Should You Get Cellphone Insurance in South Africa?

If you have recently done a cellphone contract for your new mobile phone, you will remember that you were offered to get cellphone insurance as well, and there’s a good reason for that. If you are in South Africa, a cellphone insurance is kind of a must, because of the level of crime that we are dealing with.

South Africans have been dealing with crime from as far back as I can remember, but now it seems things have gotten much much worse. Life as we know it has changed a lot. When mobile phones first came into the picture, we were happy to be able to make a call on the go, send a message and save our most valuable numbers.

Now, mobile phones have advanced so much, that losing your cellphone is literally a pain in the b*tt. As I write this, my cellphone is connected to my car tracker, it is connected to my banking apps, my crypto accounts and so much more . . . and losing it can literally cause a lot of havoc in my life.

Not only that, losing a phone can leave one feeling very vulnerable, as there’s so much on our phones that we hold dear.

Is Getting Cellphone Insurance Important?

Around October last year, I had to get a new cellphone contract, and then I was asked if I was interesred in taking out insurance for my new cellphone, a question that I had to ponder for a bit.

I already knew the benefits of having insurance for my mobile phone, however the cost of the insurance is what was putting me off, on taking it.

In South Africa, it is not unsual for criminals to demand for your phone, to the point of hurting you to get it in the process. For one, they can sell your phone for a profit, as you know the dire situation when it comes to employment. And 2, they know that once they have your phone, they can also get access to your other personal information, which can put you in a position of vulnerability.

Is getting cellphone insurance important? For me personally, it is. The last thing I want is to have my phone stolen and not being able to have it replaced. Even worse, having to continue paying for something that is not in my possession.

For me, this is even more important, as I work on my phone hours everyday, so having a phone stolen would make my daily work suffer, which is unacceptable!

Can You get Cellphone Insurance After Buying Your Cellphone?

Cellphone insurance is primarily offered to you when you buy it not afterwards.

However, you can still get insurance after you buy the phone. The insurance provider would have to quote you on a number of things, such as the make of the phone, the condition of the phone, it’s value and whatever other factors that they deem important.

Cellphone Insurance and what You are Covered for

When you have insurance, you will be covered for loss and damage to the phone, but even that comes with fine print, so you need to know what it is that they are covering you for, and I encourage you to read the fine print, so you are not caught of guard one day when you try and claim.

Cellphone insurance normally covers you for:

Theft and Damage.

Cellphone contracts are different, you need to read yours properly so you understand what exacty it covers, and what it does not. In this context, theft means when your phone is stolen, through accidental loss, or during a smash and grab incident. Damage means accidental damage. You need to ask questions that you need to, like will the phone be replaced if it’s damaged by water.

Insurance Won’t Pay up if:

• If you left your phoe in a car that was unlocked and it got stolen
• The phone is scratched or damaged on the outer casing
• Deliberate damage that has occured on the phone
• Damage to the phone because you are using it for other things that you shouldn’t be using it for

Just make sure you read your insurance contract and understand what it is in it, so you don’t get disappointed if the insurance does not pay up because of you doing something wrong with the phone.

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How to claim for Your Cellphone Insurance

Losing a phone is the pits, and whenever this happens, your first priority is to have your phone back so you can get back to living your life. When it comes to losing a phone or preventing loss, most people will do anything and everything to keep their phone safe (within reason) , and undamaged. And if you come across an unfortunate situation like losing your phone, and you have cellphone insurance, you need to make sure of the following:

• Make sure your policy details are updated, and that your details are correct
• if it’s been stolen, you need to make sure that you report your phone stolen, and this must be done within 48 hrs. 24 hrs is better
• Block or blacklist your phone
• Make the claim within at leat 30 days . . . earlier if possible. To do this, you will need to have the requested documentation

For cellphone insurance like any kind of insurance, make sure that you have the excess amount that is required. Most insurances will need you to pay the excess, which you should be aware when you take out the cellphone.

How Much is Cellphone Insurance in South Africa in 2023

The cost of your cellphone insurance will vary . . .and it’s based on a few factors. These include the brand of the phone you buy, the model, make and the price. Insurance is normally for high price cellphones, and if you are looking to get other insurance for your home appliances for example, it is cheaper to have one insurance to cover all of your things.

Insurance seems quite expensive, but in your time of need for when something happens to your phone, or it gets stolen, it helps a lot.

The cost of insurance can range from R100 to R700 even . . . it really just depends on the phone. Currently, I am paying R370 for insurance on this phone, which seems like a lot.

You will get a replacement to the value of what you have insured the phone for . . . remember that.

Best Cellphone insurance Companies in South Africa

There are a lot of cellphone companies in South Africa, so you can get a few quotes and see which company makes the best sense to you.

There are a number of companies that offer cellphone insurance in South Africa, some of the good ones include:

• Santam
• Naked Insurance
• Outsurance
• Techsured
• 1st for Women
• King Price
• Budget
• TGF Device Insurance
• MTN Device Cover
• Vodacom
• CellC
• Telkom

Which other cellphone insurances are you using in South Africa? Please let us know in the comments below