What banks want to see
- Two years of signed financial statements (audited for a company, accountant-signed for a close corporation)
- Recent management accounts if your year-end is a while back
- Six months of business and personal bank statements
- Your latest tax assessment
- Your ID and proof of address
How they read your income
Banks look at what the business pays you and what's left after expenses, not the turnover. Writing a lot off against tax lowers the income a bank sees, so the two years before you apply matter.
How to prepare
- Keep personal and business banking separate
- Get your financials signed off before you apply
- Keep your tax up to date. An outstanding return slows everything down
- Apply to several banks: they don't all assess self-employed income the same way. Capitec's page says it accepts self-employed applicants, for example.
Questions people ask
Can I get a home loan if I've been self-employed for less than two years?
It's harder, because most banks want two years of financials. A consultant can tell you which banks look at shorter track records.
Where this comes from
- Standard Bank: home loan document checklist (linked from its home loan page, 11 Oct 2026)
- Capitec: home loan (no documents to start) (read 11 Oct 2026)
Checked October 2026.