Tag: insurance

As weather patterns evolve and climate-related risks intensify, the construction sector must rethink how it assesses flood exposure. South Africa is on the cusp of yet another unprecedented weather cycle. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) predicts a moderate-to-strong El Niño event developing between now and August 2026.

For most South Africans, digital banking has become second nature. We pay accounts from our phones, shop online, book holidays, transfer money to family and friends, and invest through banking apps. We can complete all these transactions within seconds. Unfortunately, criminals have become just as comfortable operating in this digital world.

There is a common misconception that having insurance guarantees a successful claim. However, this belief often leads to rejected insurance claims. After all, policyholders pay premiums every month. They expect the policy to respond when something goes wrong.

It starts, as these things invariably do, on a perfectly innocuous Tuesday. The coffee is hot. The cat judges me from the sofa. The world seems, temporarily, to behave itself. Then, you make the fatal error. You check your bank account. There it is. A debit order. But not the friendly, familiar figure that you have grown accustomed to. That one we agreed upon over a handshake, or more likely a shiny tick box on a glowing screen.

The latest Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey has revealed that, despite slightly improved perceptions of safety within South African communities, housebreaking and burglaries remain a key concern. In 2024/2025, an estimated 1.5 million incidents were recorded. This represents 5.7% of households in the country.

A recent decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, in the matter between Hammond Power Solutions Inc. vs National Union Fire Insurance Co. (2025), provides important guidance on the interpretation of exclusions in commercial general liability (CGL) policies.

The past two financial years brought significant financial disruption across sub-Saharan Africa. Economies, corporates, and consumers faced sustained pressure due to challenging macro-economic factors. Structural changes in the video entertainment industry further compounded this disruption.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms have fast-tracked automation in South Africa’s insurance industry. However, these solutions also introduce unique cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Specifically, adversarial attacks can compromise the accuracy of risk assessments, bypass fraud detection and disrupt claims processing. Without proper digital security in place, this can lead to compliance violations and severely damage the reputation of local insurers.

Capitec, South Africa’s leading digital bank, has achieved a remarkable milestone, now serving more than half of the country’s adult population. Over the past five years, the bank's journey has included the introduction of business banking, value-added services (VAS), Capitec Connect and insurance under its own insurance licence.

Businesses have ranked political risks and violence as a top 10 global risk for the past three years, according to our Risk Barometer 2025. This demonstrates that soaring civil unrest and protest activity has become a key concern for companies of all sizes.