THE INSURER | AUGUST 2018
Remote jamming alert
Incidents of remote jamming have been reported again, so be alert when leaving your vehicle in a public place. Car remote controls use a radio frequency that is often the same as for gate and garage opening devices. When the device receives two messages simultaneously - from the driver and the criminal - it cannot correctly interpret the ‘lock’ instruction and so no action is taken. There are also ‘professional’ jamming devices with stronger signal power that can influence a remote control from further away (so criminals can stay out of sight). Never use the remote ‘lock’ instruction while walking away from the vehicle: stand next to it and manually check the doors and boot are locked. Don’t leave tempting valuable such as briefcases, shopping packets and cameras in plain sight – lock them in the boot before leaving your previous destination.
Disaster toll
Last year, the cost of natural catastrophes hit a record $144-billion (around R1.7-trillion). Over $90-billion of these losses resulted from three hurricanes: Harvey, Irma and Maria, that wreaked havoc across the Caribbean and the United States. Overall, natural and man-made disasters caused $337-billion in economic losses, almost double the losses of 2016. The 318 natural disasters that were recorded last year affected 122 countries and claimed 9,503 lives – a human toll that, although tragic, was much lower than the average for the past decade that includes events like the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in 2008. Almost 90% of 2017’s deaths were due to climatological, hydrological or meteorological disasters.
Get ready for the Safire Baynesfield Classic
The annual Safire Baynesfield Classic MTB and trail event takes place at Baynesfield Estate south of Pietermaritzburg on Sunday September 16, offering fun for all levels of riders, from the fast-paced and professional to small fry and first-timers, plus trail runs for those who prefer feet to wheels! The 10km route is a great way to introduce young riders to MTB racing, with dad and mom riding alongside. The 20km and 45km routes are more challenging, with a mix of tough climbs and pristine hand-crafted single track. The 65km route is for serious riders, which may include some top-notch professionals. Baynesfield is just south of Pietermaritzburg, and is easily accessed from the N3 highway, on tar all the way. The convenient location and stunning scenery, plus the variety of race distances make this a ‘must do’ event. Join us!
Imana ride with pride
Safire is proud to be sponsoring the legendary ‘king of the Imana Wild Ride’, Warren Price, who takes on this 4-day, 200km, multi-terrain race at the end of August with race partner Andrew Hill. The Wild Ride sees a limited number of two-man teams tackling the beaches, cliffs and rivers of the Wild Coast from Kei River Mouth to Umngazi River Lodge, with no GPS assistance or route markers. Both Warren and Andrew are top marathon racers, and Warren has the most number of Imana Wild Ride wins and has won the last six races. He holds the course record (9h01.11) set with Andrew in the 2017 event. But there’s far more to the Imana Wild Ride than MTB racing. The community also benefits, with forty classrooms to date having been built along the race route. Watch out for the race on SuperSport, flighting dates to be announced.
A sad farewell
Crop Division’s Ruth Bezuidenhout and Gareth Smallbones visited Kenya at the invitation of our re-insurers Swiss Re to take part in their biannual Agricultural Africa conference in Nairobi. The trip gave Gareth and Ruth an opportunity to personally say farewell to Lovemore Forichi and Laura Marty, who have been Safire’s contact people at Swiss Re for many years and who are now moving on to new ventures. Ruth said, “They will both be sorely missed and we thank them for their assistance and friendship over the years”. Seen here are (left to right): Laura, Gareth, Lovemore and Ruth.
A well planned scam
This recent scam shows that criminals are often prepared to wait a while for their plans to come to fruition. In this case, the insured was moving and had their home on the market. An estate agent introduced a potential buyer to the insured, with the would-be buyer signing an offer to purchase, which the insured accepted. The insured agreed that the buyer could stay on the property in an outbuilding and during the course of his stay, the buyer offered the insured a substantial sum of money for the contents of the property as well as the insured’s vehicle, asking if he could take it for a test drive. The supposed buyer, needless to say, never returned. It was later discovered that in addition to the insured’s vehicle, the ‘buyer’ had also taken household items.
Powerful women
In ancient Italy at the height of the Roman Empire, women held powerful and traditionally male roles in commerce. Wooden tablets dating to around AD 26-61 detail banking transactions that indicate that women of the time were able to borrow and lend money, although they needed a guarantor to vouch for them. Women owned vast tracks of land and there were instances of female farm managers. In the field of medicine, women were specialists in childbirth and gynaecological matters. However, in South Africa today, women are still not receiving pay equal to men. According to the Code for Africa ‘gender gap calculator’, a man in South Africa earns on average 67% more than a woman. Women are also less represented in the workforce. The Global Gender Gap Report 2017 ranks South Africa 19 out of 144 countries when it comes to gender equality, the sixth largest gap in Africa.
Be storm ready
In the country’s summer rainfall areas, it’s time to get ready for the anticipated wet weather. Check trees for overhanging or potentially dangerous branches that could fall in a storm or strong winds and cause damage to buildings and property. Ensure that roof tiles are secure, and clean gutters and run-off areas of leaves and other debris so that rainwater can flow quickly away in a deluge. Note that homeowners/building insurance will not cover maintenance-related damage.
Safire Assist app
Visit the new-look Safire website at www.safireinsurance.com to read more about us and to learn about our Safire Assist app that offers a host of value-added services from your mobile phone. Instantly access medical assistance, find help for emergencies such as problems with geysers and locks with Home/Office Assist, and summon assistance for vehicle-related problems with Safire Emergency Roadside Assistance. Loading the app is quick and easy, and could be vital for help when you really need it.
Safire Berg 100
The Safire Berg 100 is one of the most challenging one day races on the MTB calendar – and people love it, whatever the weather. “Well done on a great event…the day was magnificent…very tough day out there with magnificent scenery all the way” were just some of the comments after the 2018 event. It’s also a great way to test fitness levels for Sani and JoBerg2C. Diarise Saturday 23 March 2019. Entries are open at www.berg100.co.za so get going!
Help for extreme surfers and lifesavers
An inflatable vest has been developed for those surfing and swimming in extreme sea conditions. The vest features four carbon dioxide cartridges that when activated, quickly bring the surfer or lifeguard to the surface.
ECONOMIC TIDBITS
$1.8-billion - value of agricultural imports in the first quarter of this year. The Western Cape drought resulted in an increase in wheat imports to 1.9 million tonnes – the second-highest level on record.
$90-billion – amount that allowing women to legally drive could add to the Saudi Arabian economy. It is the last country to lift the ban on women drivers.
2.5-billion - the additional number of people who will be living in urban areas by 2050, according to a report by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
9 962 – number of complaints resolved, in an average turn-around time of 131 days, by the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance (OSTI) during 2017.
$43-million – value of Oprah Winfrey’s 10% stake in Weight Watchers. She recently announced her investment in True Food Kitchen, a health-driven restaurant chain.
1.8% - decline in house prices in New Zealand in July, following the passing of a law to prevent non-resident foreigners from buying existing homes.
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.
Reg No: 2000/027673/06
An Authorised Financial Services Provider [FSP No: 2092]
