Review of Santam Insurance – A Deeply Disappointing Experience After Decades of Loyalty

Review of Santam Insurance – A Deeply Disappointing Experience After Decades of Loyalty

We have been loyal clients of Santam Insurance from 1996 to 2023, consistently paying our premiums for nearly three decades. Unfortunately, when we needed them the most, they failed us in every possible way.

In 2023, our rondawel on the side of our property (roughly 30 meters from the main house) burned down. It had a thatched roof and had been part of our insured property at Santam since 1996, as we proved the rondawel on the property has been build before on purchasing the property in 1980. They came out to the property in person and included this thatched roof rondawel. Despite informing Santam multiple times over the years that the structure had a thatched roof — and it being less than 15% of the total building structure — Santam confirmed the thatched roof on our property, but after the burn they stated it was a standard roof only which was not true. The insurer now refuses to pay out, claiming the policy was for a “standard roof construction.”

Santam also claims the building was underinsured, and therefore, they owe us nothing. However, our contract explicitly states that in the case of underinsurance, they would cover the percentage covered of the claim. They are now backtracking on that commitment.

Even worse, Santam is now claiming that the rondawel was not insured at all — despite the fact that it has been included in our policy since 1996, and the contract clearly refers to “the buildingS,” with plural "s" which includes both the main house and the rondawel.

This experience has left us feeling betrayed and disillusioned. After paying premiums faithfully for 27 years, we expected support and fairness — not denial, evasion, and shifting excuses.

We urge others to review their policies carefully and reconsider who they trust with their home and property insurance. Unfortunately, Santam has not lived up to its promises or our trust.