Where to complain

When things go wrong with a financial product from a regulated financial services company, you have recourse through a variety of ombudsmen, adjudicators and regulators.  

Financial institutions regulated by the Financial Sector Regulation Act have to participate in an ombud scheme approved by the Ombud Council and to abide by its rulings. These institutions include life insurers, short-term (non-life) insurers and banks.

Other ombuds have been set up by the laws that govern their sectors. Here's a quick guide to navigating the different ombuds. 

Complaints about your bank, insurance or a credit bureau

If you have a complaint about your bank, your insurance policy (life, disability or short-term insurance), about a credit provider that is not a bank or about information reported to a credit bureau you can take your complaint to the National Financial Ombud Scheme South Africa (NFOSA). This is an amalgamation of four voluntary ombud schemes that previously operated separately.

The amalgamated ombud scheme has three divisions that can hear complaints about life insurance policies, short-term insurance policies, banking products, credit providers and credit bureaus who have chosen to participate in this scheme.

The National Financial Ombud Scheme South Africa

This scheme includes:

The head ombud and CEO: Reana Steyn

The Life Division (long-term insurance) 
Lead Ombud: Denise Gabriels 

The Non-life Insurance Division (short-term insurance) 
Lead Ombud: Edite Texeira-Mckinon

The Credit & Banking Division
Lead Ombud: Nerosha Maseti

Call: 0860 800 900
Whatsapp: 27(0)76 547 8055
Email: info@nfosa.co.za
www.nfosa.co.za

If you have a complaint about a credit provider that is not participating in the NFOSA or a debt counsellor, take it to the National Credit Regulator.

The National Credit Regulator 
CEO: Otsile Maseng
Call: 0860 627 627 
Email: complaints@ncr.org.za (about a credit provider) or dccomplaints@ncr.org.za (about debt counsellors) 
www.ncr.org.za 

If you have a complaint about a debt collector, you should submit your complaint to:

The Council for Debt Collectors

CEO: Andries Cornelius
Call: (012) 804 9808
Email: info@cfdc.org.za

Complaints about financial advice

If you have a complaint about a financial adviser or any financial services provider has given bad advice about a financial product (including a medical scheme or insurance policy or retirement product), you should complain to the Ombud for Financial Services Providers or the FAIS Ombud. The FAIS Ombud's office is set up in terms of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services (FAIS) Act. A court can be asked to enforce its rulings if a party fails to abide.

The FAIS Ombud / the Ombud for Financial Services Providers 
Ombud: John Simpson
Call: 012 762 5000 or 0860 066 3274
Email: info@faisombud.co.za  
www.faisombud.co.za 

Read more: Can I get redress for bad advice from the FAIS Ombud?

If you want to appeal a ruling made by the Pension Funds Adjudicator you need to take your appeal to the Financial Services Tribunal: 

The Financial Services Tribunal
Call: (012) 741 4300
E-mail:Applications@fstribunal.co.za   
www.fsca.co.za/enforcement-matters/Pages/About-FSB-Appeal-Board.aspx

Complaints about retirement funds

If you have a complaint about your retirement fund or it's administrator, you should complain to the Pension Funds Adjudicator.

The Office of the Pension Funds Adjudicator's Office is set up by law – it is a statutory ombudsman. This means that if the adjudicator makes a ruling and any party does not abide by the ruling, the ruling can be taken to court for it to be enforced. 

While the Pension Funds Adjudicator can hear complaints about most retirement funds, the office does not have jurisdiction over retirement funds that are created by their own laws, like the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF).  

The Pension Funds Adjudicator 

Adjudicator: Lebogang Mogashoa

Call: 012 748 4000 or 012 346 1738 

Email: enquiries@pfa.org.za  
www.pfa.org.za 

If you want to appeal a ruling made by the Pension Funds Adjudicator you need to take your appeal to the Financial Services Tribunal: 

The Financial Services Tribunal
Call: (012) 741 4300
E-mail:Applications@fstribunal.co.za   
www.fsca.co.za/enforcement-matters/Pages/About-FSB-Appeal-Board.aspx

Complaints about medical schemes

If you have a complaint about your medical scheme or medical scheme administrator, you should lodge a complaint with the Council for Medical Schemes. Remember if your complaint is about advice about a medical scheme or healthcare product, it should go to the FAIS Ombud. The Council for Medical Schemes is a statutory ombud set up in terms of the Medical Schemes Act with its own appeal process.

The Council for Medical Schemes 
Chief executive and registrar:  Dr Musa Gumede
Call: 0861 123 267 
Email: information@medicalschemes.co.za 
www.medicalschemes.co.za

Complaints about tax

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has its own Complaints Management Office (CMO) and also a dispute resolution process that you should exhaust first.
If you are not happy with how SARS handles your complaint, you can approach the Tax Ombud, an ombud set up under the Tax Administration Act.
Disputes about the interpretation of tax law may need to go to the Tax Court. 
If you have a complaint about a tax adviser, it should be directed to the regulatory body to which the adviser belongs. 

The SARS Complaints Management Office

File your complaint online: www.sarsefiling.gov.za (log into your profile)
Call: 0800 12 12 16

The Tax Ombud 
Ombud: Yanga Mputa
Call: 0800 662 837 or 012 431 9105
Email: complaints@taxombud.gov.za 
www.taxombud.gov.za

Other issues

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) is the regulator for most financial services to whom you can report irregularities, but complaints are best addressed to the relevant ombuds. 

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority 
Commissioner: Unathi Kamlana 
Call:   0800 203 722 
Email:  complaints@fsca.co.za 
www.fsca.co.za