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.
Travelling in a foreign country may put your valuables at risk and travel insurance can cover you for lost or stolen items.
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 2023
This survey was conducted by Dynata, where 95% of respondents said they would recommend Tick to a friend, and it scored the highest in the 'value for money' category.
Want the bells and whistles?
Southern Cross Travel Insurance has taken the top position in the 'Travel insurance - Comprehensive' category for the 2023 Finder Awards. Why? It's got to do with its wide COVID-19 coverage and how it handles cancellations due to unexpected events.
Adding to that, its average pricing was pretty affordable compared to other brands who offer less coverage for a higher price.
Show me the money!
Fast Cover is the winner of the 2023 Finder Awards for the 'Travel insurance - Value' category. How? We compared the average prices of 28 international travel insurance policies, and Fast Cover came out on top.
But what does 'value' mean? It means we looked at more than just price. Fast Cover doesn't include everything on its policies, but it offers good value.
The best for your backyard
InsureandGo has taken the top place for the 'Travel insurance - Domestic' category in the 2023 Finder Awards.
Why? We analysed 23 domestic policies and found that InsureandGo were generous with their benefit limits for things like cancellation and rental car excess insurance.
This one's for the seniors
Southern Cross Travel Insurance is the winner of the 'Travel insurance - Seniors' category in the 2023 Finder Awards. Why? It has higher age limits and generous benefits.
We also appreciated SCTI's easy-to-read product disclosure statement. This means that customers can easily understand their policies, and travel with confidence.
Insurance Innovation Finalist
Fast Cover Travel Insurance's COVID-19 Benefits & Refund Policy earned it a place among the finalists in the Insurance Innovation category of this year's Finder Innovation Awards.
It goes further than many other insurers, covering COVID medical expenses and evacuation, up to $5,000 for COVID-related cancellations and additional expenses.
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.
"When I travel, I don't want to fork out a lot for travel insurance. I always get something above the bare minimum though which usually only covers medical-only expenses. Flight disruptions and delayed luggage are really common, so look for a cheap policy that covers me for these things."
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.
Our expert says
"Civil unrest, security risks, threat of terrorist attack and crime are a concern in South Africa, but you should still be eligible for travel insurance. It won't cover all of these situations but it can help cover medical costs, stolen belongings and much much more."
Why you can trust Finder's travel insurance experts
You pay nothing. Finder is free to use. And you pay the same as going direct. No markups, no hidden fees.
You save time. We spend 100s of hours researching travel insurance so you can sort the gold from the junk faster.
You can trust us. We say it like it is. We aren't owned by an insurer and our opinions are our own.
FAQs about 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio
Gary Ross's expertise
Gary Ross has written 649 Finder guides across topics including:
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You pay nothing. Finder is free to use. And you pay the same as going direct. No markups, no hidden fees.
You save time. We spend 100s of hours researching travel insurance so you can sort the gold from the junk faster.
You can trust us. We say it like it is. We aren't owned by an insurer and our opinions are our own.