Some South Africans prefer to talk to AI about their debt.
Millions of South Africans are struggling with debt, and the way they engage with creditors may be quietly shifting. Some consumers appear more comfortable discussing overdue accounts with artificial intelligence voice agents than with human debt collectors, according to industry practitioners.
The trend, says Bruce von Maltitz, CEO of 1Stream, reflects the emotional weight that often comes with debt collection rather than a purely technological shift.
“Debt is a difficult topic to address under the best of circumstances,” von Maltitz said. “When debt becomes overdue or the topic moves to debt collection, things become even more difficult – practically and emotionally.”
He said some consumers appear to respond more readily to AI voice agents because the interaction feels less personal and less judgmental than speaking to a human agent.
