A few months ago, a friend of mine called me at nearly midnight. She had pulled over on the N1 just outside Cape Town because her car had overheated, and the steam pouring out from under the bonnet made it look like a kettle about to whistle. Panic was setting in—traffic was still whizzing by, it was late, and she didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or phone her mechanic at that ungodly hour. She did the sensible thing instead: she remembered she had Santam comprehensive cover, dialed their assistance line, and within half an hour, a tow truck was there. No arguments about payment. No questions about whether she’d bought some add-on package. The service was built into her cover. Free.
That incident stuck with me. Because if you’ve ever been stranded on the side of the road, you know how frightening—and expensive—it can be. And it got me thinking: why does Santam, one of South Africa’s biggest insurers, actually include roadside assistance at no extra cost when you take comprehensive car insurance? There must be more to it than simple generosity.
The Practical Answer: Peace of Mind as Standard
At first glance, the answer seems obvious. Insurance is about peace of mind, and comprehensive cover is the “all-in” option. So it makes sense that a service like roadside assistance would be included automatically. If you’re already paying for cover that protects your car against theft, accidents, natural disasters, and third-party liability, it feels almost incomplete not to have help available when your car physically breaks down.
But the more I looked at it, the clearer it became that roadside assistance isn’t just a nice extra—it’s a strategic part of Santam’s offering. They know that drivers don’t just worry about big accidents; they worry about the little everyday mishaps too. A flat tyre when you’re on your way to an exam. Locking your keys in the car while rushing to a meeting. Or that dreaded dead battery when you’re running late for school drop-off. By including the service for free, Santam is essentially saying: we’ll cover the big disasters and the small nuisances.
The Emotional Angle: Why People Stay Loyal
There’s also a loyalty factor at play. Insurance companies, if we’re honest, don’t always enjoy glowing reputations. People often complain about claims processes, fine print, or premium hikes. Offering something immediate, practical, and easy to use—like free roadside help—balances that out.
I remember when my own car battery died in a shopping mall parking lot. I didn’t have Santam at the time, but I watched a fellow shopper who did. She whipped out her phone, made a call, and sat calmly in the shade while waiting for help. No stress, no frantic searching for jumper cables. I, meanwhile, was asking random strangers for a push. The contrast was embarrassing. Experiences like that are memorable, and they shape whether people recommend their insurer to friends and family.
It appears that Santam has figured out that small gestures of service can create outsized goodwill. You might not claim for an accident for five years, but if you use roadside assistance once or twice in that time, you feel like you’re “getting something back.”
The Economics: Why Giving It Away Makes Sense
Of course, nothing in the insurance world is truly free. Santam’s actuaries have run the numbers, and they’ve decided the cost of offering roadside assistance is worth it. It may even save them money in the long run.
Here’s why: when a driver gets stranded, the situation can escalate. A broken-down car left unattended on the side of the road is at higher risk of theft, vandalism, or even an accident if another driver collides with it. If Santam can swoop in quickly with a tow truck, they minimize those risks—and the potential claims that would follow.
There’s also the marketing angle. Santam doesn’t have to spend millions advertising “free roadside assistance” as a special promotion. They simply bake it into comprehensive cover, and the word spreads organically. Customers like my friend who experience the service firsthand often become walking adverts.
And while skeptics might argue that costs for such “free” perks are quietly factored into premiums, the truth is that comprehensive insurance is already priced as a full-service product. It would almost look stingy not to include something as fundamental as roadside support.
The Human Side of Breakdowns
Now, if you’ve never been stranded with a flat tyre in the rain or locked out of your car with a toddler inside (a real nightmare scenario I once heard about from a colleague), you might underestimate how much difference a quick-response service makes. Roadside assistance isn’t just about convenience—it’s about safety and dignity.
South African roads can be unpredictable. High crime areas, long rural stretches without cellphone signal, or busy highways where pulling over is dangerous all add layers of risk. A driver alone at night might feel incredibly vulnerable. Having a service you can call without worrying about swiping your card on the spot is, quite literally, a lifeline.
This is where Santam’s decision feels less like a cold business calculation and more like an acknowledgement of the realities of driving in this country. It signals that they’re attuned to their customers’ lived experiences. Whether that always matches how customers perceive them is debatable, but the intention comes across.
Could There Be Downsides?
Of course, not every freebie is without caveats. Some drivers have pointed out that roadside assistance often comes with limits—like a certain radius for free towing or a cap on the number of callouts per year. And while Santam generally has a strong reputation, there are occasional grumbles online about wait times in remote areas or confusion over what counts as “roadside assistance” versus what falls under mechanical failure.
So while it’s tempting to view the free service as an unqualified win, it’s worth reading the fine print. Free doesn’t always mean unlimited. That said, most customers seem to agree that even limited support is better than none.
A Subtle Shift in Insurance Culture
What interests me most, though, is how offerings like Santam’s free roadside assistance reflect a broader cultural shift in insurance. Companies are realizing that people expect value to be tangible, not abstract. You can’t touch or see your insurance policy until something goes wrong—and by then, stress levels are high. By bundling in something useful that people might call on in ordinary, non-catastrophic situations, insurers bridge that gap.
It reminds me of how cellphone networks once started throwing in “free” SMS bundles, or how banks now advertise perks like lounge access. The core product doesn’t change—you’re still paying for calls, or for financial services—but the extras make you feel like you’re getting more than just the bare minimum.
In Santam’s case, roadside assistance transforms comprehensive cover from a passive safety net into an active support system.
A Final Story: Why It Matters
Let me circle back to my friend from earlier. She later told me that the night her car broke down, she was scared to even get out and check under the bonnet. Every passing set of headlights made her tense. When the tow truck arrived, she said the driver wasn’t just efficient; he was reassuring. He cracked a joke, calmed her down, and made sure she got home safely. That wasn’t just an insurance benefit—it was a human moment of care in a situation where she felt alone.
And maybe that’s the quiet genius of including roadside assistance for free. It turns what could have been a faceless financial product into something with a heartbeat. Something that shows up for you when you’re stranded, scared, and maybe even a little embarrassed.
So, Why Does Santam Offer It for Free?
Because it completes the picture. Comprehensive cover without roadside assistance would feel like a half-finished puzzle. By offering it, Santam reduces risks, builds loyalty, and gives customers practical value they can actually experience. The move appears smart financially, but it also resonates on a human level.
Sure, it’s not without small caveats, and yes, “free” is never truly free. But for South African drivers navigating unpredictable roads and long commutes, it’s hard to overstate how comforting it is to know that help is just a phone call away—without extra costs or hidden conditions lurking in the background.
And if you’ve ever been stranded on the N1, staring at steam rising from your bonnet at midnight, you’ll understand exactly why that matters.