{
  "name": "Professional roles in South African private lending",
  "description": "Eighteen recognisable roles across origination, capital, operations, professional advice and recovery — what each does, whether it is typically paid on business placed, and whether it may require authorisation or registration.",
  "version": "1.1",
  "modified": "2026-09-18",
  "publisher": "Private Lending Association of South Africa",
  "source": "https://privatelendingassociation.co.za/data/roles.json",
  "licence": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licenceUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "citation": "Private Lending Association of South Africa, \"Professional roles in South African private lending\", version 1.1, 2026-09-18.",
  "count": 18,
  "data": [
    {
      "group": "origination",
      "groupLabel": "Origination and distribution",
      "groupSummary": "Finding borrowers, structuring loans, and presenting arrangements to lenders.",
      "roles": [
        {
          "id": "originator",
          "label": "Originator",
          "does": "Sources borrowers, structures the loan and prepares it for a lender to fund.",
          "commissionBearing": true,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": true
        },
        {
          "id": "introducer",
          "label": "Introducer",
          "does": "Introduces a lender to an arrangement or a provider, usually for a fee.",
          "commissionBearing": true,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": true
        },
        {
          "id": "broker",
          "label": "Broker",
          "does": "Places a borrower's requirement with one or more lenders.",
          "commissionBearing": true,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": true
        },
        {
          "id": "consultant",
          "label": "Consultant",
          "does": "Explains arrangements to prospective lenders and supports them through the process.",
          "commissionBearing": true,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": true
        },
        {
          "id": "adviser",
          "label": "Financial adviser",
          "does": "Advises a client on whether an arrangement suits their circumstances.",
          "commissionBearing": true,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": true
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "group": "capital",
      "groupLabel": "Capital and credit",
      "groupSummary": "Deciding what to lend against, on what terms, and managing the resulting portfolio.",
      "roles": [
        {
          "id": "fund-manager",
          "label": "Fund manager",
          "does": "Runs a private-debt fund or mandate and decides what it lends against.",
          "commissionBearing": false,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": true
        },
        {
          "id": "credit-analyst",
          "label": "Credit analyst",
          "does": "Assesses borrowers, structures and security, and sets or recommends terms.",
          "commissionBearing": false,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": false
        },
        {
          "id": "issuer",
          "label": "Issuer",
          "does": "Issues notes or participations against underlying loans or pools.",
          "commissionBearing": false,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": true
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "group": "operations",
      "groupLabel": "Administration and servicing",
      "groupSummary": "Running the loan after it is written — collections, records, reporting, security.",
      "roles": [
        {
          "id": "administrator",
          "label": "Administrator",
          "does": "Maintains loan records, applies receipts, reports to lenders and handles the paperwork.",
          "commissionBearing": false,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": false
        },
        {
          "id": "servicer",
          "label": "Servicer",
          "does": "Collects payments, chases arrears and manages the borrower relationship.",
          "commissionBearing": false,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": false
        },
        {
          "id": "platform-operator",
          "label": "Platform operator",
          "does": "Runs the technology and process that matches lenders to loans or loan parts.",
          "commissionBearing": false,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": true
        },
        {
          "id": "security-trustee",
          "label": "Security trustee",
          "does": "Holds security for the benefit of lenders and enforces it on their instruction.",
          "commissionBearing": false,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": false
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "group": "professional",
      "groupLabel": "Professional advisers",
      "groupSummary": "Legal, accounting, tax, valuation and compliance work supporting a transaction.",
      "roles": [
        {
          "id": "attorney",
          "label": "Attorney",
          "does": "Drafts and registers agreements and security, and acts on enforcement.",
          "commissionBearing": false,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": true
        },
        {
          "id": "accountant",
          "label": "Accountant or auditor",
          "does": "Reports on financial position, audits funds, and reviews borrower information.",
          "commissionBearing": false,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": true
        },
        {
          "id": "tax-professional",
          "label": "Tax professional",
          "does": "Advises on the tax treatment of interest, structures and cross-border arrangements.",
          "commissionBearing": false,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": true
        },
        {
          "id": "valuer",
          "label": "Valuer",
          "does": "Values property or assets offered as security.",
          "commissionBearing": false,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": true
        },
        {
          "id": "compliance",
          "label": "Compliance professional",
          "does": "Maintains regulatory, FICA and conduct obligations within a lending business.",
          "commissionBearing": false,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": false
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "group": "recovery",
      "groupLabel": "Recovery and workout",
      "groupSummary": "What happens when a loan stops performing.",
      "roles": [
        {
          "id": "recovery",
          "label": "Recovery specialist",
          "does": "Pursues arrears, enforcement, business rescue and realisation of security.",
          "commissionBearing": false,
          "mayRequireAuthorisation": false
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}