Being ‘blacklisted’ is a bigger deal than most people think, and the consequences also last longer than most would guess.
This is a big statement, but is true: Understanding ‘blacklisting’ (and credit restrictions) could change your life.
That’s right. It’s that important. Now, let’s back up that statement and tell you everything you need to know.
Being blacklisted in South Africa can have serious consequences on your financial life But how long does this blacklisting actually last? In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive overview of blacklisting in South Africa, including what it means to be blacklisted, why you may have been blacklisted, and most importantly – how long it typically lasts.
What is Blacklisting in South Africa?
In South Africa, the term “blacklisting” refers to having a negative record on your credit profile This happens when you are unable to pay your debts or your creditors are considering legal action against you When you are blacklisted, you are considered a high-risk borrower, making it very difficult to get approved for new loans, credit cards, or other lines of credit.
Blacklisting is not an official term, but rather a colloquial way to describe having adverse information on your credit report. This adverse information is what reduces your credit score and hurts your creditworthiness in the eyes of lenders.
Why You May Have Been Blacklisted
There are several reasons you could end up on the blacklist in South Africa:
- Missing payments on loans or credit cards
- Defaulting on a loan
- Having a court judgment against you
- Being under debt review
- Too many credit inquiries in a short period
Essentially, any negative information on your credit report can lead to you being considered “blacklisted” and high risk by lenders and creditors.
How Long Does Blacklisting Last?
The duration of blacklisting depends on the type of negative credit information:
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Court judgments – Remain on your credit profile for up to 5 years unless rescinded earlier by a court order.
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Defaults – Typically remain for 5 years from the date of default.
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Credit inquiries – Remain for 1 year.
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Debt review – Remains for the duration of the debt review process, which is typically 3-5 years.
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Collections – Remain for 5 years from when the account was first sent to collections.
In addition to the type of negative information, the specific policies of each credit bureau may affect the duration. Ongoing negative credit behavior can also cause blacklisting to persist longer.
The key is to understand that blacklisting is not necessarily indefinite or permanent. With some time and diligent work to improve your creditworthiness, you can eventually get off the blacklist.
How to Get Removed from the Blacklist
If you find yourself blacklisted, here are some tips to get removed as quickly as possible:
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Pay off debt – Settling your defaulted accounts or collections can get them removed from your credit report, taking you off the blacklist.
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Dispute errors – If any of the negative information is incorrect, dispute it with the credit bureaus.
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Improve credit habits – Going forward, pay all bills on time, keep credit utilization low, and avoid unnecessary credit inquiries.
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Wait it out – For some blacklistings like judgments and defaults, waiting out the 5 year period is the only option. But you can use this time to rebuild your profile.
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Debt counselling – Work with a reputable debt counselor to negotiate with your creditors and develop a payment plan. This can ultimately help remove the adverse information.
With some strategic effort, you can get yourself removed from credit blacklists within 12-24 months in many cases. But it requires diligence and responsible financial habits going forward.
Being blacklisted in South Africa makes accessing credit challenging. But the effects are not indefinite. With the right approach, you can rebuild your creditworthiness and get off the blacklist within a few years in most cases. The key is understanding what led to the blacklisting, disputing any errors, and demonstrating responsible money management habits moving forward.
How long do you stay blacklisted?
In South Africa, negative information can remain on an individual’s credit report for up to five years, which means that a person can potentially stay blacklisted for this duration. Furthermore, if the ‘blacklisted’ individual doesn’t improve their credit behaviour (or credit score), they could remain ‘blacklisted’ indefinitely.
The duration of ‘blacklisting’ boils down to a couple of things:
- The type of information that was reported.
- Specific credit bureau policies.
- The individual’s ongoing credit behaviour.
Negative information on a credit report (missed payments, defaults, and court judgments) typically reflects for a period of 5 years from the initial reporting date.
So a missed payment in June 2023 may still have a negative impact in June 2028.
Other information like insolvency or sequestration may stick around even longer. Insolvency could stay on your credit report for up to 10 years.
Earlier in this post, we briefly touched on why this all matters. Now, we’re going to take a closer look at the implications.
How long does it take to be blacklisted?
It is possible to get ‘blacklisted’ within a few months. In South Africa, it can take as little as three missed payments or defaulting on a debt for a creditor to report negative information to a credit bureau, which may lead to being ‘blacklisted’.
That’s pretty fast. Let’s look at the ‘blacklisting’ procedure to explain why this is the case.
- A consumer misses their debt repayment(s), pays late, or only partially repays their instalment.
- A creditor reports negative information to a credit bureau.
- The credit bureau records this information on the person’s credit report.
- Negative listings hurt the person’s credit score and add up over time (negative information could last up to five years).
- Lenders, realtors, employers, and others see negative credit behaviour as a sign of risk and choose not to approve loans, do business, or work with the person.
That is how someone gets ‘blacklisted’.
Generally, credit providers must report information to credit bureaus within 7 days of the due date.
It’s worth noting that each creditor has their own way of working. Some report incidents more frequently, while others might only report information every 30 days.
To be safe, try not to miss any payments, and if you do, get it fixed as soon as possible. Preferably within 7 days of the due date.
- Missing payments on credit accounts
- Defaulting on loans
- Receiving court judgements for unpaid debt
- Failing to pay utility bills
- Failing to pay tax bills
- A history of late- or non-payments (on credit accounts)
- Applying for too much credit at once
- Having a high level of outstanding debt
- A history of returned payments
- Any fraudulent activity
- Failing to honour a debt restructuring or payment plan arrangement with a creditor.
Now you know how someone gets blacklisted in South Africa. Let’s look at the duration of ‘blacklisting’ on a credit record next.
How long do you stay blacklisted in South Africa?
FAQ
How long does it take to be removed from blacklist in South Africa?
The simplest way to clear your name from the credit bureau is to pay off the debt. According to TransUnion, one of South Africa’ biggest credit bureaus, this will usually result in your name being removed from the blacklist within 7 – 20 days.
What happens after 5 years of being blacklisted?
Once you have been blacklisted you will have a bad credit record for anything from 2 – 10 years, depending on the type of listing that you have against you, but even after this period of time, a judgment can be issued against you if you have not paid the money that you owe.
Does blacklisting still exist in South Africa?
How do I find out if I’m blacklisted? While there is no such thing as being blacklisted in South Africa, your credit report can contain negative information.Jun 6, 2025
How long does it take to get off a blacklist?
Immediate Delisting (Hours to a Few Days):
Some blacklists, especially those that operate automatically based on email volume or spam complaints, may remove your IP or domain within a few hours to a couple of days once the issue is resolved.