why your score can vary depending on where a lender checks.

The most reliable way to improve your score over time is consistent, on-time repayment across all your accounts, keeping credit card balances well below their limits, and avoiding multiple credit applications in a short period.

Before applying for a loan, it's worth requesting your free annual credit report (South Africans are entitled to one free report per year from each bureau) so you know exactly what a lender will see.