What’s inside… FAnews Magazine April 2026
April is always the ‘long-weekend month’, offering some time to catch up with family or complete those overdue CPD hours, with the 31 May deadline breathing down our necks. As much as it brings a sense of unproductivity, it is generally well-received by most of us. Everyone agrees that 2026 started off at lightning speed, so having a moment to catch our breath is a good thing.
In the April edition, we once again shine the spotlight on the employee benefits and retirement space. Across these articles, a clear theme emerges: the growing need for better understanding, stronger communication, and more thoughtful planning as clients, employers, and advisers navigate an increasingly complex environment.
We also highlight AI, automation, and the digital evolution in this edition. I know many people are ‘over’ AI and the conversations around it, but what we often forget is that it is often the simple things you use or change that fall under the AI umbrella - things that, in the past, would simply have been called ‘tech’ changes. It’s really there to streamline how and what we do… embrace it or get left behind.
I had a super cool chat with some changemakers in the industry around the theme, ‘Why use a broker?’ This is something I am quite excited about because we are all for brokers and advisers, and this initiative is exactly what we stand for; one we truly hope will change how people view that important ‘middleman’.
On 2 May, the first episode of The Insurance Apprentice will air on eExtra on DStv (Channel 195). If you don’t have DStv, catch it on OpenView (Channel 105) or stream on the eVOD app. The episodes repeat on Sundays at 10:00 and will be available on our YouTube channel and Facebook the following Monday. We’ll also upload it to The Insurance Apprentice website. Don’t miss it!
Before I sign off, a quick reminder: the CPD deadline is fast approaching on 31 May. If you haven’t started yet, or still have boxes to tick, now is the time to get moving.
Here’s to staying ahead, staying informed, and staying ready - whatever comes next. Enjoy the read, until next time!
Non-Life (IISA Approved)
The regulatory tightrope: achieving consumer protection without overregulation
Client to courtroom: a broker’s tightrope with legal privilege
Liability disclaimers and consumer protection: key lessons from recent case law
Top causes of BI losses - how will they evolve?
The case for swing-rated reinsurance
Designing for the ‘new normal’
Life, Investments, EB, Healthcare, etc (FPI Approved)
The adviser’s CoFI toolkit for a new standard
Adopt a King V mindset: to make proactive risk management your default
Budget 2026: another touchpoint in year-round adviser-client engagement
South Africa’s medical schemes: trends, growth, and demographic shifts
Umbrella trusts are gaining traction
The underestimated risks in retirement (and what to do about it)
The list of articles worth reading continues…
In the news
Geopolitical risks: the rising threat to global trade and insurance markets
Profiles
Beyond the numbers: PPS results reflect value, trust and growth
Global Choices: Celebrating unsung heroes: Surgeons for Little Lives
Standard Bank Flexible Funeral Plan: care beyond cover
Platinum Portfolios: empowering IFAs for 26 years with enduring success
TFOS brings global market access to South African advisers
Regular Feature
RAF, the next insurance tsunami?
Compliance & Regulatory
NFO Appeal Tribunal overturns Ombud rulings on non-disclosure
Technology
Trust in AI: ensuring fairness, accuracy, and empathy in insurance
AI in the courtroom and boardroom: admissibility, governance, and explainability
Non-Life
Sober minds and reasonable attitudes
Where is the lift?
Policy interpretation and the application of fairness and equity
Risk Management
Evolving risk management: from reactive to proactive
From hindsight to foresight: why non?life insurance needs a data?led risk reset
Investments
Liquidity: the silent game-changer
Iran-Israel-US Conflict: how geopolitical shocks ripple through the financial advising world
Life
Rethinking income protection for South Africa’s gig economy
When grief meets paperwork
Healthcare
The true cost of fraud in healthcare: R28 billion and rising
The liability shift: AI’s impact on medical claims
Employee benefits
Group risk in a complex world: emerging trends
Why employee well-being is the broker's top lever in benefits
The future of retirement funds is here
Group vs individual income protection: the structural gap most employers haven’t priced
From promise to payout: the real test for employee benefits
Retirement
Retirement readiness in the age of instant gratification
Calm down and carry on: communicating inflation, volatility and sequencing risk to your clients
Retirement planning: when the maths doesn’t math
Designing retirement income with tax flexibility
The shifting role of retirement fund advisers in South Africa
Editor’s thoughts:
This is the final stretch of the current CPD cycle. The 31 May deadline is closer than you think. If you haven’t started yet, you’re not just behind – you’re setting yourself up for unnecessary pressure. A quick heads-up from our side: as always, activity ramps up sharply from around the second week of May, and the system may slow down during peak periods. Don’t leave it until the last minute and then blame the platform.
Use this edition with purpose. Get your CPD on track, yes – but also take the opportunity to sharpen your thinking, challenge a perspective, and start better conversations with clients and colleagues. How you show up now matters far more than just ticking the box.
Enjoy the read!
