JOB DESCRIPTION
POSITION DETAILS
Position Title: Credit Analyst / Loans Analyst
Department: Credit / LendingEmployment
Type Permanent: GradeC2 – C3 / D1
Reporting To: Credit Manager / Lending Manager
Location: Johannesburg
JOB PURPOSE
The Credit Analyst / Loans Analyst is responsible for assessing loan applications, evaluating customer affordability and creditworthiness, analysing lending risks, and ensuring that all loans issued comply with internal lending policies, NCR regulations, and regulatory requirements.
The role supports the sustainable growth of the loan book while maintaining acceptable collection and default levels through prudent credit assessment and sound risk management practices.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Credit & Loan Assessment
- Assess and analyse loan applications in line with company lending policies and procedures.
- Conduct affordability assessments to determine customer repayment capability.
- Evaluate customer creditworthiness using financial information, supporting documentation, and credit bureau reports.
- Analyse lending risks and identify potential areas of concern before approval.
- Verify client employment, income, banking details, and supporting documentation.
Credit Risk Management
- Ensure all lending decisions comply with NCR regulations and internal risk frameworks.
- Identify high-risk applications and elevate where necessary.
- Recommend loan approvals, declines, or alternative lending solutions within approved policy guidelines.
- Monitor portfolio quality and contribute to minimizing bad debt and default rates.
- Assist in maintaining healthy collections and portfolio performance levels.
Compliance & Regulatory Adherence
- Ensure all applications and approvals comply with:
- National Credit Act (NCA)
- Internal credit policies
- Regulatory and compliance requirements
- Maintain accurate customer records and documentation.
- Ensure confidentiality and protection of customer information.
Operational & Process Improvement
- Assist in improving lending processes and operational efficiency.
- Contribute towards turnaround time improvements.
- Identify opportunities to streamline loan assessment procedures.
- Support continuous improvement initiatives within the credit department.
Stakeholder & Customer Engagement
- Liaise with internal stakeholders regarding loan applications and approvals.
- Provide professional feedback to customers where required.
- Support collections and customer service teams where necessary.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Qualifications
- Diploma or Degree in:
- Credit Management
- Business Management
- Finance
- Accounting
- Economics
- Banking or related qualification.
Additional Training
- NCR-related training will be advantageous.
Experience
- Minimum 3 years’ experience in:
- Microfinance
- Credit analysis
- High-volume lending environments
- Loan assessment environments.
TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS
The successful candidate must demonstrate:
- Strong understanding of lending and collections processes
- Knowledge of affordability assessments
- Understanding of NCR regulations
- Credit risk analysis capability
- Loan underwriting principles
- Financial analysis capability
- Knowledge of credit bureau systems
- Strong attention to detail
- Analytical and decision-making skills
- Report writing capability
- Computer literacy (MS Office Suite)
KEY COMPETENCIES
Technical Competencies
- Credit risk assessment
- Financial analysis
- Lending and collections knowledge
- Compliance and regulatory understanding
- Documentation verification
- Risk identification and mitigation
Behavioural Competencies
- Attention to detail
- Strong analytical thinking
- Problem-solving ability
- Ethical judgement and integrity
- Communication skills
- Ability to work under pressure
- Team collaboration
- Customer service orientation
- Time management
KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS (KPAs)
- Loan Assessment Accuracy
- Quality and correctness of credit decisions
- Turnaround Times
- Compliance Adherence
- NCR and policy compliance
- Portfolio Quality
- Reduction in bad debt and defaults
- Risk Management
- Quality of affordability and risk assessments
- Operational Efficiency
- Process improvement contributions
WORKING CONDITIONS
- Office-based environment
- High-volume operational environment
- Deadline-driven role
- Interaction with customers and internal stakeholders
SUCCESS PROFILE
The ideal candidate will be:
- Highly analytical
- Risk-aware
- Detail-oriented
- Commercially minded
- Process-driven
- Able to make sound lending decisions within policy and compliance frameworks