A short-term loan online offers same-day approval for up to R80,000 at an affordable low-interest rate starting from 19.5% and a flexible repayment term of up to 24 months – the most popular form of consumer credit in South Africa.
View Short-term loan OffersA short-term loan can be used for anything from paying bills to buying groceries. Not only do they tend to be same day payout, they can easily be obtained online.
Short-term loans in South Africa are not only among the most popular forms of credit but they’re also the most useful. Also referred to as payday loans, they are a great financial solution for those individuals who are struggling to cover major or emergency expenses.
If you’re interested in applying for a short-term loan, it is important that you know the pros and cons of this type of loan. It is essential that you understand the basics of instant loans such as how they work out and what alternatives you have available.
You should keep in mind that these little loans can often lead to more financial trouble if you do not manage them properly or make use of them on a regular basis. They are not recommended by financial experts due to the fact that they are costly and can easily send you into a debt spiral.
Short-term loans can provide instant cash to ensure that you can handle any financial crisis that you may encounter.
The amounts offered by banks and online loan providers are sufficient to help you meet small and medium financial commitments and needs. You can borrow only a limited amount of money for a very short period of time with this form of finance.
Creditors normally do not impose stringent conditions and checks on short-term loans as they do with long term loans. Although, in most cases, you will be required to provide proof of your affordability and means to repay the loan using your salary or other income. There are also alternative lenders that offer loans to people with bad credit and do minimal-to-no credit checks prior to giving you loan approval.
If you are unable to repay the short-term loan by the due date, you can always have the term extended but, keep in mind that you will have to pay an extra charge every time you get an extension.
Loans taken out on a short-term basis are among the most expensive of all types of credit products available in the market for both households and businesses. The annual percentage rate is usually several hundred percent and there are also additional fees and charges which most people do not know about until it’s too late.
For example, if you want to borrow R100 for two weeks, you may end up paying up to R20 in the form of borrowing charges. This means you will be paying an annual percentage rate of 426% on your short-term loan to the creditor. Therefore, the biggest disadvantage of using a quick loan is the cost as the fees can be extremely high and you may even end up in a vicious cycle of debt.
The interest rate on short-term loans in South Africa is often very high and it adds an additional burden on you at the end of the month when your repayments are due.
Your overall amount of debt increases if you constantly rely on short-term loans to satisfy your basic needs. Therefore, even though they may work out for you once or twice, they can never be a feasible option for long term use. For example, a short-term loan would be a great idea if you want to get your vehicle repaired but don't have enough money available to pay for this.
Moreover, your credit score also suffers a major setback if you are unable to repay your short-term or payday loans on time. If you continue to default on your payments, you may have to deal with a debt collector after which your default will be reported to the credit bureaus and eventually, a lawsuit may be filed against you by the lender. It is important to make all of your payments on time since you will otherwise be charged additional fees and charges.
Traditional bank loans can be very hard to obtain especially if you already have a bad credit score and this is why more and more financial and lending institutions are taking greater interest in the short-term loan market. A short-term loan from any bank in South Africa will usually be easier to obtain and will carry a lower interest rate.
At the same time, you should keep in mind that even those short-term loans provided by banks are quite similar in nature to any other type of short-term loan despite the fact that banks may advertise them under different names.
Moreover, you will discover that the terms and conditions that apply to these types of loans provided by banks are even more restrictive.
The bank obviously has full access to your financial information and can withdraw the due payment directly from your account. What makes short-term loans hard to repay is the fact that the full repayment, including interest or a large portion of the loan amount will be due at once.
Moreover, they may also require you to place an asset as security when applying for the loan if you have a poor credit record. This puts you at even greater risk since in the case of a default, you can lose the asset.
At the same time, you should keep in mind that all debt options carry a certain degree of risk if you do not utilize them efficiently.
There are ways in which you can avoid using these types of loans altogether. Start by building an emergency fund and put the money in your savings account. This may be very difficult for those who are already in a financial turmoil, however.
You need to make sure that you do not borrow too much to keep your credit score in good condition. You should always have a credit card at hand in case of an emergency situation, which can be used and repaid slowly over a pre-agreed time period.
Short-term loans can help you cover a cash emergency or simply tide you over until you receive your salary. The main benefit of these online loans is that you can obtain them very quickly without having to go into a bank or fill out lots of paperwork. Another major benefit is that you do not indebt yourself for a long period of time but simply for a month or up to 6 months depending on the term you select. These loans can quickly and easily be obtained by filling in an online loan application and the loan will be paid into your account anywhere from a few minutes up to 24 hours.