If you have landed on Cars Financed, you have probably got questions — about rent-to-own, about whether you can qualify for car finance with a bad credit record, or about what your options actually are. Before we get into all of that, it makes sense for you to know who you are dealing with.

My name is Grace Klaas. I am a vehicle finance and procurement specialist based in KwaZulu-Natal, and I have spent over nine years working in this industry. This post is my way of introducing myself properly — the work I do, why I do it, and what you can expect when you come to Cars Financed for help.

Where it started

I did not fall into vehicle finance by accident. I was drawn to it because I saw, early on, just how much access to reliable transport changes a person’s life. In South Africa, a car is rarely a luxury. For most people, it is the difference between reaching a job opportunity and missing it. Between taking your children to school safely and not. Between independence and being stuck.

What frustrated me — and still does — is how many South Africans are shut out of traditional vehicle finance. Not because they cannot afford a monthly payment, but because of a credit record that does not reflect who they are today. A Section 129 notice from years ago. A period of unemployment. A debt they have long since resolved. The banks see the record. They do not always see the person.

That gap — between what banks offer and what real South Africans need — is exactly what Cars Financed was built to fill.

What I do at Cars Financed

Cars Financed is my platform for connecting South African car buyers with the right finance solution for their situation. I work with three types of buyers, and I treat each one differently — because their needs are genuinely different.

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  Bank finance clients — Buyers with a healthy credit record who qualify for traditional vehicle finance. I help navigate lenders, compare offers, and make sure you are not signing something that will cost you more than it should over 54 or 60 months.
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  Rent-to-own clients — Buyers who are blacklisted, under debt review, or simply unable to meet the strict ITC requirements of commercial banks. Rent-to-own is my speciality and my passion, because it gives people a genuine path to ownership that they would not otherwise have.
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  Cash buyers — Buyers who are purchasing a vehicle outright and want procurement support, price negotiation guidance, and help avoiding the common pitfalls of private or dealer purchases.

Nine years in the industry: what I have learned

Nine years in vehicle finance teaches you a lot — about the industry, about lenders, and about people. A few things stand out.

First: most South Africans who are struggling to get vehicle finance are not irresponsible. They have often just hit a rough patch — retrenchment, a medical emergency, a business that did not work out the way they hoped. Life happens. What matters is where they are now, and whether they can sustain a monthly payment going forward.

Second: the paperwork and jargon in this industry can be genuinely intimidating. Pre-agreement statements, balloon payments, affordability assessments, the National Credit Act — for most people, it is overwhelming. Part of my job is making sure that my clients understand exactly what they are signing and why, in plain language, before they commit to anything.

Third: the relationship does not end at the application. I work in a client-facing role that includes referrals and rentals. When someone comes to me, I want to know they have someone they can call if something changes — not just a website to scroll through alone.

Beyond the finance: a little about me

I am a real person, not just a website. Outside of work, I stay active — fitness is important to me, both for the discipline it builds and because I genuinely enjoy it.

I also make music. I record and release under the artist name MyGrace Star, and you can find my work on YouTube Music. It is a creative outlet that is completely separate from vehicle finance, but it is part of who I am. I think there is something about creativity — the patience, the problem-solving, the willingness to try things and refine them — that carries over into how I approach my work with clients.

I also run my personal site at graceklaas.com, where I write about finance topics from a more personal angle — including car insurance, vehicle ownership, and the kind of practical advice I would give a friend, not a client form.

Why I built Cars Financed

There are plenty of vehicle finance websites in South Africa. Most of them are built for buyers who already qualify — who have a clean ITC record, a formal payslip, and a deposit saved up. They are useful for that audience. But they do not serve the buyer who is blacklisted, self-employed, or sitting with a judgement from three years ago that has since been settled.

Cars Financed was built specifically to serve that buyer — and to do it honestly. That means being upfront about what rent-to-own costs, who it is right for, and when it might not be the best option. It means writing content that actually explains the National Credit Act and what your rights are, rather than burying the fine print.

It means being the kind of specialist I would have wanted to find if I were in my clients’ shoes.

Frequently asked questions about Grace Klaas