Step 1: Application
You complete a debt review application form (Form 16) and provide supporting documents.

Step 2: Notification of credit providers and credit bureaus
Within 5 business days, debt counsellor notifies your credit providers about the application for debt review, and requests them to provide latest certificates of balance. Credit bureaus are also notified.

Step 3: Determination of over-indebtedness
Based on all available information, and within 30 days from receiving the application for debt review, the debt counsellor determines whether or not you are over-indebted. Credit providers and credit bureaus are notified about the outcome of the assessment.

Step 4: Debt re- arrangement proposal
A debt re-arrangement proposal outlining the reduced monthly repayments to each credit provider and estimated repayment period, amongst other key information, is sent to the credit providers.

Step 5: Credit providers accept or decline proposal
Credit providers have 10 business days to accept or decline the proposal

Step 6: Consent or Court Order
If all credit providers accept the debt re-arrangement proposal, a Consent Order is applied for and issued by the National Consumer Tribunal or a Magistrate Court. If some or all the credit providers decline the debt re-arrangement proposal, a Court Order is applied for and issued by a Magistrate Court.

Step 7: After care
The debt counsellor provides after care service which includes but is not limited to: resolving your queries and those of credit providers; obtaining settlement amount if you want to settle a debt; etc.

Step 8: Clearance Certificate
When all the debts that have been subject to the debt counselling restructuring order have been paid up in full; or if all short term debts have been paid up in full and the only remaining debt is a home loan account which is up to date in terms of the debt counselling restructuring order; the debt counsellor issues a Clearance Certificate and informs the credit bureaus to remove the debt counselling flag.