What’s inside… FAnews Magazine October 2025
It’s hard to believe we’ve stepped into October already… we’re in the last stretch of 2025. October carries a powerful reminder: it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the National Cancer Registry, breast cancer is still the most common cancer among women in South Africa. Early response can make all the difference! In this edition, our lens is firmly on non-life insurance. The themes shaping the market right now are impossible to ignore: the rising cost of reinsurance, the reality of climate-related catastrophes, and the challenges posed by infrastructure failures.
At the same time, AI and automation are transforming processes, while also introducing new exposures insurers must navigate. Add in the evolving risks facing SMMEs, smallholder farmers, and the complexities of proximate cause in claims, and the picture is clear: we are part of an industry in constant motion, rebalancing risk and opportunity.
The big news about The Insurance Apprentice (TIA) is that the Financial Sector Transformation Council has formally endorsed the programme as a credible consumer education initiative, and we have received their official letter of endorsement. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has also recognised and supported TIA, positioning it firmly as an effective platform for delivering education outcomes at scale. For those interested in sponsorship opportunities, I’m always happy to have that conversation; please reach out to me directly.
Here’s to an October filled with focus, momentum and meaningful conversations before the “silly season” truly kicks in.
Enjoy the read.
CPD Articles
Short-term (IISA Approved)
Automating claims: legal pitfalls in a POPI world
The reinsurance surge: unlocking strategic wins in 2025
Understanding proximate cause in insurance claims
Is the insurance industry ready for a climate catastrophe?
Joint ventures and Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance
Brokers show their mettle - As insurers tighten fire, flood and subsidence exclusions
Life, Investments, EB, Healthcare, etc (FPI Approved)
Advisers, planners take note: this Cybersecurity Joint Standard applies to you
Compliance versus compassion: striking the balance
Advisers take centre stage as bitcoin adoption eyes mainstream
Dividing the pot: divorce and the Two-Pot System
South Africa’s retirement industry is proving its resilience
Complex claims - not every cancer qualifies as a PMB
The list of articles worth reading continues…
In the news
Falling forward: lessons from The Insurance Apprentice
Old Mutual Insure employee takes the crown in The Insurance Apprentice 2025
Respectfully stuck: the leadership cost of cultural respect
The unsung heroes of 24/7 emergency call centres in South Africa
Product innovation - the ongoing shift
Profile
Shaping the future of risk and insurance education at Milpark
FPI launches Trust to empower future planners
The gap between health insurance and humanity: Carmen Poultney’s story
Tandiwe Cimela on governance and risk at Elite
The importance of leadership and personal growth: a conversation with Antonio Iozzo
Momentum’s Money Fingerprint: a new era of behavioural finance
Regular Feature
Climate change, risk management and insurance: the issue of managing risk
Compliance & Regulatory
Overregulation vs. underregulation: finding the middle ground
The ethical edge: insurers and data use
Client & Culture
Beyond claims: embedding well-being into insurance
Culture, purpose and empathy: insurance’s true differentiators
Financial Planning
Why Key Person insurance should be a priority for SME’s
Investments
Why high-quality bonds are making their comeback
Building blocks for a stable portfolio
Life
Complicated claims with a lesson
The safety net: From self-exposed to secure
Healthcare
Mental health tops disability claims
Technology
Embrace it or ignore it, AI is a risky business
Non-life
Thatch, fire and a revised SANS 10400 Part T:2024 standard
Weathering the flames: the rise of wildfire risk
Bridging the cybersecurity gap: tech, insurance and the human factor
Boosting insurance efficiency without losing the human touch
Don’t overestimate AI for underwriting climate risk
The Saltoro Maersk incident: a wake-up call for SA fruit exporters
Infrastructure failures: who’s responsible?
Unlocking opportunities for small-scale farmers
Repair, replace, repeat: the motor insurance challenge
Shifting risks for SMMEs demand new approach to small business insurance cover
Editor’s thoughts:
This edition is packed – once again – with strong content and plenty of learnings in most of the articles. It’s about much more than just doing your CPD articles; this is insightful, strong and relevant for you, no matter where you work in the industry. It’s October, people… a small jump to December, so enjoy the read!
