19 Sep Safire is truly ‘Fair and fast’, proven by the NFO

The National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) is an independent body that resolves complaints by consumers against financial institutions. It overturns thousands of insurance decisions each year – but not ours. Safire’s 0% overturn ratio for eight consecutive years (including 2025 to date), reflects our commitment to fair, transparent claims handling and decisions, and it’s something we are proud of…

“We recognise the stress that accompanies an insurance claim and the importance of handling each case with sensitivity and fairness,” says Greg Botha, Safire’s Claims Manager. “At Safire, we take pride in the integrity of our claims process and decisions to limit or decline claims are never taken lightly. A large number of the complaints dealt with by the NFO relate to claims outcomes where consumers feel compelled to seek assistance from the NFO against an outcome the individual feels is unfair and/or incorrect. Our objective is always to apply policy terms correctly and consistently while keeping the policyholder’s experience in mind.”

In 2024, only 0.01% of claims submitted to Safire were ones we were unable to assist with. While occasional complaints are referred to the NFO, these remain rare.

“This demonstrates our focus on making informed, accurate decisions at the outset and ensuring clear communication about the reasoning behind them,” explains Greg. “Our results with the NFO reflect this commitment and should reassure our policyholders that all claims are handled with care, transparency, and fairness.”

To put this into perspective:

• Between March and December 2024, the NFO handled over 35,000 complaints across its divisions, recovering R328.5 million for consumers.
• In non-life (short-term) insurance specifically, R94 million was recovered for consumers during this period.
• The NFO resolved approximately 16.5% of non-life insurance complaints in favour of policyholders, overturning or adjusting insurers’ original decisions.
• Encouragingly, the non-life division saw an 11% decline in complaints compared to 2023.

Why our ratings matter

Against this industry backdrop, Safire’s 0% overturn ratio underscores our consistent performance. While thousands of complaints in the short-term insurance sector result in adjustments each year, none of Safire’s decisions have been overturned in nearly a decade. This indicates that:

• Our claims decisions are carefully considered.
• Our policy terms are applied correctly and fairly.
• Clear explanations are provided, minimising the need for external intervention.

Our commitment to our policyholders

Safire’s promise remains to offer our policyholders claim outcomes that are fair and to reach these decisions within a respectable timeframe. We are committed to reducing the need for escalation while fully respecting the right of any policyholder to approach the NFO if they feel dissatisfied. We are proud that our track record reflects the strength of our claims processes and our dedication to protecting the interests of our clients.

Please note: The information contained in this article is not offered as ‘advice’ in terms of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act 2002 as amended, and policyholders should consult with their intermediaries and the policy wording so as to ensure a full and complete understanding of the cover offered to them in terms of the Safire policy of insurance.