By: Momentum Insure’s Head of Claims and Procurement, Funeka Ngewu and Chief Actuary, Rudolf Britz

Despite forewarning by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) about the snowfall experienced a few weeks ago, numerous motorists were stranded on national highways. South Africans should pay careful attention to weather warnings, consult weather services before travel, and ensure that their assets are always correctly maintained to provide better protection in cases of extreme weather.

Momentum Insure’s Head of Claims and Procurement, Funeka Ngewu and Chief Actuary, Rudolf Britz, unpack some of the reasons why motorists may not be heeding the call to safety.

“As a nation, we tend to be extremely cultural and some events such as weddings and funerals are deemed to be priority events that one can’t miss regardless of the weather.  People generally don’t want to miss these events or holidays that they have paid for”, said Ngewu.  

Due to the fact that bad weather such as hailstorms, snow and floods, is not something that happens every day, Britz said that some consumers usually back their own abilities (on the road) more than what is warranted.

“As demonstrated by the recent snowfall which resulted in the closure of the N3, we are unfortunately not yet equipped to deal with the level of catastrophe that comes with some of these events. With South Africa’s vulnerability to hazardous weather events, such as severe thunderstorms, floods, droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires, we urge the public to take their safety and the safety of their loved ones seriously by heeding weather warnings, said Funeka.

While snow is not unusual in South Africa, South African drivers are not used to driving in terrible weather which makes driving unsafe and can possibly lead to significant damage to property.  

Not listening to South African Weather Service warnings will prejudice a claim. It is important, especially for insurers, to communicate and educate clients and the general public, to heed the warnings so that they can understand the potential severity of what they are exposing themselves to, Britz added. He said that there is a need for weather warnings to not only be communicated via television and radio, but also via other platforms such as WhatsApp and SMS.

3 reasons why you should heed weather warnings:

1. You are compromising your safety, that of your family and others when continuing to travel through extreme weather conditions.
2. By heeding the call, you are protecting your assets and reducing financial loss due to potential damage.
3. As South Africans, we do not have the experience nor the equipment to navigate snowfall safely and responsibly.