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Debt Review Awards Show 2022 | Summary

The annual Debt Review Awards 2022 were held on Friday 30th of September. Golden Piggy Banks were awarded to credit providers, PDAs and Debt Counsellors.

The 9th Annual Debt Review Awards were held at the end of September and the best performing* Debt Counsellors, credit providers and payment distribution agents were announced.

This year, as with the last 2 years, the Awards were streamed online (primarily over YouTube). Around the country, at Debt Counsellors’ offices and credit providers’ debt review centres, hundreds of employees and staff gathered in front of screens to find out the results. There were shouts of joy and groans of disappointment as the results were announced and the top performers identified.

The event was attended primarily by the nominees from across the country and some of the event sponsors who generously helped cover the costs. View the event sponsors HERE

The show got underway at 1pm with the online preshow and then switched over to updates from the venue. Guests mingled in the afternoon sun on the rooftop garden at Pier Place in Cape Town CBD.

 

 

Speeches and presentations began shortly after 3pm with a welcome from popular social media figure Schalk Bezuidenhout and then the host for the day Mr Zak King (Debtfree Magazine Editor). The online audience was treated to a slideshow of faces of individuals from across the industry before the speeches began.

After a very encouraging word from the NCT Chairperson, Mr Trevor Bailey who discussed the success of the debt review process, guests were able to enjoy a documentary about how far debt review has come since its inception.

The documentary featured a number of well known industry people (from the NCR, various PDAs, debt counselling practices and credit provider debt review departments)

 

You can watch the 13 minute documentary below:

The documentary very clearly highlights how far debt review has come and how challenges along the way have been overcome to the benefit of consumers in the process. It is clear that there never has been an easier time for consumers to take advantage of all the benefits of debt review than right now.

Partner Awards

The Debt Review Awards are also partnered with ONE (insurance providers) and Slipstream Technology (Software service provider) to award the hard work of individuals who work within the industry for their efforts – known as the Significant Contribution to Debt Review awards as well as the Debt Counsellor who not only has adopted use of the DReX platform but also whose clients are making use of the system to get updates on their matters and documentation.

This year the Debt Review Awards | ONE Significant Contribution to the Debt Review Process award went to:

Timmy vd Grjip | VDGC

 

This year the Debt Review Awards | ONE Significant Contribution to the Debt Review Process awards went to:

Ansie Greef | iPDA

 

This year the Debt Review Awards | Slipstream Technology Adoption award went to:

Eugene Cilliers | PayPlan Solutions 

Winners

You may be wondering which credit providers, Payment Distribution Agents and Debt Counsellors took home the Awards. There was a mix of familiar and new faces this year. If you would like to know which Debt Counsellors were nominated as the Top 10 in the 5 different size categories this year you can check HERE

PDAs

The four officially NCR registered and legitimate Payment Distribution Agents which consumers can make use of to help them distribute their monthly debt repayments are:

CollectNet PDA

DC Partner PDA

Hyphen PDA

iPDA

The Awards in the PDA categories were split between DC Partner PDA (who took home the Award as reviewed by Debt Counsellors) and Hyphen PDA (who took home the award as reviewed by credit providers).

The NCR regularly audits and monitors all 4 of the registered PDAs and encourages consumers to make use of their services when in the process.

Credit Providers

Various credit providers of various types scooped up awards this year in the 8 different categories. This included a new category announced in this year’s process which is aimed at identifying the highest rated credit provider debt review department overall (independent of product house).

Wesbank was identified as the top rated Vehicle Finance credit provider while ABSA took home a golden Piggy Bank Award in the home loans section. Finchoice and Consumer Friend were also Golden Piggy Bank winners this year. African Bank walked away with 2 Awards including unsecured finance and the new award category.

For a full list of all the results visit www.debtreviewawards.co.za

 

Debt Counsellors

This year there were first time winners in the 3 smaller categories and repeat winners, from past years, in the larger categories.

Among Boutique Debt Counsellors it was Olwen Jacobs of Newlo Debt Counsellors who received the highest ratings. In the Small category the Award went to Anthony Mac Minn of 2nd Chance Debt Counsellors. In the Medium debt counselling practice, it was Gerhard Stoltz of Gerhard Stoltz Debt Counsellors who received the highest ratings in the industry peer reviews this year.

The large category went to the Debt Counsellors of the Debt Therapy practice who are headed up by the hard working and current President of the Debt Counsellors Association of South Africa, Mr Reinhard Pettenberger. They have consistently been in the Top 5 for several years and previously took the Award in 2019.

The top spot of the day in the National Debt Counselling practice category went to repeat winners DebtBusters. They also took the Award home last year. The DebtBusters practice has a very large number of NCR registered Debt Counsellors who work together to service a large portion of the consumers under debt review in South Africa. They have taken the hotly contested award several times over the last 9 years. Others who were highest rated in the category were Debt Rescue, NDA, NDC and Vantage.

For a full list of all the results visit www.debtreviewawards.co.za

The event was fun for all who attended in person and online with the hybrid model giving more people than ever access to the program. After the event guests at the venue were able to enjoy some food and drink and spent time mingling in the warm Cape Town evening air outside on the rooftop garden at the venue. Guests were even able to have a little fun mingling, grabbing some gifts, taking pictures and enjoying the sunset over the city.

The organisers say they want to thank both the sponsors and those who took part in the reviews this year. They say they will now “consult with the industry to look at ways to further refine the process” as they move toward their 10th year.

* as rated by industry peers