National Credit Act, 2005 (Act No. 34 of 2005)

Chapter 5 : Consumer Credit Agreements

Part A : Unlawful agreements and provisions

89. Unlawful credit agreements

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(1)This section does not apply to a pawn transaction.

 

(2)Subject to subsections (3) and (4), a credit agreement is unlawful if—
(a)at the time the agreement was made the consumer was an unemancipated minor unassisted by a guardian, or was subject to—
(i)an order of a competent court holding that person to be mentally unfit; or
(ii)an administration order referred to in section 74(1) of the Magistrates’ Courts Act, and the administrator concerned did not consent to the agreement,

and the credit provider knew, or could reasonably have determined, that the consumer was the subject of such an order;

(b)the agreement results from an offer prohibited in terms of section 74(1);
(c)it is a supplementary agreement or document prohibited by section 91(a);
(d)at the time the agreement was made, the credit provider was unregistered and this Act requires that credit provider to be registered; or
(e)the credit provider was subject to a notice by the National Credit Regulator or a provincial credit regulator requiring the credit provider—
(i)to stop offering, making available or extending credit under any credit agreement, or agreeing to do any of those things; or
(ii)to stop offering, making available or extending credit under the particular form of credit agreement used by the credit provider,

whether or not this Act requires that credit provider to be registered, and no further appeal or review is available in respect of that notice.

 

(3)Subsection (2)(a) does not apply to a credit agreement if the consumer, or any person acting on behalf of the consumer, directly or indirectly, by an act or omission—
(a)induced the credit provider to believe that the consumer had the legal capacity to contract; or
(b)attempted to obscure or suppress the fact that the consumer was subject to an order contemplated in that paragraph.

 

(4)Subsection (2)(d) does not apply to a credit provider if—
(a)at the time the credit agreement was made, or within 30 days after that time, the credit provider had applied for registration in terms of section 40, and was awaiting a determination of that application; or
(b)at the time the credit agreement was made, the credit provider held a valid clearance certificate issued by the National Credit Regulator in terms of section 42(3)(b).

 

(5)If a credit agreement is unlawful in terms of this section, despite any other legislation or any provision of an agreement to the contrary, a court or the Tribunal, as the case may be, must make a just and equitable order including but not limited to an order that—

[Words preceding subsection 89(5)(a) substituted by section 17 of Notice No. 1081, GG 42649, dated 19 August 2019]

(a)the credit agreement is void as from the date the agreement was entered into;
(b)[Subsection (5)(b) deleted by section 27(b) of Act No. 19 of 2014]
(c)[Subsection (5)(c) deleted by section 27(b) of Act No. 19 of 2014]