South Africa travel insurance

Why do I need travel insurance in South Africa?

• It can cover you for emergency medical treatment.
• It can cover medical expenses caused by injuries and accidents, unless it's from an excluded activity.
• It can pay for transport to hospital by helicopter or ambulance, as well as medical evacuations back to Australia.
• If you're renting a car in South Africa, make sure you have car rental excess cover.
• Theft can occur in South Africa. Travel insurance can cover you for lost or stolen valuables. This could include rings, necklaces, phones and watches.
• Terrorism is a risk in South Africa. A few insurers provide cover for medical and hospital expenses caused by an act of terrorism, including the cost of bringing you back home.

Looking for the best travel insurance for South Africa? Check out our award winners in 2024

Most Loved

RAC Travel Insurance came out on top among 20 brands with a score of 4.48/5. Out of all brands, RAC was one of the most trusted, with 97% of people surveyed considering the insurer trustworthy and reliable.

Top Value

Tick Travel Insurance came in first place for value for money this year. It topped the list with score of 4.49/5.

Most Trusted

RAC Travel Insurance topped the list as the most trusted brand in 2024. It gained a score of 4.76/5, with 97% of customers we surveyed found the insurer to reliable.

Legendary Service

RAC Travel Insurance is this year's winner for customer service, scoring 4.49/5 to lead all brands.

Best Travel Insurance - Domestic

Tick Travel insurance won the 2024 award for best domestic travel insurance because it scored highly for rearrangement and cancellation costs, lost and delayed luggage features and rental car excess, while remaining comparatively affordable.

Best Travel Insurance - Value

Wise and Silent Travel insurance won the 2024 value award because it's cheaper on average than the other international policies we analysed, yet it covers you for more.

Best Travel Insurance - Comprehensive

Tick Travel insurance won the 2024 comprehensive award because it goes further than the majority of insurers. It scored highly for cancellation costs and rental car excess. It's also competitive on price compared to the other 30 international policies we analysed.

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South Africa travel insurance: Common exclusions

Every travel insurance policy has things you won't be covered for. Common exclusions include:

• If you purchase cover after the incident has occurred. For example, if you take cover out after you've been injured and need medical attention.
• Pre-existing medical conditions. If you have any major medical conditions, make sure you let your insurer know before taking out a policy. Otherwise you won't be covered for claims related to that condition.
• You travel despite government travel advice. For example, if you travel to areas that have a warning from Smartraveller, travel insurance may not cover you.
• Incidents that occur while you're under the influence of drugs or alcohol. For example, if you go out drinking in Cape Town, get injured and need medical attention, travel insurance won't cover you.
• Driving vehicles without a licence. Like Australia, you won't be covered for medical costs or personal liability expenses if you drive without a licence in South Africa.

Did you know?

Natural disasters such as flooding, bushfires, tsunamis and landslides can occur in South Africa.

Will I be covered for COVID-19?

Travel insurance can cover you for COVID-19 in South Africa. A policy can cover you for the following:

• Rearrangement costs if you catch the virus and need to change your plans. Lots of comprehensive travel insurance policies let you claim up to $5,000 towards these expenses.
• Medical costs due to COVID-19. This can include hospital expenses and RATs if you catch COVID-19 while overseas (but you won't be covered for mandatory PCRs).
• Expenses if you need to isolate. For example, if you catch COVID while you're overseas and need to push back your flight and stay in your accommodation longer.

How do I get cheap travel insurance for South Africa?

• Medical only or basic policies will generally be the cheaper policies on the market.
• Use exclusive deals or promo codes to get a discount.
• Opt for a higher excess. This will make your policy cheaper but more expensive if you have to claim.
• Compare across a handful of travel insurers – they're not all the same.
• Get the most value by buying your policy early. It means you're covered for longer while paying the same price.

Our best travel insurance policies

What do I do in emergencies?

For emergencies: call 10 111 (police), 10 177 (ambulance) or 10 177 (fire).

In a medical emergency, call for help and then contact your insurer on their emergency assistance line.

Why you can trust Finder's travel insurance experts

FAQs about South Africa

• Should I be worried about crime, hijacking and robberies in South Africa?

  Most areas that tourists venture to are safe and the likelihood of a tourist becoming a victim of violent crime in South Africa is low. South Africa overall has a travel advisory with a recommendation to exercise a high degree of caution due to the level of serious crime.

  Robberies are often reported on roads and at shopping centres and for the most part, public transport should be avoided. Crime rates are higher after dark, particularly in major city centres, isolated beaches, lookouts and township areas. ATM scams also occur and it's important to avoid using ATMs that open onto a street. Find a bank if possible and keep your withdrawals to a minimum.

  In South Africa, you can really benefit from the following features of a policy; emergency medical expenses, cover for luggage and personal effect, cover for your travel documents (including passport and credit cards), theft of cash and hijacking.

• Is the water safe to drink?

  Tap water in major towns and cities is generally safe to drink but it's a good idea to check with locals before drinking. Bottled water can be found everywhere so there is no need to bring water purification tablets.

• Do you need vaccinations before travelling to South Africa?

  It's a good idea to speak with a doctor about travel vaccinations and make sure routine vaccinations are up to date before travelling to South Africa.

  Smartraveller.gov.au and a doctor can advise the risks of any other diseases/viruses, which can include:

  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Typhoid
  • Malaria

  Malaria is not found in all parts of South Africa but is endemic in some popular travel spots, like Kruger National Park and the Panorama Route.

• Which travel insurance is good for South Africa?

  The cheapest policy will usually only cover you for medical expenses. However, flight disruptions and petty crime are fairly common in South Africa so it may be worth getting comprehensive travel insurance. This can cover you for medical expenses, trip rearrangement costs, theft, luggage delay and more.

• Do you need travel insurance to go to South Africa?

  The Australian government's smartraveller site recommends that you take out cover when travelling to South Africa. If you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel.

• Which travel insurance company has COVID cover for South Africa?

  Lots of travel insurers cover COVID-related expenses now. You can find a full table of the policies that cover COVID expenses on our homepage.