South African insurers News

South Africa’s President Approves Major Health Reform Law; Legal Challenges Expected

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law on Wednesday a bill that aims to provide universal health coverage, hailing it as a major step in the journey towards a more just society although critics say they will challenge it …

South Africa’s State-Owned Insurer Won’t Pay Claims for Grid Collapse

South Africa Special Risk Insurance Association told clients it won’t pay claims for damage related to a collapse of the national electricity grid, Business Day reported, citing a circular from the company. The announcement by the state-owned insurer comes less …

South African Premiums to Rise as Insurers Face Growing Flood, Fire Risks: Sanlam

South Africans could soon be paying as much as 5% more on their premiums as insurers face growing risks both globally and locally. The country is now considered “very risky” due to mounting flood and fire dangers, as well as …

S. Africa Insurer Santam Loses Appeal in COVID-19 Business Income Case With Hotelier

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled Santam is liable to cover the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on hotel group Ma-Afrika for 18 months, rejecting the insurer’s request for a shorter time frame on the claim, Santam …

South Africa’s State Insurer to Raise Premiums to Cover Riot-Related Reinsurance Costs

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s only insurer covering political violence will increase its premiums to cover a rise in reinsurance costs following some of the worst unrest in decades, the head of the state-owned company told Reuters. More than 300 people …

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 …

S. Africa Insurer Santam Begins Processing 4,000 Business Interruption Claims

JOHANNESBURG— South African insurer Santam Ltd. said on Monday it will start processing business interruption claims for all commercial policies that were affected by a coronavirus-led lockdown in April beyond those of its hospitality and leisure division. It will cover …

S. Africa Medical Insurers, Business Groups, Government to Fund Vaccines for Uninsured

South African medical-insurance companies, business organizations and the government are developing a program in which the private sector will help fund COVID-19 vaccines for people not covered by insurance. Legislation has been amended to allow the companies to fund shots …

South African Insurer Santam Accepts Liability for Some Rejected COVID-19 Claims

JOHANNESBURG – South African insurer Santam will begin assessing payouts for some previously rejected coronavirus-related claims after recent court judgments on such cases but still intends to challenge one finding against it. Like other insurers around the world, Santam had …

S. African Insurer Guardrisk Will Not Challenge Court Ruling on COVID-19 Claims

JOHANNESBURG – South African insurer Guardrisk will not further challenge a court process that has found it liable to pay clients’ rejected coronavirus-related claims, it said late on Thursday. Guardrisk, the country’s fourth-largest non-life insurer, and its peers around the …