If you have a complaint against your financial services provider, you’re in the right place! The National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) is an independent body that resolves complaints brought by consumers against South African financial institutions – for free! The NFO is recognised as an industry ombud scheme by the Ombud Council (OC/001/24).
When a complaint is lodged with the NFO, every attempt is made to establish and record whether the complainant should be identified as a “vulnerable complainant”.
Any consumer with a complaint about their financial services provider may approach the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) for our free assistance.
The primary purpose of the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) is to resolve consumer complaints against financial service providers. As an independent organisation, we commit to resolve disputes impartially, speedily, confidentially and in an open, informal and approachable way – at no charge to the complainant.
The financial service providers which participate in the NFO and therefore fall within our jurisdiction comprise of:
You can view the full list of participants per division by selecting one of the divisions from the list above.
As a financial services provider, your organisation is required to participate in the NFO. Participation brings multiple benefits, including enhanced compliance and increased consumer trust.
Click on the articles below to read our most recent news, to find out more about the work of the NFO, and our involvement. in our corporate social investment initiatives.
20 July 2026 Income protection cover is meant to be a lifeline – a safeguard against the financial shock that strikes when illness or disability prevents you from working. But the experience of one consumer of income insurance shows how fragile that lifeline can become
8 July 2026 As South Africa closed Youth Month and honoured the defiance of 16 June 1976, the National Financial Ombud (NFO) renewed its pledge: to continue equipping today’s youth with financial literacy, consumer education and inclusion – turning courage into economic power. Fifty years
24 June 2026 In the world of consumer credit, the numbers tell a stark story: 62 percent of complaints lodged against credit companies with the National Financial Ombud Scheme SA (NFO) have been upheld in favour of consumers. Nerosha Maseti, Lead Ombud for Banking and
5 June 2026 The case studies in the Annual Report of the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) serve as more than a record of disputes resolved. They offer a window into the kinds of matters that regularly come before the office. Each case study illustrates
5 June 2026 All three divisions of the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) played a role in securing the R442.9 million returned to complainants. Their contributions varied in scale – not because of effort, but because each division oversees different categories of financial products, and
5 June 2026 In only its second year of operation, the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) has channelled an extraordinary R442.9 million back to financial consumers, eclipsing the R328.5 million recovered in its inaugural year. Case volumes also rose sharply: average monthly openings climbed from
18 May 2026 When it comes to Severe Illness Benefit claims, the illness itself – not the paperwork that confirms it – is the decisive event, the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) has ruled in a cancer patient’s dispute with insurer Discovery Life. The disagreement
4 May 2026 South Africa carries a grim badge of dishonour: the highest annual road death toll on the African continent. At the centre of this crisis is speeding, a reckless reflex that steals reaction time, magnifies the carnage of crashes, and leaves drivers paying
13 April 2026 What begins as a harmless “side hustle” can end with frozen accounts, fraud listings, and a ruined financial future. The Banking Division of the The National Financial Ombud Scheme South Africa (NFO) is warning consumers of a sharp rise in complaints linked
11 March 2026 The National Financial Ombud Scheme South Africa (NFO) is issuing a clear warning: don’t wait until debt has you cornered and your credit has spiralled out of control. The reality is simple: you can act early, and you should. “Consumers have the
23 February 2026 Insurance is meant to be your safety net, but for some policyholders that net unravels when it matters most. The Non-life Insurance Division of the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) says too often people discover after a fire, flood, or theft that
09 February 2026 One of the common exclusions found in insurance contracts relates to claims arising from criminal and illegal activities such as resisting lawful arrest and driving under the influence of alcohol. Insurance exclusions are provisions that specify circumstances under which claims will not
15 December 2025 Over R60 million returned to consumers in 2025. That’s the headline achievement of the National Financial Ombud (NFO) South Africa Banking Division this year, under the leadership of Lead Ombud Nerosha Maseti. Through decisive rulings and tireless dedication from case administrators and
2 December 2025 As festive season promotions intensify nationwide, the National Financial Ombud (NFO) South Africa is urging consumers to exercise caution with Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) offers. While heavily marketed as simple, convenient, and interest-free payment options, BNPL arrangements carry hidden risks. In
24 November 2025 Party season is here, but don’t let it end in disaster: driving under the influence could wreck your future and your finances. This holiday, the biggest hangover isn’t alcohol; it’s losing your insurance cover. The Non-life Insurance Division of the National Financial
3 November 2025 As South Africans gear up for Black Friday on 28 November, the National Financial Ombud (NFO) urges consumers to think twice before swiping their way into a financial hangover. While seasonal discounts may offer short-term appeal, the long-term consequences of overspending on
13 October 2025 Not every file that crosses the desk of the Life Insurance Division of the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) ends in disappointment. Often, the NFO’s intervention flips the script – turning a declined claim into a paid one, restoring dignity, and rewriting
1 October 2025 The law requires all vehicles on public roads to be roadworthy, and insurers are within their rights to reject a claim when a vehicle’s unroadworthiness causes an incident. Every time a vehicle hits the road, it enters into an unspoken contract –
22 August 2025 Consumer education is at the forefront of activities by the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) to commemorate Money Smart Week 2025. Money Smart Week runs from 25 to 31 August under the theme “Smart Money: Financial Foundations for a Resilient Future”. Empowering
With virtual banking cards being offered across all digital banking platforms, and with the ability to load these cards on phones and other wearable devices, virtual cards are gaining ground over traditional physical cards or cash.
With the dramatic shifting of credit from a tool for upward mobility to a survival mechanism for basic necessities like food, rent, electricity and transport, alarm bells are being sounded about unsustainable debt levels of consumers.
The NFO is tasked with a number of responsibilities and duties that help keep South Africa’s economy healthy and robust for consumers and fi nancial services providers alike. It’s essential that we maintain an open door policy, keep communications channels clear and accessible while spreading our message, as well as being a responsible, generous corporate citizen.
Assisting consumers with their complaints and giving the right advice at the right time to rural and vulnerable people can significantly reduce the complaints arising from financial products and services in these communities.
Since its establishment a year ago, the National Financial Ombud Scheme South Africa (NFO) placed a staggering R328,5 million in the hands of aggrieved consumers who had complained about financial institutions.
A medical report does not automatically qualify an employee for disability insurance. While medical reports are crucial evidence, the employer’s medical boarding policy could well differ from the criteria used by the insurer for determining eligibility for disability benefits.
In this tough economic climate, policyholders may be forced to sacrifice their short-term or non-life insurance premiums cover to save money…
The National Financial Ombud (NFO) has reaffirmed its commitment to protect credit consumers from exploitation and unfair treatment – including reckless lending – as it endorses Freedom Month when the right to dignity and equality is celebrated…
Bank customers have every right to expect good service and for complaints to be taken seriously, says Nerosha Maseti, the Lead Ombud of the Banking Division at the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO).
The amalgamation of the Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS), the Credit Ombud (CO), the Ombudsman for Long-Term Insurance (OLTI), and the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance (OSTI) into the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO)…
Having a professional driving permit (PrDP) would not have prevented the driver of a truck with goods from being hijacked at gunpoint, the Non-life Insurance Division of the National Financial Ombud Scheme South Africa (NFO) has ruled.