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Low Interest Vehicle Finance

Low interest vehicle finance loans are a great option to finance your motor vehicle purchase. South African lenders can help you achieve this goal. Our loan calculator below can help you budget for this expense.

Simply use the filter to adjust the loan term after you’ve input the loan amount, then click calculate to get an idea of what your monthly payment will be like. This way you can choose the better loan option.

Calculate repayments

Loan Amount

R100,000

Term

60 months

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MFC

MFC Vehicle Finance

Estimated Month Repayments
Interest Rate
10.00%
APR
Repayment Period
12 months
to 96 months
Loan Amounts
R10,000
to R300,000
Whether you're buying a through an MFC approved dealer or privately, MFC can assist; for cars up to 10 years old or in some cases classic cars. Apply through Fincheck to be matched with the right vehicle finance provide for you.
RCS

RCS Vehicle Finance

Estimated Month Repayments
Interest Rate
10.00%
APR
Repayment Period
12 months
to 60 months
Loan Amounts
R10,000
to R150,000
RCS are second-hand car finance specialists. Interest rates from prime* over 72 months. Apply through Fincheck to be matched with the right vehicle finance provide for you.
Standard Bank of South Africa

Standard Bank -Financial lease

Estimated Month Repayments
Interest Rate
10.25%
APR
Repayment Period
12 months
to 84 months
Loan Amounts
R20,000
to R200,000
Lease the vehicle you want, over an agreed period, with the option of owning it at the end of your financial lease. Apply through Fincheck to be matched with the right vehicle finance provide for you.
Wesbank

Wesbank Vehicle Finance

Estimated Month Repayments
Interest Rate
13.00%
APR
Repayment Period
12 months
to 96 months
Loan Amounts
R10,000
to R300,000
Wesbank provide a range of value-added services that make it that much easier to own, drive and personalise your vehicle. Apply through Fincheck to be matched with the right vehicle finance provide for you.
First National Bank

First National Bank Auto Loan - Dealership Finance

Estimated Month Repayments
Interest Rate
9.00%
APR
Repayment Period
12 months
to 60 months
Loan Amounts
R30,000
to R250,000
What Dealership Finance offers: A tailor-made vehicle finance solution. Choice of fixed or variable rate. A reasonable balloon payment or residual value to match your agreement choice. What this allows you to do: Buy a vehicle from a dealership. Buy a vehicle up to 10 years old. Finance a vehicle for at least R30 000 after deposit.
Mercantile Bank

Mercantile Bank Personal Loans & Vehicle Finance

Estimated Month Repayments
Interest Rate
12.25%
APR
Repayment Period
12 months
to 240 months
Loan Amounts
R30,000
to R250,000
Get a principal decision within 24 hours if all necessary documents have been provided.
Absa

Absa Car loan - Instalment Sale Agreement

Estimated Month Repayments
Interest Rate
12.50%
APR
Repayment Period
24 months
to 72 months
Loan Amounts
R10,000
to R250,000
Experience the joy of owning your car while you are paying it off with our flexible instalment sale agreement. Own the vehicle while you are paying it off. Reduce your monthly payments by choosing a balloon payment or by paying a deposit. Choose a monthly repayment from 24 - 72 months. Fixed or variable interest rates available
First National Bank

First National Bank Auto Loan - Leisure Vehicle

Estimated Month Repayments
Interest Rate
12.50%
APR
Repayment Period
12 months
to 60 months
Loan Amounts
R30,000
to R250,000
Finance your new or used leisure vehicle such as classic car, motorbike, boat or caravan. Finance to buy a leisure vehicle from a dealership. You have a choice of Fixed or Variable interest rates. Courtesy Car Policy: Pays for the use of a courtesy car for up to 21 days if your car is stolen, written off or damaged. The interest rate is tailor made to suit you. Within 30 minutes you'll get an answer on the outcome of your application.
Albaraka Bank

Albaraka Bank Vehicle Finance

Estimated Month Repayments
Interest Rate
12.50%
APR
Repayment Period
12 months
to 72 months
Loan Amounts
R20,000
to R250,000
Low deposit requirement. No monthly admin fees. Competitive pricing. Annual lump sum option available. Option of fixed or variable repayments. Up to 72 months.

CompareLoans.co.za provides factual information in relation to financial products. While CompareLoans.co.za attempts to make a wide range of products and providers available, it may not cover all the options available to you. Moreover, we cannot be responsible for changes made to this information by product providers and/or inaccurate information obtained from a product provider. All product information comes from the product provider or publicly available information and to the best of our knowledge is correct at the time of publishing. The information published on CompareLoans.co.za is general in nature only and does not consider your personal objectives, financial situation or particular needs and is not recommending any particular product to you. If you decide to apply for a product you will be dealing directly with that provider and not with CompareLoans.co.za. CompareLoans.co.za recommends that you read the relevant product disclosure statement or product guide before taking up any financial product offer. For more information please see CompareLoans.co.za's Terms of Use.

Minimum and maximum loan periods vary between 1 months and 10 years. Comparison interest rates vary between 6.55% and 60% p.a. Total interest repayments vary between R685.05 and R844.12 over the life of the loan. *Comparison rate is based on an unsecured loan of R20,000 for a term of 3 years. WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the examples given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. These rates can change without further notice. All rates quoted are per annum. For more information regarding fees click on "View fees & additional info +" for each product or contact the provider.

Get the best low interest rate car finance in South Africa

When you finance a vehicle, you obviously want to get the best deal available. Among other things, a low interest rate is one such factor that can sweeten the deal for you. That’s because while you might need some financial help to buy your dream car, you also want a lender that won’t charge you too much for borrowing.

Like so many South Africans, you might be wondering how to finance a car with a low interest rate and possibly save thousands of rands. This article explains how low interest rate car loans work and how you can make them work for you.

What is considered a low interest rate car loan in South Africa?

In South Africa, the National Credit Act (NCA) prescribes the maximum interest rate, which stands at around 27.5%. Some South African lenders advertise their interest rate as low and competitive when they’re in a range between 10-15%. However, what a low interest rate means to you depends on your situation.

Do you have an excellent credit score, or does your bad credit need a few repairs? A low interest rate car loan is, therefore, the most favourable rate you can get while being realistic about your situation and the risk the lender has to take.

5 best ways to get low interest rate car loans

  • Improve your credit score

Your credit score is a powerful factor that affects the interest rate on your car loan. It is a direct result of your credit history which shows the lender if you have faithfully paid off your past loans. Before you apply for a reduced rate car loan, take the time to improve your credit score.

  • Put down a deposit or choose a balloon payment

You can still have your car delivered without paying a single rand, but a deposit will reduce how much you have to borrow. This, in turn, reduces the interest you’ll pay. Deposits or balloon payments are usually a maximum of 20% of the full purchase price. The bigger the lump sum, the more you save.

  • Compare car loans

Go shopping for car loans, especially if your credit score is not the best it can be. Don’t settle for the first option without seeing if there are other better offers. You can check out the comparison tables above to see our list of featured vehicle finance options.

  • Get a cosigner

You can use another person’s good credit score to get a lower interest rate if you add them as a co-signer. This could be family or a friend who then becomes responsible for paying your debt if you fail to make repayments.

  • Negotiate for a better deal

Interest rates vary depending on the time you apply for the loan. Once you have a better idea of the average interest rate being offered by most reputable lenders, you can enter into an informed negotiation with your chosen lender. You can also research about any available discounts or loyalty programs.

How is the interest rate for your car loan calculated?

Understanding the following factors that can affect your interest rate is important if you want to negotiate for a better car loan deal:

  • Secured vs. unsecured car loan. If the car loan is secured, you can get a lower interest rate because the lender is taking on a lower risk when you use your car as security.
  • New vs. used car. New vehicle finance usually requires you to borrow more which means you pay more interest. On the other hand, used vehicle finance is cheaper if the purchase price is low.
  • Fixed vs. variable interest rate. More often than not, a variable rate car loan will get you a lower starting interest rate than a fixed-rate car loan.
  • The length of your loan. The longer the loan term, the more you have to pay in interest.
  • Stable Income. Lenders usually prefer permanently employed individuals with a regular and sizeable monthly income for their low-interest-rate loans.
  • Credit history. The majority of attractive and competitive interest rates advertised by lenders are usually reserved for individuals with a clean credit history and a sufficiently high credit score.

Choose affordable monthly instalments with the low interest rate car loan calculator

You can calculate the cost of your loan per month with our low interest rate car loan calculator.

That means you get to budget ahead of your loan application. Besides that, you can also use the monthly repayment results to compare loans since they will be shown in the comparison tables for each lender.

Simply, tell the calculator how much you want to borrow and for how long. Next, click calculate. For a better loan option, you can use the calculator several times.

What do you do if you can’t get a car loan with a low interest rate?

Is the interest rate on your car loan still not good enough for you? Here are a few things you can do to keep the total cost of your loan as low as possible:

  • Speed-up the payments – Keeping the payback period on your loan as short as possible is a guaranteed way to save money. Car loan terms can extend up to 72 months, but most lenders accept early repayments without charging you extra fees.
  • Skip the expensive financing add-ons – If you’re applying for dealership vehicle finance, you can cut costs by avoiding the extras. Examples include theft protection, and tire and wheel protection since they’re often covered by your car insurance.
  • Refinancing – If you’re reading this and you already have an expensive car loan, then it might be better to refinance. Given that you have a sufficiently high credit score and the car is still in good condition, you can switch to a loan with a better interest rate and start saving money.
  • See if you can get a pre-approval – If you can get your loan approved before you approach a car dealership or another seller, you have negotiating power since you already have the cash.
  • Look out for the loan fees and charges – You can still save money by looking for a loan that doesn’t have a lot of fees. Some lenders include car insurance in the payments, but you can always find cheaper, quality insurance of your own.

Avoid these mistakes when looking for low interest rate car financing deals

  • Applying for too many auto loans. Too many hard enquiries on your credit report can lower your credit score. As a result, you can end up not qualifying for a low interest rate.
  • Focusing on the monthly payments only. You want a monthly payment that doesn’t put too much pressure on your budget. Also, pay attention to the other loan charges and fees. Most charges associated with car loans include initiation fees, monthly service fees, and early payment or late payment fees.
  • Buying a car impulsively. It’s easy to get excited and start focusing on the bigger and better aspects of car shopping. The best way to keep your loan’s total cost low is to go for the most affordable loan amount.

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