practical tips

What Is a CVV Number and Why You Should Never Share It

What Is a CVV Number and Why You Should Never Share It

The CVV is the small three-digit code on the back of your card that proves you are holding it during an online purchase. That is also why it is the first thing fraudsters ask for on the phone.

You Sent Money to the Wrong Account. Now What?

You Sent Money to the Wrong Account. Now What?

One wrong digit and your money is sitting in a stranger's account. The first hour decides most of it: here is the exact order of steps, and what the outcome honestly depends on.

Johannesburg to Harare by Bus: A Practical Guide

Johannesburg to Harare by Bus: A Practical Guide

The cheapest way home is still the bus: about 1,100 kilometres, one border post and an overnight ride. Here is what the trip involves and why your money should arrive before you do.

What Is Proof of Payment and How to Check It's Real

What Is Proof of Payment and How to Check It's Real

A proof of payment shows a transfer was sent. It does not prove the money reached your account. Here is what a genuine POP contains, how fake ones fool sellers, and what to check before releasing goods.

What Is a Stop Order and How Is It Different From a Debit Order?

What Is a Stop Order and How Is It Different From a Debit Order?

Both take money out of your account every month, but a stop order and a debit order are controlled by opposite people. Knowing which one you signed is the whole story.

DebiCheck Mandate: What Your Bank Is Asking You to Approve, and When to Decline

DebiCheck Mandate: What Your Bank Is Asking You to Approve, and When to Decline

A DebiCheck request is your bank asking you to confirm a new debit order once, before the first collection. What to check, how long you have to answer, and why declining is not the same as cancelling.

Proof of Residence in South Africa: What Counts, and How to Get One With No Bill in Your Name

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Proof of Residence in South Africa: What Counts, and How to Get One With No Bill in Your Name

A proof of residence is a recent document with your name and home address on it. Here is what counts in South Africa, who accepts what, and what to do when no bill is in your name.

Garnishee Order on Your Payslip: What It Means, the 25% Limit and How to Get It Reduced

Garnishee Order on Your Payslip: What It Means, the 25% Limit and How to Get It Reduced

A garnishee order lets a creditor take part of your pay through your employer. We follow one worker's payslip back to the court: what the words mean, the 25% limit and how an order gets reduced.

Can You Reverse a Debit Order? DebiCheck, the 60-Day Rule and Where Each Bank Puts the Button

Can You Reverse a Debit Order? DebiCheck, the 60-Day Rule and Where Each Bank Puts the Button

Most debit orders can be disputed within 60 calendar days, but a DebiCheck you approved usually can't. What changed in April 2026, how stop, dispute and cancel differ, and where each big bank puts the button.

Mashonisa Loans in South Africa: What They Really Cost, the WhatsApp Trap, and Your Legal Options

Mashonisa Loans in South Africa: What They Really Cost, the WhatsApp Trap, and Your Legal Options

A mashonisa charges R30 to R50 a month on every R100. What that costs against the legal maximum, why WhatsApp lenders ask for a fee first, what the law says about your ID or SASSA card, and where a legal small loan comes from.

Micro Loans in South Africa: What a Micro Lender Can Legally Charge, in Rands

Micro Loans in South Africa: What a Micro Lender Can Legally Charge, in Rands

A micro loan's price is capped by law. The maximum a micro lender can charge on R2,000 to R8,000, worked out in rands, how to check a lender on the NCR register, and why a loan shark can't keep your ID or SASSA card.

How to Improve Your Credit Score in South Africa: Naledi's Six-Month Plan, and What Actually Works Fast

How to Improve Your Credit Score in South Africa: Naledi's Six-Month Plan, and What Actually Works Fast

Turned down for a phone contract, Naledi pulled all four credit reports, found one wrong line, fixed it for free, and then did the boring things. What moved her score in weeks, what took months, and how to build a score when your file is empty.

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