Affordability Reshapes South Africa’s Credit Market in Q2 2026
- Retail credit originations declined across clothing, revolving and instalment products, with each segment showing increasingly distinct consumer behaviours
- Despite significant growth in new vehicle sales during the quarter, vehicle asset finance growth slowed as consumers shifted focus to long-term affordability rather than simply accessing credit
- Bank and non-bank personal loan markets continued to grow, with distinct performance outcomes
As many South Africans continue to feel the pressure of rising living costs, affordability is affecting popular credit products in diverse ways as consumers adapt their borrowing strategies rather than stepping away from credit altogether. The latest TransUnion Q2 2026 South Africa Industry Insights Report shows that households are becoming more selective about how they borrow, with consumers prioritising products that align with their needs while carefully managing affordability.
Acquisition Slowed as Portfolio Outcomes Diverged
Growth in retail credit originations (new accounts opened) declined across all major retail lending products during the quarter. New clothing accounts fell 7.8% year-over-year (YoY), retail instalment originations declined 10.3%, and retail revolving originations decreased 12.2%.
While all three credit products experienced lower new account volumes, the underlying customer and portfolio trends across these products tell very different stories.
Despite new account acquisition falling significantly, the clothing account portfolio continued to demonstrate stability, supported by existing customer relationships. Total credit lines increased by 12.4% YoY, outpacing balance growth of 8.0% YoY. This may reflect ongoing line management among existing customers, while the slower increase in balances suggests that consumers are using the additional capacity selectively, using only the credit they need to support day-to-day consumption in a challenging economic environment.
Clothing account performance improved slightly, with serious account-level delinquency (3+ months in arrears, or MIA) decreasing by eight basis points (bps) YoY to 26.5%. However, balance-level delinquency deteriorated by 67 bps, suggesting that repayment pressure is becoming more concentrated among customers carrying larger balances.
The retail revolving credit segment followed a different trajectory. Account volumes declined by 4.5%, the number of active consumers fell 4.4% YoY and outstanding balances decreased 1.9% YoY, indicating continued market contraction. Despite weaker acquisition (origination volumes dropped by 12.2% YoY) and lower participation, performance improved materially, with account-level delinquencies improving by 135 bps YoY to 16.0%. These trends suggest that while the portfolio may be shrinking in size, quality has improved, as tighter lending and portfolio rationalisation have yielded a more resilient borrower base.
Retail instalment lending presented yet another picture. Origination volumes declined by 10.3% YoY and the number of consumers carrying balances fell by 13.9% YoY, yet outstanding balances increased by 12.0% YoY and average balances rose by 9.8% YoY. Serious delinquency deteriorated across all measures: account-level delinquency increased by 146 bps, with similar deterioration for consumer-level and balance level delinquency, pointing to mounting repayment pressure among remaining borrowers.
For lenders, the combination of fewer consumers, higher average balances and broad-based delinquency deterioration reinforces the need to assess affordability carefully at origination and monitor existing portfolios closely for emerging signs of stress, particularly among retail instalment customers.
These trends align with findings from TransUnion’s Q2 2026 Consumer Pulse Study which showed that 52.7% of consumers said that they had cut discretionary spending in recent months, while nearly two thirds (63.4%) said that they actively sought sales and discounts when shopping, to make ends meet.
“South Africa’s retail credit market continued to fragment during the quarter under review, with clothing, retail revolving and instalment lending following increasingly different trajectories,” said Ayesha Hatea, director of research and consulting at TransUnion South Africa. “While all three products experienced lower origination activity, the underlying performance and portfolio trends suggest consumers are becoming more selective in how they use retail credit and lenders are responding differently across product types. As a result, retail credit can no longer be viewed as a single market, but rather as a collection of products serving distinct consumer needs and risk profiles, each of which may be experiencing varying levels of financial strain or resilience.”
Consumers’ Mobility Choices Influenced by Long-Term Affordability
Despite new passenger vehicle sales increasing strongly during Q2 2026 according to TransUnion’s Q2 2026 Mobility Insights Report, the vehicle finance market recorded modest growth in Q2 2026, continuing to demonstrate demand despite a more challenging affordability environment. Outstanding balances increased 8.0% YoY, supported by a 5.5% YoY increase in average new loan values, while origination volumes grew modestly by 1.1% YoY. Importantly, credit performance continued to improve, with serious account-level delinquencies decreased by 115 bps, indicating that growth continues to be accompanied by relatively strong portfolio performance.
This resilience is particularly noteworthy given shifts occurring elsewhere in the automotive market. According to the Mobility Insights Report, vehicle purchase intentions softened during Q2 2026, particularly among lower- and middle-income consumers. Affordability, financing costs, fuel efficiency and total cost of ownership have become increasingly important considerations in vehicle selection.
At the same time, consumers showed growing interest in technologies that could reduce long-term ownership costs, with hybrid vehicles emerging as an increasingly attractive alternative for consumers focused on fuel efficiency and operating costs. These developments suggest that demand is being reshaped by more value and affordability considerations, rather than disappearing altogether.
“Consumers are increasingly evaluating not only whether they can finance a vehicle, but also whether they can comfortably own and operate it over the longer term. This shift is likely to influence vehicle choice, financing structures and portfolio composition as the market continues to evolve,” said Hatea.
“Affordability pressures appear to be changing the structure of demand rather than reducing participation in the market. Consumers remain interested in mobility solutions but are becoming more selective about how their needs are met. Lenders that can balance access, affordability and risk management are likely to be best positioned to support sustainable growth in the vehicle finance market,” she added.
Personal Loan Trends Continued to Diverge
South Africa’s personal loan market continued to expand during Q2 2026, but the underlying trends diverged sharply between bank and non-bank lenders. While both segments recorded growth, differences in loan size and credit performance point to distinct borrower needs and risk outcomes.
Bank personal loan originations increased 7.7% YoY, outstanding balances grew 8.9% YoY and average new loan amounts increased 9.2% YoY, indicating continued demand for larger-value unsecured credit. These gains were accompanied by improved performance, with account-level delinquency improved by 194 bps YoY to 26.5% and balance-level delinquency improved by 342 bps YoY to 29.3%. Together, these trends suggest that banks found growth opportunities among consumers with the capacity to manage larger borrowing commitments while maintaining disciplined risk management and portfolio quality.
Non-bank personal loan originations increased by 21.3% YoY and the number of consumers carrying balances rose by 12.7% YoY, significantly outpacing the bank personal loan market. However, average new loan amounts declined by 5.9%, indicating that growth was increasingly concentrated in smaller-ticket lending. This points to continued demand for accessible liquidity and short-term credit solutions, particularly among consumers seeking smaller borrowing amounts.
While this supports broader access to credit, the non-bank personal loan segment also experienced a deterioration in credit performance. Serious account-level delinquency increased by 32 bps YoY to 48.3%, while balance-level delinquency rose by 636 bps YoY to 54.6%.
Lenders across these products target different risk groups: bank personal loan originations have tilted modestly towards subprime over the last two years, reaching 56.6% in Q2 2026 compared to 53.8% two years prior. In contrast, subprime non-bank personal loan customers account for 71.3% in Q2 2026, compared to 68.3% two years prior. This suggests that banks are widening access selectively, without dramatically changing their credit posture, while non-bank lenders are servicing the highest risk, highest need consumers – a dynamic that explains the sharp divergence in delinquency trends across the two segments.
“The contrast between bank and non-bank personal lending shows why growth must be assessed alongside loan value and credit performance,” said Hatea. “Understanding which consumers are driving expansion, and whether that growth is sustainable, is becoming increasingly important for lenders.”
Table 1: Key South African Consumer Credit Market Metrics (Q2 2025 vs Q2 2026)
| Product | YoY origination growth | Serious account-level delinquency rate* | YoY basis points (bps) change in delinquency rate |
| Credit card | -16.8% | 13.1% | +22 bps |
| Bank personal loan | 7.7% | 26.5% | -194 bps |
| Non-bank personal loan | 21.3% | 48.3% | +32 bps |
| Clothing accounts | -7.8% | 26.5% | -8 bps |
| Retail instalment | -10.3% | 27.3% | +146 bps |
| Retail revolving | -12.2% | 16.0% | -135 bps |
| Home loans | -10.5% | 7.2% | -52 bps |
| Vehicle finance | 1.1% | 6.4% | -115 bps |
*Account-level serious delinquency rate, measured as a percentage of accounts three or more months in arrears
“For lenders, sustainable growth will depend on looking beyond volume to the affordability, risk and repayment capacity behind each credit decision,” said Hatea. “Those that can identify where consumers have the capacity to take on credit responsibly, while responding early to emerging stress, will be best positioned to grow without compromising portfolio quality."