Wet weather warnings

Although much of southern Africa is in the grip of a drought, many parts of South Africa have experienced extreme weather with storms, flooding and tornadoes causing damage to property and crops and resulting in tragic loss of life. Ensure that your home is weatherproof as much as possible: clear gutters, check for loose roof tiles, and ensure that waterways are clear of debris. Unplug electrical equipment if there is lightning. Try and stay off the road when it’s wet but if driving is unavoidable, take care to ensure you don’t become a statistic. Replace worn windscreen wiper rubbers and get expert advice on the quality of your tyres: check for wearing and the depth of tread. Correct alignment and tyre pressure are also vital for maximum hold on the road. Alter your driving style in wet weather: slow down, turn on your headlights, avoid sudden braking, and change your route to avoid low lying and high traffic areas.

Enhanced Safire mobile app

The functionality of our Safire Assist app has been enhanced and users can now view their personal policy information via the app for total convenience anywhere, any time. The app offers our policyholders complete peace of mind in the event of a roadside, medical or home emergency, 24 hours a day. Some of the benefits:

• Call a locksmith if you’ve locked your keys in your car;
• Ask for help with changing a tyre or flat battery;
• Find a plumber, electrician, glazier, even a pest removal expert for bees, cockroaches, ants and other unwanted guests!
• Get medical advice by utilising the 24-hour Contact Centre Doctor;
• Ask for the police, traffic authorities, fire brigade, ambulance or security service, or any other emergency service provider to be notified of a household emergency;
• Record a vehicle accident: collect third party and eyewitness details, take pics, scan licence disks and submit a claim;
• Use the Panic SOS service.

With Safire Assist, help is never far away.

Voice identification security

When calling your bank or similar service provider, you’ll be asked so many questions to confirm your identity that you might have forgotten why you called at the end of the process. But these security measures are necessary – until the trend of ‘voice biometrics’ or VB becomes globally accepted (currently, more than 3 billion verifications take place annually). Voice biometrics uses over a hundred distinctive, unique speech patterns to develop a ‘voice print’ much like a fingerprint. The system can be passive, when callers say whatever they like for the match to occur, or active, with callers having to recite a particular phrase or series of words. It is simple and quick, and doesn’t require passwords or PIN codes that can be lost, stolen or forgotten. It has a 97% identification success rate, and research shows that 90% of consumers would be happy to use voice biometrics if it meant that they enjoyed tighter security and greater convenience. VB will soon be available locally: the Southern African Fraud Prevention Services (SAFPS) is about to launch its  Secure Citizen App which will enable people to provide the SAFPS with biometrics such as voice recordings and photographs of themselves. The SAFPS will store this information and keep it on record to help deal with the growing challenges that fraud presents.

ATM banking safety tips

Month-end and the festive season are times when ATM crime is rampant. Make sure that you are safe by following these tips:

• Ensure that the ATM and its users are clearly visible and not obscured by vegetation or parked vehicles.
• Shield the screen and keyboard when inserting your PIN.
• If the ATM and especially the card feeder section appear to be damaged, go to another ATM.
• Ask people politely to step back if they stand too close to you when you want to use the ATM.
• Never allow yourself to be distracted by what others are doing around you.
• If making a withdrawal, remove your cash and put it and your slip and card away immediately – don’t turn away before doing so.
• If you see anyone suspicious or feel unsettled, cancel your transaction and leave immediately, moving quickly to a well-lit, populated area. Call a security guard if you see one and ask to be accompanied to your vehicle. 
• This CCTV footage shows just how easy the loss of your money can be.

Get ready to crown the King (or Queen) of the Sea

This is your 6-month boarding call to get ready for the Safire King of the Sea event. Taking place at Pumula Beach Hotel in May 2020, this is the hottest fishing challenge around, with great prizes up for grabs. Have a look and be inspired to get there!

That's Life

Discuss your personal insurance needs with your broker to ensure you get what you really need.

Snippets

The Insurer newsletter and the content of any article published herein, should not be construed as forming part of any insurance contract or policy nor as constituting any form of advice. It is aimed at providing an informal and informative read to the readers thereof. Whilst every effort is taken to attempt to ensure the accuracy and correctness of the information contained herein, Safire Insurance Company Limited does not give any assurance regarding such accuracy or correctness and accordingly does not accept any liability whatsoever for any loss or damage, whether direct, indirect or consequential, arising from any reliance placed in the information contained herein.