Santam provides opportunity to insure domestic workers

Santam, the country’s largest short-term insurer, has introduced a new product that provides clients with the opportunity to sponsor a home and household policy on behalf of their domestic worker, gardener, child minder or any other person employed - either on a full-time or part-time basis - in their home.

The premium starts from as little as R15 per month and sponsorship does not affect the sponsor’s risk status or no-claims bonus in any way.

Mpumi Tyikwe (Pictured right), Executive Head for New and External Markets at Santam, explains that the policy provides comprehensive cover for home workers’ homes and contents and includes cover for all natural disasters, fire and theft. It also covers damage caused during riots and strikes. Premiums range from as little as R15 to R240 per month, depending on the value of homeowners’ property and possessions. Personal liability cover up to R100 000 is included free of charge with all policies.

“Very often, South Africans in the lower income sector are uninformed about short-term insurance or have not been able to obtain affordable household cover in the past. Existing Santam policyholders who are aware of the benefits of short-term insurance and who are concerned about the welfare of their home workers now have the opportunity to take out home and household cover on their behalf – with no impact on their own risk profile or no-claims bonus”, says Tyikwe.

He points out that the sponsorship option provides policyholders with the opportunity not only to provide an additional employment benefit to their home workers, but also to ensure minimal disruption to the household in the event of any disaster, fire or theft in respect of the home worker’s property and possessions. In the run-up to the festive season, he says that it is also the opportunity to provide a real and sustainable reward for loyal home workers.

Tyikwe says that, to qualify for the product, the home worker needs to be the legal owner of the house to be insured and that the house needs to have brick walls and either tiles, asbestos or corrugated iron roofs.

“This is just another example of how Santam is committed to helping clients reduce their risk and the risks of the important people in their life,” concludes Tyikwe.