MoneyMatcher

Personal loan calculator

Instalment and total cost at the legal cap of 28.00% a year (repo 7.00% + 21%).

Monthly instalment
R1 268.08
Interest over the term
R6 346.48
Initiation fee incl. VAT
R1 207.50
Service fees incl. VAT
R1 656.00
Credit life (max)
R1 223.96
Total repayable
R30 433.94

Repo rate 7.00% as of 2026-05-28. Legal maximum only; a lender may charge less.

Borrowing money costs money — only borrow what you can afford to repay. Lenders listed here publish a National Credit Regulator registration; matching services are not lenders and are labelled as such. The order of our lists reflects our partner agreements; the star ratings are our own. Costs shown as "legal maximum" are the caps set by the National Credit Act, not a lender's price.

What the term does to the total

Every extra month adds a service fee, a month of credit life and more interest on the balance. Choose the shortest term whose instalment you can afford with room to spare, and settle early when you can — the instalment looks worse but the total is far better.

Questions people ask

What interest rate does this use?

The National Credit Act cap for unsecured credit: the SARB repo rate plus 21% a year. The repo rate in use and its date are shown under the result.

Will a bank charge this much?

Usually not for a clean record — banks price relative to prime. Non-bank lenders often price at or near the cap. Use this as the ceiling to judge any quotation.

Is credit life compulsory?

A lender may require it on unsecured credit but must accept a policy you already hold that meets the requirements. It is capped at R4.50 per R1 000 of the outstanding balance per month.

Can I settle early?

Yes. For personal loans under R250 000 there is no early-settlement penalty; you pay interest and fees only to the settlement date.