Incredible South African inventions

Last year changed our behaviour in so many ways, but nothing can stop those with a mission for innovation. From award-winning ultra-strong football boots specially designed for township players to a mini-energy-harvesting device that converts heat from burning paraffin into electricity (the "iHarvey", seen here), these local inventions are sure to change the world for the better!

Noteworthy news in numbers

8km: distance covered in treacherous conditions by paraplegic swimmer Alwyn Uys in his record-breaking swim from Robben Island to Bloubergstrand in December last year.

R750-million: amount that the country's estimated 60 000 'reclaimers' save municipalities in landfill costs by recycling over 80% of post-consumer paper and packaging.

54%: increase in December 2020 Black Friday sales of TVs at Hirsch's Homestores along with demand for air-fryers and dishwashers as people spend more time at home over the holidays.

Why the super-wealthy love living in SA

South Africa is home to over 35 000 dollar millionaires as well as 86 centi-millionaires with net assets of $100 million or more, and five dollar billionaires. This puts us 30th in the world, ahead of major economies such as Greece, Portugal and Turkey. What is the attraction?

Safer roads are not only about alcohol

Alcohol is a factor in far too many road accidents, but reducing the blood alcohol level to zero is not the only way to alter our horrifying vehicle accident statistics. Global NCAP and the Automobile Association of SA released the fourth round of #SaferCarsForAfrica crash test results in December 2020, revealing that certain vehicles that are legally on our roads give "serious cause for concern with poor levels of adult and child protection" and even "a high probability of life-threatening injury". How safe is your vehicle to drive?

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Dakar goes green

Organisers of the Dakar Rally, the world's largest, toughest rallying event, have launched the ambitious "DakarFuture" energy transition plan. As early as 2022, a specific "alternative energy" category will include hybrid, electric or hydrogen-powered cars and trucks, plus other emission-slashing technologies. In 2026, elite competitors in car and truck categories will be required to meet ultra-low emission standards, and by 2030, the car and truck category vehicles will have to be powered by alternative energy with zero emissions.

Enhancing our systems with NIMBIS

We are delighted to announce our recent transition to the Cloud-based NIMBIS policy and claims administration system to enhance our processes and make life easier for our brokers and staff for quicker, more efficient functionality. To quote Rudi Bedeker, Managing Director of Concourse IT, the system will change the way that we operate "as it creates a single eco-system for all role-players to participate in the policy life-cycle". Bennie Boshoff, Safire's General Manager: Short-term Division says, "This new system will not only improve administrative efficiency and turnaround times, it will also allow for smoother product roll-out and offers our brokers many more options insofar as quotations and enhanced in-house administration are concerned". NIMBIS can be accessed anywhere, from any device, via an internet browser, revolutionising the way the industry operates and enabling real-time collaboration without duplication of work. We look forward to our already excellent service levels being further enhanced once the transition period is completed.

Planting two billion trees

Australia is a deforestation hot spot, especially since the devastating wildfires that destroyed vast areas of bush. Watch how WWF-Australia is exploring new and innovative ways to help #RegenerateAustralia and is working towards planting two billion trees using drones.

That's Life

Never has a fresh new year been more welcome!

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.