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DCASA Knock It Out of The Park with Their Annual Conference

The Debt Counsellors Association of South Africa held their annual members conference in Gauteng on the 23rd of August 2024.

Debtfree Magazine attended the Debt Counsellors Association of South Africa (DCASA) annual conference in Gauteng, and it was well run day packed with industry insights, updates, and a few surprises.

Those who attended all agree that it was the most impactful and successful conference of the past few years.

The event was held at the Birchwood Conference Centre (like last year) in a spacious hall which was able to accommodate the 200 guests and various sponsors and displays. Debtfree Magazine were also on hand to let people know about how they can send the magazine to their clients as part of their aftercare (at no charge).

MC For The Day

Mr. Lew Williams returned this year as MC for the day and his high energy and quick wit helped put the audience at ease. He kept things moving along throughout the day.

Mr President

The conference started off with some welcoming words and updates from DCASA President and long time Debt Counsellor, Mr Reinhard Pettenberger, who filled us in on the latest industry happenings.

Reinhard is not one to waste time and got right into it. He shared that there’s a big focus this year on the NCR Task Team as well as rouge elements impacting on consumers. Both were touched on in later discussions and presentations.

He shared that DCASA intend to focus on getting great value to members at the regional meetings and there will continue to be occasional online webinars coming up in the next 12 months, which is great news for those who live further away and might struggle to attend in person.

Getting Motivated

Next up was the keynote speaker for the day, Mr Gavin Sharples, who brought a lot of energy to the room.

He often left the audience going “ooh” or “aah” as his main points hit home.

The main thrust of his discussion was about how “disruptions” (like Covid) can actually drive change and innovation.

While many people do not want disturbances they often drive new behaviour and reactions in us. He compared life and business to white water rafting, where the rapids (the disruptions) are actually the most exciting part. His talk was full of memorable moments, and he really hit home with the idea that we can either let life’s currents sweep us along or put in the work to steer our own course.

Gavin wrapped up with some motivational thoughts on the importance of family, friends, and those we care about—oh, and a joke about Guns N’ Roses.

PoPi & More

Advocate Colin Weapond from the Information Regulator followed, giving us a deep dive into the Protection of Personal Information Act (PoPI) and its impact on the debt review industry.

Two things were on display during his speech (he said he does not do jokes and had a more informational manner than Gavin).

First, Colin really has a passion for the PoPI Act. Much like how Debt Counsellors can rattle off various paragraphs and references to parts of the NCA, so too can he jump from point to point in the PoPI Act.

Secondly, it is clear that the Information Regulator has a mammoth task on hand and the Act is slowly going through the growing pains seen in the past with Acts like the NCA.

He emphasized how PoPI has already led to better data protection, with more focus on safeguarding sensitive consumer information.

He also touched on security breaches and the first fine issued under the Act, offering some advice on marketing and contacting people. As with any newer Act there has been debate about the meaning of various words and section including things like: do telephone calls (cold sales calls) fall under the Act?

We can expect a guidance note soon, which will clarify the Regulator’s interpretation of various aspects of the Act.

Tea & Talk

There was then a short tea break which gave attendees time to get refreshments and to link up with the various credit providers, and service providers who had display stands. Two of the big banks (FNB & ABSA) were on hand to engage directly with association members.

Many displays had nice gifts for the attendees to enjoy.

The Economy – Good, Bad or Ugly?

After the break, Siphamandla Mkhwanazi, Senior Economist from FNB, took the stage to talk about the local economy.

He highlighted how credit cards are becoming the fastest-growing credit product, and discussed the levels of debt among South Africans compared to other countries. Basically, while we have a lot of debt, it’s not as high as in some other places.

Siphamandla’s pretty optimistic that this year we’ll start seeing salary increases that keep up with inflation and maybe even some small rate cuts. He also mentioned that recent changes in government might make for a bumpy ride but ultimately lead to improvement.

A Word From The NCR

Timmy Van Der Grijp from the National Credit Regulator (NCR) shared some stats about those under debt review and discussed recent issues like a Debt Counsellor who got fined for issuing inaccurate clearance certificates.

He also addressed the booming industry of debt review removal scams and the need for better documentation and consistency in the process.

There’s a lot of buzz around the NCR Task Team 2.0, and Timmy says they’re looking forward to updating it, with several smaller groups handling different annexures.

He also mentioned that the NCR is cracking down on “rogue” debt counsellors and that new guidelines will be coming out soon.

He both invited Debt Counsellors to contact his offices with any complaints but did share that it would be necessary to have ones own ship in order before hand. For example, he likes to take those who make contact through their own websites to make sure the content there is correct and that the NCR logo is not used without the correct undertakings being approved by the NCR.

The morning ended with a few giveaways, including a R5000 prize, before the guests were able to go grab some lunch nearby within the facilities.

Lunch

There was a loud buzz as 200 Debt Counsellors got to spend time chatting about their favourite topic:  debt review.

Debt Review Vs Debt Counselling

After lunch, Diane Terblanche, former Chairperson of the National Consumer Tribunal (NCT), sparked some thought-provoking discussions.

Diane spoke passionately about the difference between debt counselling and debt review, stressing that while debt review is about putting a plan into action, debt counselling is more about understanding consumer behaviour and helping people make better financial decisions.

‘She urged all to include as much counselling into their practices as possible to the benefit of consumers’

She hopes that future training for Debt Counsellors will focus more on consumer financial education. She urged all to include as much counselling into their practices as possible to the benefit of consumers. It is something that can help consumers stay in the process for longer and make a success of their debt review journey.

Got Complaints?

Reana Steyn from the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) wrapped up the presentations for the day, sharing her excitement about the NFO’s plans to simplify access to ombud assistance.

She seemed somewhat surprised when she asked who in the audience was aware of their work and most raised their hands.

The NFO is an amalgamation of 4 different former separate Ombud schemes. The NFO are determined to make access easy and uncomplicated. They also invite Debt Counsellors to make use of their services. Interestingly one of the topic that the NFO are not scared to look into is “reckless” lending.

Many in the industry are very excited they are now making themselves available to help resolve difficulties that come up between consumers and the banks and other credit providers. This is one more avenue that Debt Counsellors (and even the NCR) can use to help resolve issues.

Panel Discussion

The day concluded with an industry panel featuring representatives from various organizations, including the NCR, NCT, PDASA, MFSA, DCASA, LG Attorneys, FNB and Debtfree who shared their thoughts on the current state of the industry.

The audience had submitted various questions throughout the day and the panel shared thoughts on the topics (everything from in duplum to the future of the industry)

The panel discussion was not a long one, given the time restrictions of the day, but several key matters were covered with excellent input from all involved. All the panellists were upbeat and positive in tone despite some of the challenges facing the economy and industry. After the event officially closed several attendees were able to talk directly with the panellists and ask follow up questions. Many of the guests even enjoyed dinner together or stayed at the venue (avoiding traffic) and chatted for many more hours.

The Best Conference of Recent Years

The DCASA conference has been a regular industry feature over many years.

Each year a real effort is made to inform members and educate (or entertain) through the variety of speakers and presentations.

‘The response to this year’s conference was almost entirely positive from all the attendees’

The response to this year’s conference was almost entirely positive from all the attendees. Even the one presentation that may have been slightly little less exciting than others did not prevent members from gaining great value for the expenses incurred to attend. Most said it was the best conference of recent years.

The display sponsors were, as always, very generous in handing out gifts and giving their time to engage directly with attendees about particular matters. There were a number of giveaways throughout the day and some winners left with bottles of wine while others left with nifty gadgets, gift bags or even leather bags or in one case piles of cash (one attendee won R5000 during the event).

The giveaways, well timed breaks and chance to engage directly with other members and credit providers (there were a number in the audience like African Bank and Nutun) made it well worth the trip.

All in all, it was a day full of valuable industry insights, a few laughs, and a lot of optimism for the future of debt counselling in South Africa.