Life

Vodacom appoints Frank.net to assist in offering insurance products

No Comments »Written on May 16th, 2012 by jonckie
Categories: Finding Insurance, Life, Q&A
Tags: , , , ,


The very competitive insurance industry is set to become even more competitive with cellular operator Vodacom entering the market.

Vodacom (VOD) has received the go-ahead to enter the South African insurance market having been recently awarded a long term insurance licence by the Financial Services Board (FSB).

This licence, along with the short term licence granted earlier this year, allows Vodacom to underwrite and sell insurance products.

Vodacom is able to leverage the direct links it has with its more than 30 million customers and dramatically reduce the costs traditionally associated with acquiring and serving customers. These savings enable Vodacom to extend greater value to its customers. Vodacom is also recognised as one of South Africa's most trusted brands, which is likely to be a major benefit when it comes to attracting customers who are looking for insurance products.

“Our insurance business proposition is simple; we are focused on providing Vodacom customers with unbeatable value. Our customers will benefit from the value and convenience that we are able to offer. The vision is to dissolve the barriers to entry for all South Africans previously unable to access insurance products,” says Mark Taylor, Managing Executive of Vodacom Financial Services.

As part of the strategic decision to enter the insurance market, Vodacom appointed FRANK.NET, South Africa's fastest growing direct life investment company which is owned and capitalized by Liberty Holdings, to provide administrative and claims support for its long term insurance offering.

“FRANK.NET is a good fit for us. The company has a proven track record in the long term insurance industry with the latest technology platforms and innovative ways to provide an excellent customer experience. We are excited about the depth of experience that FRANK.NET will bring and believe that they will provide excellent service that our customers expect,” says Taylor.

FRANK.NET's direct capability is purpose built to support the delivery and administration of insurance programmes and it currently does so for a number of enterprises.

FRANK.NET CEO, Lenerd Louw, said: “We are pleased to work with Vodacom to support their new long term financial products offering. The scale of FRANK.NET's direct capability enables us to easily support the delivery and administration of insurance programmes to help Vodacom leverage from our proven affinity platforms. We look forward to supporting Vodacom as they grow and develop exciting new products to address the financial needs of the South African population.” [Info from I-Net Bridge]

Insurance fraud charges against Radovan Krejcir put on hold

No Comments »Written on April 16th, 2012 by jonckie
Categories: Fraud, Legal, Life
Tags: , ,

Fraud charges against Czech businessman Radovan Krejcir were provisionally withdrawn in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Monday.

Krejcir appeared before magistrate T Carstens and the State provisionally withdrew charges, citing other High Court cases that were underway.

The fraud charge against him relates to a R4.5 million claim he made to an insurance company, allegedly using medical papers stating he had cancer. His urologist Marian Tupy previously admitted to falsifying insurance documents so Krejcir could be paid out for bladder cancer.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the charges were provisionally withdrawn pending the finalisation of the application for a review and the setting aside of Tupy's plea and sentence agreement.

“We can’t have two legal processes underway and parallel to each other,” NPA spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga said.

“The outcome of the review application will have a bearing on the prosecution of the case against Mr Krejcir.”

He said the NPA had already filed its opposing papers.

Outside court earlier, State prosecutor Riegal du Toit said he filed the application because other court cases overlapped with this case. He said the accused did not recant his version, but said he should never have pleaded guilty.

“We'll see what happens now in the High Court,” he said.

Krejcir looked happy and relaxed. He was wearing a black blazer and t-shirt with jeans. He fought extradition to his home country in 2008, where he was sentenced in absentia to six-and-a-half years for tax fraud. He was also charged with conspiracy to murder, counterfeiting, extortion, and abduction.

Last year, police “exchanged information” with Krejcir during their investigation into the murder of Teazers strip club owner Lolly Jackson, who also lived in Bedfordview, Joburg.

Both Krejcir and Jackson's business partner Mark Andrews had claims against Jackson's estate, which was being handled by lawyer Ian Jordaan. A charred body, believed to be Jordaan's, was found on top of his bakkie, next to the R59 in Brackendowns, Alberton, in September. – Sapa

Also view:

Radovan Krejcir implicated in life insurance fraud

Insurance for professionals participating in mountain climbing and extreme sports

No Comments »Written on March 21st, 2012 by jonckie
Categories: Disability, Life
Tags: , , , , , ,

Henk Cronje shows his elation at reaching the Summit of Mont Blanc

As a business owner, husband and father of two, life and disability cover for avid mountain climber Henk Cronjé was a top priority before embarking on his worldwide mountain climbing expeditions, as it should be for anyone who plans to partake in extreme sports.

This is according to John Marsden, National Sales Director at PPS, who says that cover against death or disability, especially when dependents – including family members and employees - are involved, is particularly important for all consumers ahead of the festive season when many people may engage in activities such as paragliding, quad biking or a number of other extreme sports.

Marsden warns however that if your leisure activity is deemed to be a ‘hazardous pursuit’ by your insurer, then some insurance policies may not cover you in the event of an accident because some policies may contain exclusions, for example hazardous pursuits.

Cronjé, a PPS member, was fortunate enough to have automatic hazardous pursuits cover in his life and disability policies which ensured he was covered anywhere in the world, in any eventuality.

“This cover has been highly beneficial during my summit of Mont Blanc (4810m) located France in July 2011; Mount Elbrus (5642m) in Russia in July 2010; Mount Kilimanjaro (5895m) in 2003; and my most recent summit of Aconcagua (6962m) in Argentina, South America on the 19th of January 2012,” says Cronjé.

As a summit attempt can take anything between 15 to 20 hours mountain climbers face a number of challenges and the possibility of negative health side effects or an accident occurring is quite high, says Cronjé.

“As with any high altitude the unpredictability of the weather is the biggest challenge and to get that window of opportunity to summit the mountain is not always possible. Due to low oxygen levels climbers need to control their pace otherwise they can burn out before reaching the summit, therefore, food supplements and liquid intake are essential to combat dehydration and exhaustion.”

According to Cronjé it took him, including acclimatisation, 10 days to summit Mount Elbrus, 7 days to summit Mont Blanc and Aconcagua will take approximately 15 days. “Acclimatization is of utmost importance and that basically means spending time on high altitude which gives your body time to adapt. During the day you will assent to a specific altitude and then decent and sleep at a lower altitude. The risk of an accident occurring increases with every day spent on the mountain.”

“By their very nature, these hazardous pursuits involve a high degree of risk and there is a chance that those engaging in them will get injured or even die. It is simply irresponsible to undertake these activities without being absolutely sure you or your family will be looked after in the event of an accident,” says Marsden.

Marsden says it is vital for consumers to speak to their broker, as most policies require people to apply for the additional cover at an extra premium, which can often prove to be very expensive compared with the cost of an ordinary policy. “It’s not cheap to get coverage for activities that are perceived as hazardous. In fact, some insurers not only automatically exclude coverage for hazardous pursuits, but will also refuse to provide cover against such activities at all.”

Marsden says that PPS members have the peace of mind of knowing that they have comprehensive cover at a far lower premium than many other policies.”

Also view:

How do mountain climbing and extreme sports affect your life insurance?

Versekering moet in plek wees wanneer bergklimmers die hoogste pieke aandurf

Knowing you are covered at the top of Mount Aconcagua

Additional information:

PPS boasts in excess of 200,000 members who enjoy access to a comprehensive suite of financial and healthcare products that are specifically tailored to meet the needs of graduate professionals.

PPS is the largest South African company of its kind that still embraces an ethos of mutuality, which means that it exists solely for the benefit of its members. Thus, members who are policyholders can exclusively share in the profits of PPS Insurance and those who have PPS Investments products can also share in the profits of PPS Investments.

PPS membership provides access to the following tried, tested and trusted products and services: PPS Insurance, PPS Short-Term Insurance, PPS Beneficiaries Trust, PPS Investments and Profmed Medical Scheme. Visit www.pps.co.za for more information.

PPS is an authorised financial services provider.

Sunrise Camp 1 -Mount Aconcacua

Half (47%) of Global Employees Agree Their Workplace is Psychologically Safe and Healthy according to Survey

No Comments »Written on March 16th, 2012 by jonckie
Categories: Life, Medical, Paramedics and Emergency Medical Response
Tags: , , , ,

Worker injured in industrial accident

New York — A global average of half (47%) of employees in 24 countries agree their current workplace is a ‘psychologically safe and healthy environment to work in’ finds a new survey conducted by global research company Ipsos for Reuters News. A further three in ten (27%) disagreed while one quarter (26%) place themselves in the middle of their assessment.

The United States and Canada ranked highest of the 24 nation workplaces to have the psychologically healthiest workplaces, according to employees in those countries. A majority of Americans (64%) and Canadians (60%) agree with the statement. They are followed by majorities in: India (57%), Australia (56%), Indonesia (55%), Great Britain (55%), South Africa (55%), China (54%), Turkey (53%) and Brazil (52%).

Three in ten (27%) global employees gave their workplaces the lowest marks for being psychologically safe and healthy with those workers from Argentina (44%), Mexico (43%), Hungary (42%) and Spain (38%) reflecting the strongest disagreement followed by Russia (36%), Poland (35%) and France (32%).

Demographically, those most likely to agree with the statement (rate 7, 8, 9 or 10) have a high household income (52%), have completed a high level of education (51%) and are over the age of 50 (50%). Conversely, those most likely to disagree (rate 1, 2, 3 or 4) have a low household income (31%), have low or medium education (28%).

Ipsos surveyed a total of 14,618 employees in 24 countries to rate on a scale of 1 to 10, (where 1 means strongly disagree and 10 means strongly agree) how strongly they agree or disagree with the following statement: ‘Overall, my current workplace is a psychologically safe and healthy environment to work in.’ The top group of employees were those who scored at least 7 out of 10, the second group was in the middle range (rate of  5 or 6 out of 10) and the lowest or most likely to ‘disagree’ group rated their workplace as a 1, 2, 3 or 4 out of 10.

Agree

10-9-8-7

6-5 Disagree

4-3-2-1

Total 47% 26% 27%
United States 64% 17% 19%
Canada 60% 19% 22%
India 57% 28% 17%
Australia 56% 22% 22%
Indonesia 55% 29% 16%
Great Britain 55% 25% 19%
South Africa 55% 20% 25%
China 54% 32% 15%
Turkey 53% 27% 20%
Brazil 52% 31% 17%
Belgium 50% 29% 20%
Sweden 50% 23% 26%
Germany 44% 26% 29%
Saudi Arabia 42% 25% 30%
Russia 41% 24% 36%
Italy 40% 31% 29%
South Korea 39% 32% 30%
Hungary 39% 19% 42%
Japan 36% 39% 24%
Spain 36% 26% 38%
Argentina 36% 20% 44%
France 35% 32% 32%
Poland 33% 32% 35%
Mexico 32% 26% 43%

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Global @dvisor poll conducted between on behalf of Reuters News. The survey instrument is conducted monthly in 24 countries via the Ipsos Online Panel system. The countries reporting herein are Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States of America. An international sample of 21,245 adults (14,618 employees) aged 18-64 in the US and Canada, and age 16-64 in all other countries, were interviewed between December 6 and December 19, 2011. Approximately 1000+ individuals participated on a country by country basis with the exception of Indonesia, Poland, Sweden, Russia and Turkey, where each have a sample 500+. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to the most recent country Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points for a sample of 1,000 and an estimated margin of error of +/- 4.5 percentage points for a sample of 500 19 times out of 20 per country of what the results would have been had the entire population of the specifically aged adults in that country been polled.

-30-


For full tabular results, please visit our website at www.ipsosglobal@advisor.com.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. In October 2011 Ipsos completed the acquisition of Synovate. The combination forms the world’s third largest market research company.

With offices in 84 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management. Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of €1.14 billion ($1.6 billion U.S.) in 2010.

Visit www.ipsos-na.com to learn more about Ipsos’ offerings and capabilities.

ER24 Paramedics attending to worker after fall through roof

Professionals are advised to review their PPS insurance policies.

No Comments »Written on December 16th, 2011 by jonckie
Categories: Disability, Life
Tags: , , ,

We would like to share an email on the importance for professionals of reviewing their PPS insurance policies. This alert is credited to Loren le Roux [M.Com (Economics)] from Personal trust.

It is important to review your policy:

(i) Your PPS benefits are linked to your income. The more you earn the more benefits you get back! PPS must be informed of your higher income.
(ii) Do you have group scheme benefits at work ? You could be over- or underinsured.

How can I better understand PPS?

Unlike a company that is listed on a stock exchange, PPS belongs to its members and operates under the ethos of mutuality. This means that is does not offer shares on any public stock exchange and answers only to the professional members it serves. The profits are distributed to its members (policyholders). This is not the case with other providers where the shareholders receive the dividends and not the policyholders!

Questions for existing PPS members:

• When last was your policy reviewed?
• Have you changed jobs?
• Has your income increased? Your PPS benefits are linked to your Gross Professional Income (GPI). Your benefits increase when your GPI increases, but PPS must be informed.
• Do you still require the same cover; i.e. life/death cover, disability & sickness cover, dread disease or accidental death cover?
• Any of the above cover options can be removed or added to your policy.

For new PPS members:

• Professionals who qualify based on their education. PPS has a list of criteria, but a 4-year university degree should qualify. Eligibility can easily be established.
• Self-employed persons should consider life cover, disability & sickness cover & dread disease cover in the absence of an employer’s group scheme benefits.
• Professionals who are in formal employment but need additional cover where their employer’s group scheme benefits are insufficient.

What differentiates PPS from other providers?

Below follows a brief summary of some of the PPS benefits:

1. Other providers ‘aggregate’ permanent disability benefits, i.e. they offset your claims against each other. E.g. you can’t claim 2 x R30,000 from provider A & B, even if you have been paying your premiums to A & B. Provider A may pay 75% or R22,500 and provider B will pay 25% or R7,500.
PPS does not aggregate permanent disability cover with other providers; they use the guidelines of the Life Office Association (now part of ASISA).
2. Other providers ask that you prove loss of income which can be difficult (income protector and/or permanent disability cover).
PPS does not ask for proof.
3. PPS sickness benefit is unique in the market, it can also include hospital cover (optional extra). Sickness benefit: pays from day 1 if you have been sick for 7 or more days, even for influenza. Only a doctor’s certificate is required. The benefit is tax free!
Most other providers will not pay from day 1 if you’ve had influenza for example. You would have to be hospitalised for at least one night. Benefits could be taxable.
4. Most other providers are listed companies and shareholders receive the dividends, not the policyholders. PPS in the only mutual insurance society in South Africa.
PPS members share in the profits of the PPS Group. History has shown that in just seven years, the value can equal the total amount of premiums paid. This is over and above the exceptional risk cover enjoyed at competitive rates.

Happy holidays!

Kind regards

Loren le Roux

M.Com (Economics)

Tel : +27 21 689 8975
Fax : +27 21 686 9093
Web : www.personaltrust.co.za

Email :lleroux@ptrust.co.za

Personal Trust International Limited
P O Box 476 Rondebosch 7701 Cape Town South Africa

European gender pricing legislation may increase insurance premiums for women

No Comments »Written on December 8th, 2011 by jonckie
Categories: Life, Vehicle
Tags: , ,


We have discussed earlier this year the legislation in Europe which deemed it discriminatory to charge different rates for men and women. But what would the impact be on the insured and their insurance premiums?

European consumers face increases of up to 30 percent in their insurance costs when a ban on insurers charging men and women different rates comes into force next year, with women set to be hardest hit, Europe's main insurers' lobby said.

Women will have to pay 30 percent and 11 percent more respectively for term life insurance and motor insurance, while men face a five percent drop in annuity income, the CEA said on Tuesday, citing a study commissioned by German insurance industry association GDV.

“The ban on gender insurance pricing may have a number of potential unintended negative consequences for consumers, insurance markets, and society more generally,” CEA Director General Michaela Koller said in a statement.

Europe's highest court in March ruled that insurers' practice of charging men and women different prices was discriminatory, and ordered them to adopt a “unisex” approach from December 2012.

The decision has drawn condemnation from the industry, which says differential pricing for men and women is legitimate given their different risk profiles.

Women currently pay less than men for car insurance because they are statistically less likely to be involved in accidents, but get lower annuity payments to reflect their longer average life expectancy.

Annuities are contracts which pay a regular income for the remainder of the policyholder's life in return for a lump sum paid on retirement.

The CEA said it would resist any attempt to ban the use of age or disability in setting insurance prices.

“Such a ban would have a massive impact on the affordability and availability of insurance,” Koller said. - Reuters

Also view:

How do mountain climbing and extreme sports affect your life insurance?

2 commentsWritten on August 10th, 2011 by jonckie
Categories: Disability, Life, Q&A
Tags: , , , , ,

Would you still be covered by your life insurance policy if you participate in extreme sports? Can adrenaline junkies find life and disability insurance cover or would their loves ones be the ones at greatest risk?

This is the questions I had when chatting to a friend of mine, Henk Cronje who is co-owner of Coobah Restaurant in Bloemfontein. We shared a coffee and he expressed his concerns whilst training and preparing to climb Mt Blanc in France. At the time he had already climbed to the summit of Mount Elbrus in Russia [5,642 metres].

To have life and disability insurance in place whilst pursuing his passion of summiting the highest mountains is important not only for him when reflecting on his wife and kids, but also for his business partners and business continuance.

I must admit to being rather impressed with the strict training schedule and dietary guidelines these climbers follow and I could not resist finding more information on the impact that these extreme activities might have on their personal insurance portfolios.

Henk Cronje at the Summit of Mount Elbrus in Russia 5,642 metres

Q&A on extreme sports and life insurance

I raised a few questions and received rather comprehensive feedback from the Life Underwriting Department at OUTsurance. The feedback provides important insights to mountain climbers and other adrenaline junkies participating in a variety of extreme sports!

There is no generic feedback that will be applicable to all mountain climbers but the underwriters have tied to provide as much detail as possible to our mountain climbers.

What are the life and disability Insurance options available to mountain climbers? Would they be able to find cover?

Most climbers should be able to get Life, Disability or Critical Illness cover and doing so really does makes financial sense –

the same way it makes financial sense for anyone who can’t afford the impact of events such as becoming permanently disabled.

Important to consider is who is looking for cover and what risks are they exposing themselves to.

That can differ significantly from one climber to another.

Preparing for the next part of the climb

Risks undertaken may vary

For example some of the factors our underwriters would take into account include (but aren’t limited to):

•             How long the individual has been climbing, so essentially how experienced they are

-              A seasoned veteran climber would be far less likely to be involved in an incident then someone who is totally “green” or inexperienced.

-              Also a seasoned pro should be able to deal with an incident better than someone who has no experience.

-              Experience can mean the difference between a fatal fall and no fall at all.

•             The equipment that they’ll be using

-              Free climbing without ropes is far more dangerous than climbing with rope because it’s more likely that something will go wrong and should something go wrong, it’s probably going to end badly…

-              Another example would the difference between the risk where people climb with or without helmets. Climbing with a helmet is obviously safer.

-              Also, are the climbers climbing with ways to stay in contact with the “outside world”? For example are they climbing with radios or sat-phones so that if something goes wrong they can call for help?

•             The heights involved

-              The higher the climb in absolute terms and/or the higher the average height the more dangerous.

-              Basically the higher the climbs the further there is to fall, all else equal.

•             If the climber is a member of a climbing club or association and how credible that group is

-              Climbers who are associated with well respected climbing clubs/associations are in all likelihood going to have a healthier respect for their sport and follow better climbing practices.

-              They are also more likely to have the right gear and to have prepared adequately.

•             Where the climbing is done

-              The more remote the climbing the less likely there will be easily accessible help.

-              For example if you fall climbing in the Cape you’re probably close to a hospital, but if you fall climbing in Antarctica (as an extreme example) you’re days away from proper medical help. That impacts the likelihood of an incident being fatal or leaving the individual disabled.

•             Whether they are climbing in a group or alone and who all might be part of that group

-              Climbing alone is much more risky than climbing with a component team. If someone climbs on their own and something goes wrong there’s nobody to help…

•             The climbers’ general health

-              There’s a significant difference between two people doing the same climb that are identical in all aspect, but their health.

-              For example someone who’s doing a serious climb is more likely to have an incident if they have severe heart problems than if they did not.

A Climb with a View

Would the cover be a loaded premium or would the extreme sporting activity by excluded?

There may be loadings or exclusions applied, but they would be based on the specific circumstances of the climber.

For example someone doing a solo climb of Everest would probably not get cover, but someone doing recreational climbing in South Africa may well get cover without any loadings or exclusions, but it does vary from case to case.

How does OUTsurance determine what activities are extreme sports? Do you have a list of extreme or dangerous activities?

The activities that are considered extreme or dangerous evolve over time.

For example kite surfing used to be considered extreme, but isn’t looked at so harshly any more.

It all depends on the how an activity impacts on both the frequency and severity of incidents and that is observable from past experience (whether it’s our own or our reinsurance partners).

Is there a difference between climbing Table mountain and the peaks of the highest mountain in France?

Most definitely as outlined above...That said there’s much more to consider than just the height and location.

How important is communication with your insurer and disclosures in this process of requesting life cover

It’s critical. The better the communication the less likely there are to be issues should a claim ever arise.

It’s much better for all involved to make sure the insurer and the insured are on the same page throughout the lifetime of a policy.

It’s also essential that any life assured keeps their insurer abreast of the changes in the activities they partake. For example if they decide to take up base jumping, they must let us know.

Does climbing experience and info on mountains you have climbed count for anything? – Or how regular you undertake these climbs?

Yes it does.

The more experienced a climber and the more “climbing fit they are” the better in terms of risk and that impacts the premiums and the cover that can be made available.

Also view:

Versekering moet in plek wees wanneer bergklimmers die hoogste pieke aandurf

Insurance for professionals participating in mountain climbing and extreme sports

Elation at reaching the Summit of Mont Blanc

A badge does not provide the protection of life and disability cover!!

No Comments »Written on July 7th, 2011 by jonckie
Categories: Disability, Insurance Humour, Life
Tags: , ,

A DEA officer stopped at a ranch in Texas, and talked with an old rancher.

He told the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs."

The rancher said, "Okay, but don't go in that field over there.....", as he pointed out the location.

The DEA officer verbally exploded saying, "Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me!"

Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removed his badge and proudly displayed it to the rancher.

"See this badge?! This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish.... On any land!!

No questions asked or answers given!! Have I made myself clear......do you understand ?!!"

The rancher nodded politely, apologized, and went about his chores.

A short time later, the old rancher heard loud screams, looked up, and saw the DEA officer running for his life, being chased by the rancher's big Santa Gertrudis bull......
With every step the bull was gaining ground on the officer, and it seemed likely that he'd sure enough get gored before he reached safety. The officer was clearly terrified. The rancher threw down his tools, ran to the fence and yelled at the top of his lungs.....

(I just love this part....)

"Your badge, show him your BADGE........ ! !"

More insurers to make life insurance purchases available on mobile phones

No Comments »Written on June 14th, 2011 by jonckie
Categories: Life
Tags: , , , ,

Mobile phones have become an important medium for doing business – and insurers recognize the potential in allowing consumers to make purchases via their mobile phones. The insurance industry is highly competitive and insurers are in a constant race to develop new products to give them “the edge” over their competitors.

It should be expected that many of these new products will recognize the increased availability of smartphones as well as the increased willingliness with which purchases are made from these devices.

We have earlier discussed the ease with which life insurance can be found online. It appears that online is not limited merely to finding and purchasing insurance from behind the PC and laptop – but now also from the mobile phone!

Mobile life insurance was also discussed earlier on this Blog in a post titled “MTN and Hollard partner in first mobile money life insurance service in Ghana”. This partnership delivered a product called mi-Life and enables consumers in Ghana to purchase life insurance with their mobile phones. I would like to quote from this post:

“mi-Life is designed to meet the growing demand for insurance services across developing markets. According to a Lloyds study in 2009 the market for efficient, cheap and simple insurance in developing countries is estimated to be between 1.5 and three billion policies. The ubiquity of mobile and strength of the MTN brand makes Mobile Money the ideal platform to deliver financial services in Africa.”

Yesterday it was revealed by Kathryn McConnachie, journalist at ITWeb, that 1Lifedirect has launched what it calls the first “whole life cover” mobile insurance service in SA – allowing users to purchase, view and administer up to R500 000 life cover via their mobile phones.

Anton de Souza, CEO of 1Lifedirect, said: “Part of 1Lifedirect's value proposition is to be simple and convenient by giving clients the flexibility to deal with their personal insurance needs via their channel of choice, providing them with more personal control of their life insurance needs.”

1Lifedirect also revealed some interesting insights with regards to the technology and insurance product developed. These include:

  • That according to their research 1Lifedirect is the first company in the world to build an end-to-end instant life cover fulfilment process using WAP-enabled technology, accessible on any smart phone.
  • 1Lifedirect clients will be able to view and make changes to their policies using Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) technology.
  • This technology is available on all cellphones, which makes the functionality of being able to view and make changes to life cover accessible to all South Africans.

Conclusion

Insurers are very positive on the potential for the mobile insurance industry in Africa and South Africa. It is believed that increased access to the internet, the strong growth in the smartphone market and the simplicity of technology will further support purchases on mobile phones.

1Lifedirect estimates that:

  • There are 39 million mobile users in SA, and this figure is expected to rise to 48 million by 2012.
  • South Africans have almost twice as many cellphones as TV sets, and there are more than four times as many households with a cellphone than a computer.
  • Forty-four percent of e-mails are sent and received from a cellphone and 5.3 times more homes have cellphones than landline telephones.

These developments in the insurance industry should not be seen in isolation – we might also reflect on what is happening in the mobile health Industry. The Department of Communications has recognized the importance of increased access to mobile phones and the potential that this could have for health education and job creation.

To quote from the Deputy Minister of Communications”

“As government, we will continue to strive to reduce the digital divide and improve access to ICT for all our people in SA by making meaningful investments towards the necessary resources such as human capital, technical expertise and broadband network infrastructure.”

We can expect to find more insurers to join the mobile insurance industry and to make available a much wider product range to be purchased from our mobile phones!

How do I become a paramedic in South Africa?

11 commentsWritten on May 4th, 2011 by jonckie
Categories: Disability, Life, Medical, Paramedics and Emergency Medical Response, Q&A
Tags: , , , , ,

Do you consider becoming a paramedic? Many have raised this question in emails to the Arrive Alive website, and I believe it might be important to raise further awareness on this important occupation. The paramedics are those people who are faced with trauma daily in their efforts to help others in life threatening situations.

Their training, response and professionalism might not only save lives - but will also have an impact on so many medical, disability and life insurance claims.

I have asked Emergency Medical Response specialists and ArriveAlive.co.za website partner ER24 to assist in answering this important question:

Background on Paramedic Courses:

There are currently numerous options on how to become a paramedic.

In order to work on an ambulance you have to have at least BAA (Basic Ambulance Assistant) qualification and be registered with the HPCSA. Over and above the BAA you can later enrol for AEA and CAA/Btech EMC.

There are two ways to become and Advanced Life Support Paramedic, via short courses or the full four year BTech Degree.

You can enrol for BAA at an accredited academy in your area. Once you passed this four week course you have to be active for approximately 1000 hours or six months. From here you can enrol for AEA, which is the next level. This course is approximately four months. Again you have to practise for 1000 hours or six months before you can enrol for the ALS course. The ALS course is one of your most Advanced courses. The course lasts for approximately nine months full time.

You can also take a once-off route to become ALS. The University of Cape Town offers the BTech Emergency Medical Care. This is four years full time. You can enrol straight after school.

You can also have a look at www.hpcsa.co.za and download the protocols of the different levels in order to view their capabilities. Please remember there are other Emergency Courses you can do as well. A fairly new qualification, ECT is also available. Unfortunately the ECT course is not presented by all the academies. The ECT course is two years and you have the option to bridge into the Btech degree once you have passed the ECT course.

We would also like to refer to the following important reading materials:

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