Currently, there are only 7 Pet Insurance companies in South Africa worth your attention:
- Oneplan Pet Insurance
- MediPet SA
- DotSure
- PetSure
- Rogz Pet Insurance
- Paw Paw Pet Insurance
- Regal Pet Insurance
Let’s break it down company-by-company, starting from the top:
Oneplan:
A real standout for Oneplan Pet Insurance is their smartphone app which, in an ever-digitalized world, adds a lot of convenience. Oneplan Pet Insurance also offers the Oneplan Card, which adds another level of convenience and transparency, in that you know exactly how much you’re covered for before you even arrive at the vet – because your money will already be loaded onto your Oneplan Card. What we also really like is that, in Oneplan’s eyes, all pets are created equal.
In other words, you are not charged depending on the type or breed of your pet. They also cover pre-existing conditions and have an Excess Buster at R40 per policy holder, inclusive of all pets.
One thing to keep in mind about the Oneplan Card is that extra fees and charges do apply, which may affect the amount that you are covered for.
MediPet SA:
One of the first things that jumped out at us here was the hidden charge of R12 on top of all quoted rates, which isn’t terrible, but highlights aspects of non-transparency from the company.
Medipet does not seem to hold the ideal that ‘all pets are created equal’ – for purebred pets, there is a likely 6-12 month waiting period for congenital-related cover; however, these are sometimes excluded completely. Across the board, MediPet SA’s annual cover limit is pretty standard, but is on the higher end of the excess scale at 15% per claim. On a positive note, this is a reputable company that has been in the game for about 12 years, and they do offer multiple pet discounts.
DotSure:
DotSure, straight off the bat, is appealing for the fact that you can upgrade or downgrade your cover. There is also the option of 3rd party cover of up to R100,000 in the event that your pet injures/damages another’s property or animal.
In comparison to other pet insurance companies, Dotsure’s excess is low, but is unfortunately overshadowed by their high premiums.
PetSure (Hollard):
PetSure seems to have replaced some of their plans, but Pet 99 is marketed on their website – thus we will be basing this review on that plan. The biggest thing going for PetSure is that they are amongst the most affordable cover plans; however, you get what you pay for, which unfortunately isn’t much with an annual limit of only R5 000 per year.
PetSure, like most companies, offer discounts for multiple pets – but what we don’t like is that nobody truly knows what the PetSure Tariffs ever are – so you won’t ever really know what you’re covered for until an actual claim is made. Breed related exclusions also apply… not ideal!
Rogz Pet Insurance:
Rogz seems to be a trusted and loved pet insurance brand amongst many South Africans, but after our research, we’re finding it hard to understand why. This pet insurance is underwritten by Hollard and therefore has the PetSure Tariff, which, again, means you don’t really know what you are covered for until you need to claim.
There are annual limits with this product as well as breed related exclusions. Again, this isn’t a terrible product but be sure to read your policy properly to make sure you understand what you are getting yourself into.
Paw Paw Pet Insurance:
There is a bit of bad and a bit of good with this product. The Bad: Accident Cover is only available to pets that are over the age of 8 years. This isn’t ideal but is certainly not a deal breaker. The Good: The policy coverage is very easy to understand and clearly states its intentions – for example, it states that alternative therapies are not covered but have the possibility of being considered on certain veterinary recommendation.
Regal Pet Insurance:
As with a lot of these services, Regal Pet Insurance is underwritten by Hollard, meaning that the PetSure Tariff is involved. The product premium varies based on your pet’s breed and age, which makes it a little bit difficult to compare to other products. Their excess, at 10%, is decent – but be wary of coverage for pure breeds as there are exclusions for congenital and breed-related illnesses. One thing that did stand out is that they are the only company to charge a script levy of R40.
So… what’s the verdict?
It’s as simple as this – there is no “One-Size-Fits-All” scenario when it comes to Pet Insurance.
According to our research, and after taking things such as ease of use, transparency of fees, and premiums vs. excess into consideration: we conclude that Oneplan Pet Insurance offers the best coverage for your premiums.