A friend of mine, Thabo, once told me about the first time he had to claim from his car insurer. He was sitting on the side of the N1, his car bonnet popped open, watching smoke curl out like a kettle that had boiled too long. The accident wasn’t serious—he’d swerved to avoid a pothole, clipped the guardrail, and the radiator gave up. The car was insured, which was a relief, but the paperwork, the phone calls, the uncertainty about what would be covered—that part left him shaken almost more than the accident.
Anyone who has ever dealt with a car insurance claim in South Africa knows it’s not always the accident that rattles you; it’s the process that follows. Calls that don’t get returned. Assessors who speak in jargon. Fine print you thought you understood until suddenly, you don’t. That’s where Old Mutual likes to position itself differently, pushing the idea of a transparent claims process—one that, at least in theory, takes the mystery and frustration out of those already stressful moments.
But does it live up to the promise? Let’s walk through what this “transparent process” really looks like, where it helps, and where it may still leave room for improvement.
Why Claims Transparency Even Matters
Imagine your car is rear-ended in Johannesburg traffic. It’s loud, chaotic, and before you know it, tow trucks you didn’t call are circling like vultures. In that moment, what you want is certainty. Certainty that your insurer will pick up the bill, certainty about whether your premiums cover roadside assistance, certainty about how long it will take to get back on the road.
The challenge is that car insurance, by nature, involves risk and interpretation. Policies are full of exclusions, special conditions, and little “ifs” and “buts” that insurers can lean on. Transparency—at least as Old Mutual frames it—tries to strip away the smoke and mirrors. The idea is that from the moment you file a claim, you’re not left wondering what’s happening behind the curtain.
Some people may argue that transparency is a buzzword, a kind of PR gloss. And sure, it’s not unique to Old Mutual. Many South African insurers say the same. But when you talk to people who have actually used Old Mutual’s claims service, there’s a recurring theme: fewer surprises. Not no surprises, but fewer.
Step One: Reporting the Claim
Let’s say your car gets broken into outside a Cape Town café. Smash-and-grabs happen quickly, and when you walk back to find your window shattered, panic sets in. Old Mutual’s process starts simply: report online, on the app, or through the call center.
This may sound unremarkable, but the difference lies in speed and clarity. Their app doesn’t just collect details—it gives you immediate feedback about what happens next. Will an assessor need to view the car? Is the repair shop of your choice covered? Do you need to bring in a police report? The system tries to answer these questions upfront, rather than leaving you to guess.
I remember testing this myself after a minor bumper scrape (thankfully cosmetic). I wasn’t sure if I should even claim, since paying out of pocket sometimes keeps premiums lower in the long run. The app actually flagged that very point, hinting that a claim might affect my no-claims bonus. That kind of proactive warning may save you money, even if it costs the insurer in the short term.
Assessments Without the Mystique
Traditionally, one of the most frustrating parts of the claims journey is the assessment. The insurance assessor is often seen as the mysterious gatekeeper, deciding what counts as “wear and tear” versus “accident damage,” what’s covered and what isn’t.
Old Mutual appears to have worked on demystifying this. They use partnered repair centers where the assessment and quotation happen almost side by side. You don’t wait weeks for someone in a suit to send you a report filled with technical jargon. Instead, you get a breakdown in fairly plain language, plus updates via SMS or the app.
That said, no insurer is completely free of grey areas. If your car battery dies after the accident, you might still find yourself arguing about whether it’s accident-related or just maintenance. Transparency doesn’t necessarily mean generosity. It means you see the reasoning faster and with fewer loopholes hidden in the shadows.
The Repair Network: Convenience vs. Choice
Once the claim is approved, the next step is repairs. Old Mutual has a network of approved panel beaters and repair shops, many of which are pre-vetted for quality and turnaround time. On paper, this speeds things up. You know the shop is trusted, the parts are genuine, and the work comes with some guarantee.
Here’s where the nuance creeps in, though. Convenience often means you’re nudged into using their preferred suppliers, which may not always be your personal favorite mechanic down the road. For some, this trade-off is worth it. For others—especially those with long-standing relationships with independent workshops—it feels like a limitation disguised as a benefit. Transparency here is about knowing upfront: if you go outside the network, your claim may be delayed or reimbursed differently.
Payments and Timelines
Money is the part everyone watches closely. Old Mutual markets itself on faster payouts, with some straightforward claims settled in days. For example, if your car is written off and you’ve submitted all documents correctly, you might see the payout within a week.
But here’s the reality check: timelines are only as fast as the slowest missing piece. A missing police report or a delay from a third-party repair shop can still drag things out. Transparency doesn’t erase bureaucracy; it just keeps you informed about where in the system your case is stuck. And that, in itself, can reduce the sense of helplessness.
Customer Stories: The Good and the Not-So-Good
A neighbor of mine, Zanele, told me her claim after a highway accident went smoother than she ever expected. She uploaded photos on the app, the assessor called the same day, and within two weeks, her car was repaired and back in her driveway. She swears she’ll never switch insurers.
On the other hand, a cousin had a less shiny experience when hail damaged his car in Pretoria. Because thousands of cars were affected at once, repair backlogs stretched for months. Old Mutual kept him updated, yes, but updates don’t get you to work in the morning. He still had to Uber for weeks, which the policy didn’t cover.
Both stories are true at once. Transparency doesn’t eliminate inconvenience; it only reframes it in clearer terms.
The Bigger Picture: Trust in South African Insurance
Why does all this matter beyond one company? South Africans, in general, have a complicated relationship with insurance. On one hand, it’s a lifeline—cars are expensive, roads unpredictable, and accidents common. On the other, insurers have a reputation (sometimes deserved, sometimes exaggerated) for dodging payouts.
Old Mutual’s transparent claims pitch taps into a deeper cultural need: trust. People want to believe that when disaster strikes, they won’t be tricked by small print or stuck in endless loops of paperwork. Even if the outcome isn’t always exactly what they hoped, the clarity itself builds a form of trust.
Still, one could argue that true transparency would also mean simplifying policies themselves—shorter documents, fewer exclusions, and clearer language from the start, not just at claims stage. Until that happens, even the most “transparent” process may feel like a polished version of the same old system.
Where It Could Improve
While Old Mutual is praised for communication, a few pain points keep surfacing in conversations with policyholders:
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Car hire during repairs: Not always included, and when it is, the limits on time or type of car can be restrictive.
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Premium hikes after claims: Transparency doesn’t soften the blow of a higher premium the following year. Many customers only realize later how much one claim can cost long term.
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Digital divide: The app is helpful, but not everyone is tech-savvy or has reliable data. Older customers or those in rural areas may still find themselves stuck on phone calls.
Addressing these issues wouldn’t just make the process transparent, it would make it genuinely equitable.
Final Thoughts
When I look back at Thabo’s story on the side of the N1, I think about how different his experience might have been if he had clearer, faster updates from the start. Less time chasing paperwork, more time focusing on getting back on the road. That’s essentially the promise Old Mutual is trying to sell: a claims process that doesn’t add unnecessary stress to an already stressful event.
But I’ll be honest: no insurer is perfect. Transparency is valuable, but it’s not magic. It won’t erase delays caused by a national hailstorm, it won’t stop premiums from creeping up, and it won’t guarantee you get your favorite mechanic. What it can do is make you feel less in the dark. And when your car is your lifeline—to work, to family, to freedom—that sense of clarity may be worth more than we give it credit for.