Insurance is not required by law in South Africa. Given this fact, most South Africans choose to save a little bit of money and go without the insurance. In the long run, however, this has proven to be a very costly mistake.

We can learn a lot from financial institutions in regard to the importance of insurance.. Banks will very often require car insurance before approving your auto loan. Banks also require homeowners insurance and sometimes life insurance before approving a home loan. Doing so protects the bank from financial losses in the event your property is lost, stolen or damaged or in the event of your death. You are also protected since insurance cover will provide you the means to pay the bank under these circumstances.

The current data indicates that around 65 percent of South African drivers are without auto insurance cover and this is really alarming situation against the remaining 35 percent drivers who have purchased the auto insurance cover. So, what are the reasons responsible for the people not to make at least minimum auto insurance cover?

Lets start with an overview of the insurance types. In South Africa, auto insurance cover has three basic forms.

The minimum cover is Third Party. This covers your liability (costs) if you damage someone elses personal property in an automobile accident. This includes other vehicles or structural property that may also be damaged.