Travelling To the DCASA Conference
Is It Worth It?
Each year the Debt Counsellors Association of South Africa hold an annual conference in Gauteng.
You may wonder what it is like to travel to attend the conference and whether it is worth it to make plans to attend in person next year?
A Little Advance Planning is Essential
With petrol and plane tickets being more pricey now, than in the past, it is no small thing to travel up to the annual DCASA Conference.
So, a little advanced planning and setting funds aside is vital.
Things you will need to keep in mind and plan for:
- Travel Costs (you might drive or fly)
- Accommodation
- Local transport (Uber/car hire)
- Meals
- Entrance Fee (for non-members)
With some advanced planning, you will be able to set these funds aside over time so that you do not have to reach too deeply into your pocket come August. Fortunately, Debt Counsellors are very good at managing their budgets and will be able to have the needed funds with a little forethought.
There are also a few tricks and tips that can help reduce those expenses (see the tips and tricks section below).
The Conference Itself
With +- 220 guests in 2025 (that’s a record by the way), the conference is clearly getting more and more popular.
One Western Cape Debt Counsellor said that: “Debt Review can be an isolating niche industry where it sometimes feels like you are battling the world alone. So, to get the opportunity to engage with all other players, we build our community and our shared goals…it’s invaluable”
We asked the operations manager at a large debt counselling practice about travelling up to attend. Here is what they said when we asked if it was worth it: “Yes it was for me. From the Economist’s positive outlook on where the country’s economy is heading to the NCR’s update on what they will be looking at in the coming year, coupled encouragement of work being done with the relative structures on improving the operational challenges we face”. So, it was clear the content of the conference itself had an uplifting impact on him.
DCASA like to spice things up and have prizes and competitions from event sponsors throughout the day so who knows… you may head home with a blue tooth speaker or coffee vouchers. You will certainly head home with enough pens, notebooks, stress balls and phone stands, from sponsors, to give gifts to your entire office.
One of the main benefits of attending is to be able to engage directly with credit providers and service providers who have stands at the event. You may be able to build relationships that last for years just by getting to meet face to face.
One traveling Debt Counsellor said: “The chance to also meet up with people you only engage with electronically helps create a more informal discussion where you see a person instead of a CP”. This works the other way around too as these credit providers now know you a bit better. These bonds can assist down the line.
This year several members of the other large debt counselling association (NDCA) were in attendance. We asked them why they were attending.
Several of the members of these very large national sized debt counselling practices were in attendance (non members can attend they just pay a fee). When asked about the reason they travelled up from Cape Town or Durban they told us that they were wondering what others in the industry were experiencing (with different sized practices).
They were able to engage directly with other Debt Counsellors at the event and hear what common industry issues are being experienced. They were also able as attendees to submit questions to the industry panel in advance for discussion.
With these Debt Counsellors at the conference, it also enabled others to meet with them for dinners and after hours conversations.
Getting the Most Out of Your Trip
This year, several travelling Debt Counsellors joined local Gauteng Debt Counsellors at the in person Debtfree GET MORE CLIENTS Workshop which was held at the ONE office in Bryanston, the day before the conference. This enabled them to get even more value from the trip.
Other Debt Counsellors like to visit the various credit providers who are based in Gauteng during their trip. A Debt Counsellor who travelled up to Gauteng from the coast told us: “Personally, I enjoy scheduling a full week of business trips and meetings during the conference”.
Since these credit providers may seldom travel to the town or city where you operate from, it makes sense to use the opportunity. All the large Debt Review departments at the banks are more than happy to set aside time to meet with Debt Counsellors. It just takes an email or call to set this up in advance (don’t just show up).
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few helpful tips and tricks to help you get the most out of a trip to the annual DCASA conference:
DCASA Members get the ticket price included in their full membership contribution. So, by joining up you can get access at no additional cost.
Flying in and out of OR Tambo is the best choice for the conference. Some people fly in early and fly out late that evening. The venue is close to the airport.
If you stay (and eat) at the venue, you can make use of the shuttle service to and from the airport and not have to worry about hiring a car.
A Debt Counsellor from Cape Town told us: “The accommodation is great and convenient…Decent restaurants within the complex of the Venue just adds to the less planning needed for travel etc”.
Staying at local Airbnb’s is also an option but it is good to see if a local Debt Counsellor can give you a lift to and from or to check on Uber costs and weigh that up verse staying at the venue (Birchwood & OR Tambo Conference Centre).
For those unused to Gauteng traffic, it is good to allow extra travel time as the roads get much more congested than along the coast or smaller towns and cities. Also…with many traffic signals out of commission and the challenge of potholes, you will not be travelling as fast as you do at home on familiar roads.
Book time with credit providers’ debt review offices in advance. Avoid talking to them too last minute or others may have taken your preferred time slot. Ask for parking inside (as street parking is…not ideal).
Should You Go Next Year?
A Debt Counsellor who travelled to the conference from the Eastern Cape had this to say: “The importance of being present at the DCASA event is access…access to service providers, access to credit providers, access to the regulator and industry bodies that can provide value to your Debt counselling business, the access to information and people and access to industry discussions. So to miss it will actually cost you…access”
It is also good to think about things in this way. Not… is it worth it, but can you afford not to be there?
Whether you decide to fly in and out on the same day or stay for a few days and make a visit of it, the DCASA conference can be well worth it.
