Credit score

Your credit score in South Africa

A credit score is a number that sums up your credit record. Here is who works it out, what the bands mean and how lenders use it.

See where to start
Written by LM editorial teamLast reviewed

Short answer

Your credit score is a number a registered credit bureau works out from your credit record. TransUnion's score runs from 0 to 999, and you can check yours for free.

What a credit score is

A credit score is a number based on the information in your credit report. It gives a lender a quick view of your record.

TransUnion says its formula looks at how well or badly you pay your bills. It also weighs how much debt you carry.

It then compares all of that with other borrowers. The result is a single number.

Your report is the detail behind that number. It lists your accounts, your payments and any court orders or debt review.

Who calculates your credit score

Credit bureaus registered with the National Credit Regulator (NCR) keep credit records and work out scores.

The NCR's register lists many bureaus. For consumers, the main ones are TransUnion, Experian and Xpert Decision Systems (XDS).

Compuscan is now part of Experian. Experian completed the purchase in May 2019.

Each bureau keeps its own file and uses its own formula. So your score can differ from one bureau to the next.

Credit score ranges in South Africa

TransUnion publishes these seven bands for its consumer credit score.

Experian's free report also shows a score from 0 to 999. Other bureaus set their own bands, so only compare scores from the same bureau.

TransUnion bandScore
Excellent767 to 999
Good681 to 766
Favourable614 to 680
Average583 to 613
Below average527 to 582
Unfavourable487 to 526
Poor0 to 486

Bands from TransUnion's own credit score page, checked October 2026. Each lender sets its own cut-offs, so no band guarantees a yes or a no.

What affects your credit score

No bureau publishes its full formula. But your report shows the information a score is built from.

Regulation 17 of the National Credit Regulations limits how long each item may be used for scoring:

  • Payment profile: how you have paid your accounts. It may be used for up to 5 years.
  • How much you owe: TransUnion says its score looks at how much debt you carry.
  • Enquiries: a record of each time a lender checks your file. These stay for 1 year.
  • Adverse classifications: a lender's label for missed payments or collection steps. These stay up to 1 year, or less once you settle.
  • Judgments and court orders: civil judgments, administration orders and sequestration orders. Each can stay for up to 5 years.
  • Debt review: a debt restructuring order stays until a clearance certificate is issued.

Checking your own record is not the same as a lender's enquiry. Experian says it does not penalise you for checking your own score or report.

What lenders do with your score

A lender usually checks one or more bureaus when you apply. Your score helps it judge the risk of lending to you.

But the score is not the whole decision. Section 81(2) of the National Credit Act requires every lender to assess you first.

It must look at your repayment history and your existing means, prospects and obligations.

It must also check that you understand the risks and costs of the credit.

So a good score does not guarantee a loan, and affordability is checked separately.

Have a low score? Our page on bad credit loans explains how lenders treat a weak record.

Where to start with your credit score

  1. Check your credit score for free with each bureau.
  2. Get your free credit report and read every listing.
  3. Dispute anything that is wrong. The bureau must find evidence for it or remove it.
  4. Learn what can legally come off your record in how to clear your credit record.
  5. Build a better record over time with our guide on how to improve your credit score.
  6. Not sure what a negative listing means? Read what blacklisted means.
  7. Struggling with debt? Call the NCR on 0860 627 627 before you borrow more.

Your credit score in South Africa: frequently asked questions

What is a good credit score in South Africa?

It depends on the bureau. On TransUnion's scale, 681 to 766 is Good and 767 to 999 is Excellent. Each lender sets its own cut-offs, though.

What is a bad credit score?

TransUnion's lowest band is Poor, from 0 to 486. Unfavourable runs from 487 to 526. A low score makes approval harder, but every lender must still assess you as a whole.

Why is my score different at each bureau?

Each bureau keeps its own file and uses its own formula. Free apps may also use their own scale. Compare scores from the same source over time.

Does checking my own credit score lower it?

Experian says it does not penalise you for checking your own score or report. A check by a lender is recorded as an enquiry. Regulation 17 lets enquiries be used for 1 year.

Is a credit score the same as a credit report?

No. Your report is the full record of your accounts, payments, enquiries and court orders. The score is one number worked out from that record. You have a legal right to one free report a year from each bureau.

Related pages and sources

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