South African market News

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’s Steinhoff in Talks with D&O Insurers to Help Settle Accounting Crisis Claims

Steinhoff International Holdings NV is in talks with the providers of director liability insurance policies about help settling legal claims resulting from a 2017 accounting crisis that took the South African retailer to the brink of collapse. An agreement with …

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 …

South Africa Court Dismisses Insurer Guardrisk’s Appeal in Coronavirus Claims Case

JOHANNESBURG – A South African court on Thursday dismissed insurer Guardrisk’s appeal against a previous ruling that found it was liable pay a Cape Town cafe’s rejected coronavirus claim. Like other insurers in South Africa and around the world, Guardrisk, …

Swiss Re Corporate Solutions Authorized in S. Africa to Write Direct Insurance

Swiss Re Corporate Solutions announced it has received a direct insurance authorization from the South African joint regulators Prudential Authority and Financial Sector Conduct Authority. Located in Johannesburg and fully operational, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions Africa offers customers in South …

South African Insurer Santam to Appeal COVID-19 Business Interruption Ruling

Santam said on Friday it would appeal against a court ruling that found South Africa’s largest non-life insurer liable to pay a client’s claim relating to a coronavirus lockdown. Like insurers in other countries, Santam has been battling with clients …

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 …

S. Africa’s Regulator to Clarify Policyholders’ Rights in Pandemic Insurance Claims

South Africa’s financial watchdog is consulting with lawyers and the insurance industry on a potential test case to clarify whether insurers should pay rejected claims from firms hit by the impact of the coronavirus, it told Reuters on Thursday. Several …