Here's How:

Step 1: Contact us

Visit your nearest Barko branch, call our toll-free line at 080 7773 777, or open the webchat widget (bottom-right).

Step 2: Prepare your documents

  • South African ID or passport
  • Latest payslip and/or
  • Most recent 3-month bank statement
  • Bank card or approve debit orders via your banking app

Step 3: Apply in minutes

Our friendly team will assess your affordability and guide you through a simple application. If all documents are in order and you qualify, your loan can be approved within minutes.

Step 4: Fast payout

Once approved, your loan is paid out quickly and securely so you can focus on what matters.


Steps to apply for a Barko cash loan – contact, documents, approval and payout
Understanding blacklisting and credit options in South Africa

Can You Get Credit If You’re Blacklisted?

Being blacklisted can feel like you have no options for getting credit, but that’s not necessarily the case. Credit providers understand that everyone has positive and negative financial information, and that being blacklisted is not forever. You can still apply for credit, as your credit history changes.

What does blacklisting mean?

The term blacklisting dates back to when the credit bureaus only kept negative information about someone’s finances.

Technically, South Africa doesn’t have a formal blacklist. Instead, credit bureaus collect and store your credit history. This includes missed payments, defaults, judgments, and debt reviews.

Based on your credit history, lenders will check to see if you’re a high risk or a good investment, which will affect how easy or hard it is to get credit.

Beyond the bank

Traditional banks tend to be more cautious about granting you credit if you have been blacklisted, but there are other options available. Microlenders, or short-term lenders like Barko are more flexible.

Some providers may take an asset like your car as collateral for a loan, and some may offer only short-term loans, or charge a higher interest rate.

Fixing a low credit score

A credit score is based on how well you manage your debt. If you pay back your loans, and make your payments on time, you will have a higher credit score. For those who miss payments, or don’t pay off their debt, this will lead to a low credit score.

A low credit score is not the end of your financial world. You can rebuild your credit score by:

  • Paying off all your outstanding debts.
  • Talk to the companies that you owe money to and agree on a payment plan.
  • Avoid making new debt, unless it’s absolutely necessary.

By addressing the problem, and being disciplined with your money, you can still access financial services.

Learn more

The value of credit monitoring
What is a credit score?


Credit report basics – missed payments, judgments and improving your score

Short-term Cash Loans in 5 Easy Steps

Sometimes life happens, and you may not have the funds available to take care of those unexpected expenses.

Manage your cash flow during these times with a once-off, short-term personal loan that is payable in one, single instalment. Use this checklist to apply for a loan in 6 easy steps.

1. Connect with Barko

Start a conversation by clicking our webchat widget (bottom-right) and say “Hi” to get started. Or phone our Toll-free number 080 777 3777

Our webchat will start the conversation, and an agent will help you to complete the application process. The full online solution will be launched soon.

2. Tell us who you are

To apply for a cash loan, we will need your ID Book/ID card or Passport. We want to make sure that it is you asking for a loan, and not somebody else using your name.

3. Show us what you earn, what you spend, and what your current outstanding debt looks like

  • When applying for a loan, you need to show your latest payslip and/or 3 months bank statement

  • By providing your latest 3 months’ bank statement, we can make sure that we understand your monthly budget, when you get paid, and how we can best help you to cover your bills.

  • We have to evaluate your credit history by obtaining a new search from a credit bureau to see what your latest debt obligations look like.

As an authorised credit provider, Barko has to make sure that you can afford the amount of money you want to borrow. This is so that you can still pay your bills and pay back the loan comfortably.

There are strict compliance criteria that we must follow by law, and we are not allowed to grant a loan amount that would cause you financial distress.

4. Confirm employment and/or recurring monthly income

We need to confirm that you are still working and that you are earning a monthly salary/income.

5. Register a DebiCheck (debit order) mandate and receive payout of the loan you requested

If you qualify for a loan, the approval is done in minutes. We make it easy to repay your loan by activating a debit order on your account. This is done either with your bank card, or by approving the debit order mandate on your banking app and/or at an ATM.

After the mandate is registered, you will receive the loan payout into your account.

Managing your money for the future, while taking care of today’s expenses can be tricky. Visit your nearest Barko branch, open the webchat widget (bottom-right) or call our toll-free number 080 777 3777 for peace of mind, knowing that the loan is an amount you can afford, without making long-term debt for yourself, and your family.

Contact Barko and take care of life’s challenges with our easy 5 step process to apply for the funds you need, when you need it.