Our Methodology

At Credizen, transparency is our core value. This page explains exactly how we compare loan providers, rank offers, and generate personalized recommendations. We believe you deserve to know how our AI works and what factors influence the recommendations you see.

How Our AI Scoring Algorithm Works

When you complete our loan application form, our AI analyzes your profile and matches you with the most suitable lenders. Here's exactly how we calculate the match score for each provider:

30%

Loan Amount Match

Does the lender offer loans in your requested amount range?

Full points if your amount is within the lender's min/max range
Zero points if you're requesting too much or too little
Example: You want R15,000, lender offers R1,000-R50,000 = ✓ 30 points

25%

Affordability Assessment

Can you realistically afford the monthly payment?

We calculate estimated monthly payment based on typical APR
Compare against your stated maximum affordable payment
NCR guideline: payments shouldn't exceed 35% of your income
Example: Monthly payment R1,200, you can afford R1,500 = ✓ 25 points

20%

Repayment Term Match

Does the lender offer your preferred repayment period?

Full points if your term is within lender's range
Some lenders specialize in short-term (3-12 months)
Others prefer long-term (24-84 months)
Example: You want 24 months, lender offers 6-60 months = ✓ 20 points

15%

Loan Purpose Match

Does the lender specialize in your loan type?

Personal loan, debt consolidation, emergency, vehicle, home improvement
Some lenders excel at specific loan types
Example: You need debt consolidation, lender specializes in it = ✓ 15 points

10%

Geographic Availability

Does the lender serve your city/province?

Online-only lenders serve all of South Africa
Some banks require local branch visits
Example: You're in Cape Town, lender has branches there = ✓ 10 points

Total Score = 100 Points

Lenders are ranked by their total score. A score of 90+ means "Excellent match", 70-89 means "Good match", 50-69 means "Fair match", and below 50 means "Not recommended" (we usually don't show these unless there are very few options).

How We Select Loan Providers

Not every lender can be listed on Credizen. We have strict criteria to ensure you only see reputable, regulated financial institutions:

NCR Registration (Mandatory)

All lenders must be registered with the National Credit Regulator. We verify their NCRCP number and check it's active.

Transparent Pricing

Lenders must clearly display APR, fees, and terms. No hidden charges allowed. We verify their website shows a representative example.

Positive Customer Reviews

We check HelloPeter, Google Reviews, and social media. Lenders with consistent complaints are excluded.

Responsible Lending Practices

Lenders must conduct affordability assessments and not grant credit to those who can't afford it. We verify compliance with the National Credit Act.

Digital Application Process

Lenders must offer online applications. We prioritize those with fast approval times and digital document uploads.

How We Make Money (Affiliate Disclosure)

Credizen is 100% free for consumers. We earn revenue through affiliate commissions from lenders when you successfully apply for and receive a loan.

Important: This Doesn't Affect Your Rate

The interest rate and fees you pay are exactly the same as if you went directly to the lender's website. We don't add any markup or hidden charges.

The commission comes from the lender's marketing budget, not from your pocket.

How Commissions Influence Rankings

We want to be completely transparent: some lenders pay us higher commissions than others. However, commission amount is NOT a factor in our AI scoring algorithm.

Here's how we balance our business interests with your best interests:

Primary ranking: Based 100% on AI match score (the 5 factors explained above)
Tie-breaker only: If two lenders have the same score (±2 points), we may prioritize the higher-paying partner
"Featured" badges: Lenders who pay premium commissions get a "Featured" badge, but this doesn't change their rank
Regular audits: We review our algorithm monthly to ensure it serves your interests first

Example Commission Rates

• Personal loan approval: R800 - R1,500
• Debt consolidation: R1,200 - R2,000
• Microloans: R500 - R900

How We Protect Your Data

Your personal information is sensitive. Here's how we handle it:

POPIA Compliance

We comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA Act 4 of 2013). Your data is processed lawfully, stored securely, and only shared with lenders you choose to apply with.

Bank-Level Encryption

All data transmitted between your browser and our servers uses 256-bit SSL encryption (the same standard banks use).

No Unauthorized Sharing

We never sell your data to third parties. We only share your information with lenders you explicitly choose to apply with.

Data Retention

We store your application data for 90 days to track your loan journey. After that, it's permanently deleted unless you create an account.

The Expert Behind Credizen

Rostislav Sikora

AI Orchestrator & Loan Specialist

With 25 years of experience in the financial services sector, Rostislav founded Credizen to bring transparency and AI-powered intelligence to the loan comparison market.

His background includes:

10+ years in retail banking
Fintech product management
Credit risk assessment
AI/ML applications in finance
Consumer lending regulations

"Every algorithm decision, every provider we list, and every piece of advice on this site goes through my review. I'm personally committed to ensuring Credizen serves your financial interests first." – Rostislav Sikora

Keeping Our Data Current

The loan market changes constantly. Here's how we stay up-to-date:

Weekly: Scrape lender websites for APR changes, new products, and requirement updates
Monthly: Verify NCR registration status for all listed lenders
Quarterly: Review and update our AI algorithm based on approval rate data
Annually: Conduct full compliance audit with legal counsel

Last methodology update: October 30, 2025

Questions About Our Methodology?

Transparency is at the heart of everything we do. If you have questions about how we rank lenders, how our AI works, or anything else about our methodology, we'd love to hear from you.