Best travel insurance for South Africa - Providers, coverage, and more
Planning a trip to South Africa? Whether you’re headed out on safari, are exploring Cape Town’s iconic coastline or visiting family and friends, having the right travel insurance is a must. It helps ensure you’re protected from the expected costs that can arise while you travel, giving peace of mind on your trip.
In this guide we’ll take you through what’s usually covered, and what’s not, when you’re buying travel insurance for South Africa. We’ll also compare some popular New Zealand providers, and introduce you to Wise, a handy companion for saving on spending during your time in South Africa.
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What does travel insurance cover?
Most comprehensive travel insurance policies provide cover for a mix of medical and trip related incidents. Each insurer is different, but in general this is what’s covered:
- Emergency medical treatment and evacuation
- Cancellation
- Lost, stolen or delayed luggage
- Lost or stolen personal belongings
- Personal liability
- Travel delays
- Rental car excess
Many companies also let you customise your policy by adding additional extras like adventure cover, cruise cover and specific cover for high value items like laptops and cameras.
What does travel insurance not cover?
All travel insurance policies come with exclusions and it’s important to know what they are before you buy, just in case something you’re planning to do isn’t covered. Common exclusions are:
- Pre-existing medical conditions that weren’t declared or approved
- Injuries from extreme or high-risk sports unless covered by an add-on
- Claims related to illegal behaviour
- Claims related to reckless behaviour, including involving wildlife
- Terrorism
- Unattended belongings
- Issues that arise while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Most policies also include a clause about travelling against government travel advice so be sure to check South Africa’s current status on Safe Travel.
Things to look out for when choosing a travel insurance for South Africa
Here’s a few things to consider when comparing policies for your trip to South Africa.
- Is the level of insurance coverage high enough to access the South African private hospital system?
- Do you have medical evacuation cover in case something happens while in a remote area or on safari?
- What cover is included for high-risk activities like hiking and wildlife tours?
- What excess is payable in the event of a claim?
- Are you covered for crime related incidents, particularly theft?
Best South African travel insurance in New Zealand
Here’s a look at some of the leading travel insurance providers offering comprehensive cover for New Zealanders heading to South Africa. To keep things consistent, we’ve based the pricing on a one week trip for a 30 year old traveller with a $100 excess.
| Provider | Accidental death cover | Medical expenses | Travel cancellation | Price for 1 week | Add-ons available |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Cross¹ | $50,000 | Unlimited | $2500 before departing $50,000 once you’ve left | $126.59² |
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| AA³ | $50,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited | $105.00⁴ | None |
| Cover-More⁵ | $25,000 | Unlimited | Cover chosen | $95.00⁶ |
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| Allianz⁷ | $25,000 | $20 million | As selected | $149.94⁸ |
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| Tower | $50,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited | $94.00¹⁰ | None |
| 1Cover¹¹ | None | Unlimited | Chosen limit | $159.71¹² |
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When comparing costs keep in mind that it may be cheaper to buy a family plan if you’re headed off on a family holiday, and that some insurers may give you a discount if you already hold a policy with them, for example for health or car insurance.
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Southern Cross Travel Insurance
For international travel Southern Cross New Zealand has two plans; International Medical and International Comprehensive.²
The International Medical plan focuses largely on emergency healthcare, whereas the Comprehensive policy includes a broader range of protections like trip interruptions and lost or stolen belongings.
Some of the key features included with the Comprehensive cover are:¹
- Emergency medical - Unlimited
- Emergency dental - $2000
- Cancellation during journey - $50,000
- Baggage and personal items - $25,000
- Baggage delay - $1000
- Essential medication - $500
- Personal liability - $1,000,000
- Rental car excess - $10,000
A 30 year old New Zealander travelling to South Africa for a week would expect to pay around $126.59 for International Comprehensive and $72.58 for International Medical, with a $100 excess.²
AA Travel Insurance
AA offers two single-trip international travel insurance options; Essentials and Comprehensive.³ The Essentials plan is the more affordable choice, offering basic travel coverage and emergency medical expenses capped at $250,000. Meanwhile, the Comprehensive plan comes with more extensive protections and higher benefit limits.
These are some of the key features included in the Comprehensive policy:
- Emergency medical - Unlimited
- Emergency dental - $1000 to $3000
- Cancellation of journey paid in full - Unlimited
- Baggage and personal items - $30,000
- Emergency baggage - $1500
- Incidental hospital expenses - $4000
- Personal liability - $2,500,000
- Rental car excess - $6000
With AA the insurance costs for a 30 year old flying to South Africa for one week would be approximately $105 for Comprehensive coverage, or $72 for Essentials, with a $100 excess.⁴
Cover-More Travel Insurance
New Zealand travellers planning a trip to South Africa can choose from three travel insurance plans offered by Cover-More; Basic, Comprehensive and Comprehensive+.⁵
The Basic Plan is a budget option offering essential, but limited, coverage. The Comprehensive Plan provides a more extensive level of protection, with higher benefit limits suitable for most leisure travellers. For those looking for the most robust coverage, the Comprehensive+ Plan includes the highest claim limits along with a range of added extras targeted at business travellers.
- Emergency medical - Unlimited
- Emergency dental - $2000
- Cancellation during journey - As selected
- Luggage and travel documents - $15,000
- Delayed luggage - $1100
- Travel delay - $2000
- Personal liability - $2,500,000
- Rental car excess - $5000
A 30 year old flying to South Africa for a week would expect to pay $80 for Basic, $95 for Comprehensive and $123 for Comprehensive+ , with a $100 excess selected.⁶
Allianz Travel Insurance
Allianz offers two levels of international travel insurance for New Zealanders; the Basic Plan and the Comprehensive Plan.⁷ Both options are available as single, duo, or family policies, with some variation in the benefits and limits between them.
The Basic Plan focuses on core emergency protections, such as medical care, funeral expenses, and personal liability. The Comprehensive Plan includes a wider range of cover with higher limits, including the following:
- Emergency medical and dental - $20 million
- Funeral expenses - $60,000
- Cancellation during journey - As selected
- Luggage, personal effects and valuables - $10,000
- Luggage and personal effect delay - $1000
- Alternative transport - $5000
- Personal liability - $5,000,000
- Rental car excess - $6000
For a 30 year old travelling around South Africa for a week, the estimated cost of insurance with Allianz with a $100 excess would be $112.94 for Basic and $149.94 for Comprehensive.⁸
Tower Travel Insurance
Tower provides two types of travel insurance for single international trips, Essential and Comprehensive Plan.⁹
Essentials is the more budget-friendly choice, with fewer inclusions and capped benefits. Of note, the overseas medical expenses are limited to $250,000.
Comprehensive offers broader protection, covering everything from emergency medical care to cancellations, lost items, and unexpected travel disruptions.
- Emergency medical - Unlimited
- Emergency dental - $1000 to $3000
- Cancellation of journey paid in full - Unlimited
- Personal baggage - $50,000
- Emergency baggage - $1500
- Resumption of travel - $10,000
- Personal liability - $2,500,000
- Rental car excess - $6000
For a week long trip to South Africa a 30 year old would expect to pay around $65 for Essentials and $94 for Comprehensive, both with a $100 excess.¹⁰
1Cover Travel Insurance
For Kiwis travelling to South Africa, 1Cover offers Medical Only and Comprehensive travel insurance.¹¹
The Medical Only plan focuses on essential protection, with unlimited emergency medical cover as well as benefits for emergency dental care, repatriation, and personal liability. If you’re after more complete coverage that also includes trip cancellations, baggage loss, and other travel hiccups, the Comprehensive policy is the better fit.
- Emergency medical - Unlimited
- Emergency dental - $1000
- Cancellation during journey - Chosen limit
- Luggage and personal effects - $15,000
- Luggage and personal effects delay - $1000
- Repatriation of remains - $25,000
- Personal liability - $5,000,000
- Rental car excess - Not covered
A 30 year old travelling to South Africa for a week would expect to spend $107.58 on Medical Only or $159.71 on Comprehensive insurance, if a $100 excess is selected.¹²
Heading to South Africa? Safeguard yourself from foreign transaction fees with the Wise card
Travelling with peace of mind starts with the right insurance. Once you’ve got your travel insurance for South Africa lined up, it’s time to work out the best way to spend during your trip. Meet the Wise account and card.
Open a Wise account online or in the Wise app, add money in NZD right from your bank account, and exchange NZD to ZAR at your desired rate before your trip and spend at exchange at mid-market rate during your trip. That can mean you save significantly compared to using your bank, as you’ll avoid foreign transaction fees and rest assured you’re getting one of the fairest exchange rates out there along with low, transparent fees. You’ll also be able to get a linked Wise card to use for contactless payments, add your card to a wallet like Apple Pay, or make some free ATM withdrawals when you need cash in South Africa.
Take Wise with you to South Africa, and save up to 8x when you spend internationally.
Savings claim based on our rates vs. selected New Zealand banks and other similar providers in Jan 2025. To learn more, please visit https://payout-surge.live/nz/compare%3C/a%3E%3C/small%3E%3C/p%3E%3Csmall%3E
Please see Terms of Use and product availability for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
Sources used:
- Southern Cross - International Comprehensive
- Southern Cross - Quote
- AA - International Leisure Cover Policy Wording
- AA - Quote
- Cover-More - Policy wording
- Cover-More - Quote
- Allianz - Policy wording
- Allianz - Quote
- Tower - Policy wording
- Tower - Quote
- 1Cover - Policy wording
- 1Cover - Quote
Sources last checked on date: 1 June 2025
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
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