First-time private lenders
If you have never lent privately before, this is where I spend the most time — the structure, the protections, the questions to ask, and what "indicative" honestly means.
Verified consultant
ProLend private-lending consultant
Wes ThomsonPrivate-Lending Consultant in Johannesburg
Managing Partner, ProLend
Johannesburg, Gauteng
Local & offshore
In person & online
Risk and governance background. I explain private lending from the structure outwards, not the sales pitch inwards.
8 yrs
In financial services
Local + Offshore
Both ProLend pathways
Johannesburg
Gauteng, South Africa
In person & online
How Wes meets clients
Background & experience
Managing Partner, ProLend
Risk and governance background. I explain private lending from the structure outwards, not the sales pitch inwards.
My background is risk. I spent five years as a British Royal Marine Commando, the last of them in close protection, and the decade that followed took me from an ambulance in Cape Town to private security in Mumbai, and then into security risk management for one of the United Kingdom's largest consultancies — London-based, working across India, the Gulf and East Africa.
What that work has in common is assessing what can go wrong before committing to anything. I hold an MSc in Security Management from the University of Portsmouth and a diploma in Risk Management, and I have published on risk assessment methods.
In 2016 I founded Veterans for Wildlife, an international conservation charity I ran for four years and grew to raise more than £300,000 a year across five countries. I left to build my own business management consultancy, and I now manage several companies in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
I joined ProLend as Managing Partner and built the platform it runs on. It is a risk background, not a financial-services one, and that is the honest description of it. What it brings to a conversation about private lending is the habit of asking what actually secures a position, what happens in the bad case rather than the good one, and whether a structure holds up when it is tested.
Areas of expertise
Where clients rely on me most.
People who want to understand how the structure actually works before they place anything — and who would rather hear the risks first.
Local, prime-linked lending
Rand-based arrangements that move with South Africa's prime rate. We model an indicative range and talk through how income tracks as prime shifts.
Offshore fixed-return notes
Hard-currency structures over a fixed term, deployed in Rands at the live rate. Useful when a client wants currency diversification and a defined horizon.
Credentials & training
What backs me.
ProLend Consultant CertificationCompleted the full training programme and knowledge checks, 2026.
8 years in financial servicesExperience brought to every client conversation.
LanguagesWorks with clients in English.
How I work with you
Understanding first, decisions second.
01
I look at the bad case first.
My background is risk, not sales. So the first thing I want to go through with you is not the return — it is what secures the capital, what happens if a borrower falls behind, and how long recovery actually takes. If that part does not satisfy you, the rest of the numbers do not matter.
02
I built the platform, so I can show you the plumbing.
I can take you through exactly how a deal is structured, who administers it, where your money sits and what the paperwork commits you to. Very little about this needs to be taken on trust — most of it can simply be shown to you, document by document.
03
I am not a financial adviser, and I will not pretend to be.
I explain how private lending works so that you can ask better questions — of me and of anyone else. I do not give financial, investment or tax advice, and if what you actually need is an adviser, I will say so.
Where Wes works
Based in Johannesburg, working across Gauteng and online.
Wes works with clients in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Sandton, Centurion and Centurion, as well as online with clients anywhere in South Africa. First conversations happen in person or over a video call — whichever suits you.
Common questions
About working with Wes.
Who is Wes Thomson?
Risk and governance background. I explain private lending from the structure outwards, not the sales pitch inwards. People who want to understand how the structure actually works before they place anything — and who would rather hear the risks first.
Where is Wes based?
Wes is based in Johannesburg, Gauteng, and works with clients in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Sandton, Centurion and Centurion — as well as online with clients anywhere in South Africa.
Who does Wes work best with?
People who want to understand how the structure actually works before they place anything — and who would rather hear the risks first.
What does Wes help clients understand?
How private lending works in South Africa — the local prime-linked pathway and the offshore hard-currency pathway — including the structure, the term, the security features and the risks, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Does Wes provide financial advice?
No. Wes is an independent ProLend consultant and does not provide financial, investment or tax advice — only information, and a walk through the pathways. Product terms and administration are the responsibility of the registered provider.
Can I model local and offshore scenarios with Wes?
Yes. You can model an indicative local prime-linked or offshore hard-currency scenario for your own amount using the calculator on Wes's link, then discuss what it shows together.
Is there any obligation after enquiring?
No. Modelling a scenario and enquiring are free and carry no obligation. Nothing proceeds until you are comfortable, and final terms, availability and acceptance still apply.
Important boundaries
What this is — and what it isn't.
- Wes is an independent ProLend consultant, not an employee of ProLend.
- Wes does not provide financial, investment or tax advice.
- Figures modelled on ProLend are indicative, not quotes or offers.
- Returns are not guaranteed, and depend on the arrangement, prevailing rates and the term.
- Capital carries risk, including the risk of loss.
- Product terms and administration are handled by the registered credit provider under the National Credit Act.
Ready when you are
Model your scenario with Wes.
Start with an indicative figure on the calculator, then request a conversation. There's no obligation, and nothing happens until you're ready.
Wes Thomson is an independent ProLend consultant. Figures modelled on ProLend are indicative and do not constitute financial advice or a guarantee of any return. Product terms and administration are the responsibility of the registered product provider.