The XDS Credit Database contains aggregated information on all credit users in South Africa. This database allows users to see the distributions of credit products and users by age, gender, income, presage score, credit holdings, impairment and arrears status.

XDS CREDIT DATA DEFINITIONS

Short-term credit:
An agreement that meets all the criteria as set out in section 39 (2) of the National Credit Regulations. This includes amounts not exceeding R8 000 and repayable within 6 months.

Secured (other) credit:
A secured credit agreement, excluding mortgages and credit facilities. E.g. Vehicle finance, furniture accounts, pension-backed loans.

Unsecured credit:
This includes all transactions in respect of which the lender does not have any security (other than credit facilities or short-term credit).

Credit facilities:
An agreement that meets all the criteria as set out in section 8 (3) of the NCA. Credit facilities consist mainly of credit cards, store cards and bank overdrafts.

Judgements:
A judgment is a court order requested by your credit provider when you have not paid your debt

Debt review:
Debt review is the process whereby a debt counsellor assesses your outstanding debts, consults with credit providers on your behalf and assists the client in establishing an affordable monthly payment plan that incorporates both earning and living expenses. Debt review requires you to make one monthly payment, which is then divided and distributed to all your credit providers. Note: If you feel over-indebted, you can choose to apply for debt review. Once under debt review you no longer have access to credit.

Admin Orders:
This is a court order granted by a Magistrates Court at the request of you the debtor or a credit provider, provided that your debt does not exceed R 50 000. The order examines your financial position and appoints an administrator to whom you make regular payments. These payments are divided proportionately amongst your creditors as listed on your order.

Adverse listing:
When you have not honoured your agreement with a credit provider, they will then add a default (adverse) listing to your credit bureau report. Each credit grantor has its own debt collection policies.

Impaired:
A record on which a consumer and/or any of the accounts, are either classified as three or more payments or months in arrears, or which has an “adverse listing”, or that reflects a judgment or administration order.

Sequestration:
The action of taking legal possession of assets until a debt has been paid or other claims have been met.

Arrears:
Your account will be marked ‘arrears’ if you are 3 months or more in arrears.

Retail general:
An account from any retailer, excluding clothing and furniture retailers (e.g. Jewellery stores, woman’s cosmetic stores).

Financial other:
Any other credit facility. (e.g. student loan, pension backed loan)

Microloan:
An unsecured loan issued by a member of Micro Finance South Africa

Personal loan:
An unsecured loan issued by a member of the Credit Providers Association

ANSWERS TO PREVIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT XDS DATA: 

Q: In the employment classification, what is included in “formal sector”? And would “retail unskilled” be the cashiers etc, but excl management?

A: The employment classification field is derived from the borrower’s stated employer. We looked at all the large employers on the database, grouped them into usable terms (PnP, Pick ‘n Pay, Pick & Pay, etc), and classified them based on our knowledge of the various industries. Formal includes all large employers that do not fall into any other category. Often we could distinguish between a head office and a store, which gave us a fuzzy indicator of “retail unskilled”.

Q:  Is the income measure total gross income before tax, or are there any deductions that have already been made from these numbers, such as tax?

A:  The income measure is based on XDS’s model of gross income, you would need to contact XDS directly for their calculations

Q: I see that there are debt-income and instalment-income ratios for some of the earlier years, but not for 2015. Are you planning to add this to the 2015 data as well?

A: The debt-income and instalment-income (and some others) will be included in the upcoming iteration, contact us to check on progress

Q: How can people with no income have loans?

A: These people could be retired, working in the informal sector or living with another person who is the primary breadwinner. It could also be someone who has lost their job recently.