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Travel insurance for South Africa: Which is the best to choose?
Have you got everything ready for your trip to South Africa, but know little about travel insurance? Here we present the best options for this destination.
Can you imagine seeing lions, elephants, giraffes, and other wild animals up close? In South Africa, you can on foot or by jeep. But first, remember that every trip involves some risk, so here we’ll recommend the best insurance to cover you against any setback.
Buying insurance is never an unnecessary expense, since it becomes a key ally when you face issues with flights, belongings, or even your health.
Even so, we understand you might not know how to get one or what it should cover for your trip to this African country. So we researched the best insurance options for this destination in particular. That way, you can choose wisely and buy the one that suits your plans in South Africa.
It’s important that you read every section so you can understand the importance of insurance, the most essential coverages from leading providers, and finally our opinion on which policy could work best. Let’s go!
Why take out travel insurance for South Africa?
Taking out travel insurance, especially for South Africa, matters because outdoor adventure is one of its top attractions. This often means spending time in natural areas far from cities and therefore from hospitals or medical assistance.
A travel policy considers South Africa’s specifics to offer strong coverage. These include medical services you might need due to accidents, illnesses, or emergencies that may occur.
Insurance lets you enjoy non-professional sports with confidence, knowing you’ll receive medical care. However, we recommend checking whether your policy covers your chosen sport specifically. Avoid unclear coverage terms.
Medical cover prevents you from paying large sums, especially since South Africa’s healthcare system is private.
Moreover, you’re never fully safe from losing luggage or travel documents, or suffering a flight cancellation or delay, which can raise costs. With insurance, you’ll solve these setbacks efficiently and keep your trip on track.
What should travel insurance for South Africa cover?
What your travel insurance for South Africa should cover depends on the type of trip you’re planning. Usually, it’s best to have solid medical coverage for emergencies. Let’s take a closer look at the most important ones and why they matter:
- Medical assistance: It’s essential to receive care after any accident or illness caused by food poisoning or unsafe water. The insurer covers all expenses, so you can focus only on recovering.
- Medical repatriation: This coverage is more relevant than you might think. If you must stay in hospital for weeks, you’ll be repatriated to your home country to continue recovery without financial stress.
- Outdoor sports and activity cover: If your plan includes sports like running, hiking, or trekking, make sure this protection is included. You’ll then get the right medical attention if needed.
- Lost luggage and documents: Whether at departure or arrival, you could lose or have your belongings stolen, including travel documents. Insurance helps you resolve it quickly and easily while you recover your items later. The key is to handle these issues smoothly during your trip and keep enjoying South Africa.
- Flight cancellation or delay: Your airline may face issues with flights to or from South Africa. These can lead to extra costs. Even though some airlines offer solutions, don’t rely solely on them. Your insurance can provide financial support for accommodation, meals, and transport until your next flight departs.
- Accidents and third-party damage: In South Africa or anywhere, you might cause an accident unintentionally. In that case, you must cover third-party costs, and your insurance steps in to handle expenses and medical help.
- Legal support: When third-party damage occurs, legal problems might arise and affect your trip. Some insurers include legal coverage, taking care of bail and compensation costs. Roadside assistance: If you plan to rent a car in South Africa, make sure you have roadside cover. It’s crucial because you’ll need help fast if your vehicle breaks down or any problem happens on the road.
- 24/7 support: Always check if your insurance offers round-the-clock assistance, as emergencies can happen anytime, day or night.
Important: If you are a frequent traveler and want to stay connected without worrying about expensive roaming or looking for a new SIM at every destination, Holafly’s subscription plans are for you. With a single eSIM, enjoy internet in more than 160 countries for a fixed price and no surprises on your bill. Travel without limits and connect easily and securely! 🚀🌍
Comparison of the best travel insurance for South Africa
To give you more clarity about what the best travel insurance for South Africa covers, we’ve created a comparison table showing five well-known providers: IATI, AXA, Chapka, Intermundial, and Assist Card. This way, you can check the details easily and decide which one suits you best.
| Coverage / Insurance | IATI (Star Plan) | Assist Card (Million Plan) | AXA (Gold Plan) | Intermundial (Total Travel Plan) | Chapka (Cap Trip Plus Plan) |
| Price for 7 days | $68 (€62.20) | $150 (€137.20) | $153 (€140.90) | $36.00 (€33.40) | $44 (€40.20) |
| Medical assistance | Unlimited | $1,000,000 (€931,000) | $100,000 (€92,000) | $5,000,000 (€4,573,000) | $2,000,000 (€1,852,000) |
| Medical repatriation | Yes | $100,000 (€92,000) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lost or stolen luggage | $2,500 (€2,315) | $1,200 (€1,104) | $1,500 (€1,380) | $2,500 (€2,315) | $2,500 (€2,315) |
| 24/7 assistance | Yes (app with medical chat) | Yes (app with chat) | Yes | Yes (video medical call) | Yes (telemedicine) |
| Extreme sports coverage | Included | $10,000 (€9,200) | Optional | Optional | Included, with search and rescue if needed |
| Flight cancellation or delay | Optional, up to $5,000 (€4,573) | $500 (€465) | Optional, up to $5,000 (€4,573) | Optional, up to $5,000 (€4,573) | Optional, up to $5,000 (€4,573) |
The 5 best travel insurance options for South Africa
IATI
This company has offered travel insurance plans for several decades and has vast experience in every type of trip. IATI manages all coverage directly, without intermediaries, allowing travellers to deal directly with the insurer without franchises or third parties.
Here are the plans IATI offers based on traveller profiles. We’ve also listed 7-day prices for South Africa, along with each medical coverage amount:
- Basic: $30 (€27.40) with medical coverage up to $150,000 (€137,200).
- Standard: $36 (€32.90) with medical coverage up to $1,000,000 (€914,600).
- Backpacker: $50 (€45.70) with medical coverage up to $650,000 (€594,500).
- Star: $68 (€62.20) with unlimited medical coverage.
| Weaknesses | Strengths |
| Slow refund process for medicine purchases. | Unlimited medical assistance. |
| Flight cancellation not included in Star plan. | Excellent value for money. |
| Some complaints about video call support. | Includes extreme sports assistance. |
AXA
AXA Insurance enjoys a strong reputation among travellers thanks to its coverage and range of plans, including protection against theft or lost luggage. Although it lacks some essential basic assistance, it receives good ratings from many users.
These are the plans AXA offers, including 7-day prices for coverage in South Africa:
- Gold: $153 (€140.90) with medical coverage up to $100,000 (€91,460).
- Silver: $129 (€118.20) with medical coverage up to $25,000 (€22,860).
- Platinum: $183 (€168.20) with medical coverage up to $250,000 (€228,650).
| Weaknesses | Strengths |
| Poor follow-up on complaints and claims. | Includes phone-based medical support. |
| Complaints about poor customer service. | Highly rated for lost luggage assistance. |
| Slow medical reimbursement process. | Good legal coverage. |
Chapka
Chapka offers strong cover for long-term trips and its prices are competitive. This insurer is popular among frequent travellers and backpackers. Its plans are well structured depending on travel type and duration.
Here are Chapka’s plans and 7-day prices for South Africa:
- Cap Trip Basic: $36 (€32.90) with medical coverage up to $250,000 (€228,650).
- Cap Trip Plus: $45 (€41.10) with medical coverage up to $2,000,000 (€1,829,000).
| Weaknesses | Strengths |
| No mobile app; all assistance via phone. | Competitive pricing. |
| Refund processes are slow. | Medical care provided without upfront payments. |
| Flight cancellation coverage optional, not included in Plus plan. | Good customer service feedback. |
Assist Card
This insurer works with partners in several sectors to enhance its medical services. However, it’s one of the most expensive options. Its price-to-coverage ratio may not beat others, though it still offers varied plans depending on your travel type.
These are the prices and plans Assist Card offers for 7-day coverage in South Africa:
- Classic: $73 (€67.00) with medical coverage up to $60,000 (€54,870).
- Premium: $87 (€79.90) with medical coverage up to $150,000 (€137,200).
- Privileged: $102 (€93.30) with medical coverage up to $300,000 (€274,400).
- Million: $150 (€137.20) with medical coverage up to $1,000,000 (€914,600).
- Infinity: $182 (€166.60) with medical coverage up to $3,000,000 (€2,743,800).
- Multiple trips: $265 (€242.50) with annual medical coverage up to $150,000 (€137,200).
| Weaknesses | Strengths |
| High cost compared to similar insurers. | Multi-channel assistance (WhatsApp, phone, video calls). |
| Confusing refund processes. | Wide range of cover options for all trip types. |
| Lowest coverage for flight delay or cancellation. | Global partnerships with private clinics and hospitals. |
Intermundial
Intermundial is a travel insurer expanding quickly to meet the growing demand from Latin American travellers. It also offers strong medical coverage compared with similar companies.
Here are the Intermundial plans for 7-day trips in South Africa:
- Total Travel Mini: $29 (€26.50) with medical coverage up to $300,000 (€274,400).
- Total Travel: $36 (€32.90) with medical coverage up to $5,000,000 (€4,573,000).
- Total Travel Premium: $57 (€52.10) with medical coverage up to $10,000,000 (€9,146,000).
| Weaknesses | Strengths |
| Slow response via chat or email. | Highest medical coverage, up to $5,000,000 (€4,573,000). |
| Too much bureaucracy for reimbursements. | Good feedback for its app and remote medical consultations. |
| Limited and confusing refund process. | Own technology for luggage tracking. |
Which is the best travel insurance for South Africa?
After reviewing each of the five travel insurance options in detail, including medical coverage, luggage protection, 24/7 assistance, and features like extreme or outdoor sports, we believe that the best travel insurance for your trip is IATI.
As mentioned earlier, this insurer has vast experience supporting frequent travellers and backpackers worldwide, who often face higher travel risks.
Because of its experience and the fact it offers unlimited medical assistance, along with a chat for medical consultations, we consider IATI ideal for your next trip to South Africa. You’ll enjoy every moment from start to finish without worrying about a thing.
Connectivity while travelling in South Africa
To stay connected to the internet at all times, make sure you have a secure and reliable network like the one Holafly offers with its monthly subscription plans. These plans include 25 GB or unlimited data, and both allow you to share your connection with other devices. Plus, these plans let you share your data with other devices.
They also provide global coverage in over 170 countries worldwide, without needing to change your SIM card for every destination. However, if you’re only staying a couple of weeks in South Africa, we recommend the eSIM for South Africa, which gives you unlimited data for the exact number of days you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is not mandatory to have travel insurance to visit South Africa. However, it is highly recommended, especially because of the high medical costs that could occur in emergencies.
Some risks include theft, direct exposure to wildlife, and mosquito-borne diseases if you haven’t received the appropriate vaccinations.
The main thing that could happen is that you will have to pay high medical bills if you receive treatment there, since the South African healthcare system is private and expensive. Additionally, if you lose your flight, luggage or documents, you will have fewer practical options to continue your trip, unlike having insurance.
Yes, you can take out travel insurance while in South Africa, but it’s best to get it beforehand. Some insurers limit coverage if contracted mid-trip.
No, standard travel insurance usually doesn’t cover high-performance or professional sports. In that case, it’s best to find a policy specifically for such activities, ensuring full coverage for your sport.
