Fewer debt summonses for South Africans, but total debt continues to rise

Fewer South Africans and local companies are being taken to court for unpaid debts, but the amount they owe is growing.

Stats SA’s latest Civil Cases for Debt report shows that the number of civil summonses issued for debt dropped by 7.4% in the three months to August 2025 compared with the same period last year.

Some 27, 776 people were taken to court out of a total of 33, 848 cases.

Overall, in 2024, there were 410, 406 cases recorded, the figures showed.

The biggest declines were in money lent and “other” debts, both down 3.1 percentage points, while promissory notes fell 1.5 points.

Only services and rent saw small increases.

Civil judgments – court orders to repay debt – were also down, falling 8.7% year on year.

Fewer cases involving unpaid service bills, personal loans and general debts reached the courts.

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Written promises to pay, known as promissory notes, were the only type of debt on the rise.

While fewer people are being dragged to court, the total value of judgments shot up 7.7%. Promissory notes, services and rent were the biggest drivers of this increase.

In August alone, South Africans were hit with 10, 515 civil judgments worth a combined R344.4 million.

The largest chunks came from services (R88.2 million), money lent (R79.5 million), and other debts (R68 million).