By Larry Claasen
SHORT-TERM insurance group Santam will be launching a rewards program as part of its brand relaunch.
The 106 year old insurer is repositioning its brand to reflect its new brand new concept: “Living in the moment, not in the worry”.
Santam head of brand, Nondumiso Mabece says the repositioning is the “first of many exciting developments that we have planned for the brand and for our clients – the individuals, businesses and corporates – who trust us to deliver on our values.”
Rewards program to add value for customers
One of these steps will see it launch a rewards program as a way to provide more value to its customers.
“We definitely will come back with an exciting offering in terms of rewards. We definitely understand that when you’re paying a hundred rand for something, it’s really great to get something back,” she said.
Mabece did not specify what such a program would entail, but said it was part of its strategy of providing more value to its customers.
“We’ve seen the banks do it. We’ve seen many service providers do it. And it’s very beneficial because you know that if I pay a hundred rand here, I know I get value in something else.”
Though Mabece did not say when the program would be launched, she said the group was excited about it.
“It is something that we definitely want to introduce as an organisation. So your readers must watch this space. There’s going to be something exciting.”
Having a rewards program also caters for customers who are increasingly taking strain. The aftermath of the pandemic, the sharp rise in inflation, and the energy crisis have all hurt the economy.
With South Africans under financial pressure, paying for insurance might seem like a grudge purchase to many.
Mabece says Santam understands this, and that is why it is looking at ways to provide more value to its customers. One of the ways it is doing this is bundling home and vehicle insurance together and getting a discount for the package deal.
“If you contact us and you combine your home insurance and your vehicle insurance, you get a specific discount. So those kinds of things are initiatives that we look at to further assist our clients.”
Business support services for SMEs
Santam is also offering business support services to its business customers. For an additional R40/month, businesses can get access to marketing services, and an attorney.
“We can get specialists to help you write a marketing plan. We can introduce you to digital marketing specialists who can help you develop your website. We can help you with an attorney if you want to just clear out your legal issues, if there’s contracts to read.”
Aside from business support, Mabece says the insurer will also be moving into business finance.
“We’re launching a very exciting proposition where we also tie that to business funding as well. So we don’t just look at SMEs in South Africa as insurance clients, but we look at SMEs as businesses that we can assist to develop, to grow.”
