Extremely Disappointed – African Bank Misled Me, Wasted My Time, and Declined Me Unfairly After I Settled My Loan

Extremely Disappointed – African Bank Misled Me, Wasted My Time, and Declined Me Unfairly After I Settled My Loan

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Complaint:

I am extremely angry, disappointed, and frustrated with how African Bank has treated me. I feel completely misled and disrespected after doing everything right, including settling my loan early, only to be given false promises and ultimately declined for no valid reason.

On 19 July 2025 i app**** for credit they offered me R18,000 personal loan OR a R15,000 credit card limit increase, even though I still had an outstanding loan at the time.

I settled my loan in full on 21 July 2025. After settlement, I was told to wait 72 hours for everything to reflect properly.

When it finally reflected, the app showed I had a positive balance of R3.87 (meaning African Bank technically owes me money), but I was still confused because it previously showed a minus R153,59 and then a branch employee said I could pay R3.87 — later she changed her mind and just selected “written off.” This was extremely unprofessional and confusing.

Today, 28 July 2025, I went to an African Bank branch and was told the only new offers available to me were an R4,000 personal loan OR an R8,000 credit card increase (far less than the original offers). I agreed to take the credit card increase and signed a new contract, being told the new installment would be R1,660/month.

One hour later, I received a message that my application was declined, this time due to “financial wellness.”

This is unacceptable. How is it possible that I qualified for more credit while still owing them money, but now that I’ve paid off the loan and improved my financial standing, they decline me?

This process has been a complete waste of my time, and I feel misled by African Bank’s offers and false promises. Their internal systems and staff give conflicting information, and their idea of “financial wellness” makes no sense. I paid off my loan — I should be a valued customer, not someone they reject and frustrate.

I am beyond disappointed and will no longer trust African Bank. I will take my business elsewhere and make others aware of this poor treatment. You do not treat responsible customers like this.