Articles by Roxanne Henderson and Khuleko Siwele

S. African Riot Insurer to Shoulder Bulk of Claims After Days of Violent Civil Unrest

As calm begins to return to South Africa following days of violent riots that caused billions of rand in damage, questions are being asked about who will foot the bill. While some claims will be assessed by heavyweight insurers such …

Insurer Sanlam Braces for More Virus Waves in South Africa

South Africa may still be short of the halfway mark of the pandemic even after two distinct waves of the coronavirus swept through the country over the past year. “We are basically planning for two-and-a-half more waves,” Sanlam Ltd. Chief …

South African Insurer Santam Loses COVID-19 Business Interruption Test Case

A Cape Town court ordered Santam Ltd. to pay out business-interruption claims to two South African hospitality companies, potentially opening up the industry to cover losses suffered because of the coronavirus pandemic. The court agreed with the approach of the …

Top African Insurer Sanlam Refocuses on Home Market After 2018 Acquisition Misfires

Paul Hanratty, the new chief executive officer of Sanlam Ltd., is refocusing on the South African insurer’s home market and plugging holes from its largest-ever acquisition to squeeze higher returns out of its businesses. It’s been two years since the …

S. African Insurers Bow to Policyholder Demands to Pay COVID Biz Interruption Relief

South African insurers are bowing to demands for the payment of losses that businesses suffered during the nation’s lockdown. Momentum Metropolitan Holdings Ltd.’s Guardrisk will make settlement payments to policyholders who submitted business-interruption claims for losses suffered when all but …

South African Insurer Santam to Pay Virus Relief to Clients with Biz Interruption Cover

South Africa’s largest property and casualty insurer will pay as much as one billion rand ($60 million) in relief to clients with business-interruption cover hit financially by the coronavirus pandemic. Santam Ltd. will begin making relief payments next week, mainly …

S. African Regulator Says Business Interruption Virus Claims Don’t Pose Systemic Risk

South Africa’s Prudential Authority expects that business-interruption claims linked to the Covid-19 pandemic poses little systemic risk to the insurance industry. The regulator is in talks with the country’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority and insurance companies on claims from policyholders …

South Africa Regulator Warns Insurers to Stop Broad Rejection of Virus Claims

A South African regulator warned insurers to stop broadly rejecting claims from businesses seeking to cover losses because of a lockdown to curb the coronavirus. “The Financial Sector Conduct Authority is concerned about the behavior of some insurers who are …

South Africa Regulator Probes Insurance Contracts Over Unpaid COVID-19 BI Claims

A South African regulator is studying insurance contracts after customers complained that claims related to the coronavirus were unfairly rejected. One outcome from the process could include an order from the Financial Sector Conduct Authority on the fairness of wording …

Johannesburg City Hit by Hackers Who Demanded Bitcoin Ransom

The City of Johannesburg shut down its website and billing systems after a group hacked into the authority’s system and demanded a ransom of four Bitcoins worth about $30,000. The call center, cashiers and other digital platforms were also taken …