Concerning rise in murder and mental health claims, says life insurer Momentum.

Loading player...
GUEST – George Kolbe, Head of Life Insurance Marketing at Momentum

Cardiovascular diseases reclaimed a previously held position as the leading cause of death claims for Momentum in 2022, but the life insurer has also seen a concerning rise in unnatural deaths, notably murder, especially among men. Announcing its 2022 statistics on Friday, Momentum's head of life insurance marketing, George Kolbe, said the insurer received some breathing space during the year as Covid-19-related claims abated, reducing the group's overall claims by 31% from 2021. But as the virus moved down the ranks, unnatural deaths claims moved up.

Men accounted for 82% of Momentum's unnatural death claims, which include accidents - mostly motor vehicle-related - as well as murder, suicide and surgery complications. But while car accidents accounted for most unnatural deaths among its clients, the biggest jump year-on-year was cases attributable to murder, which surged by 72% from 2021.

Suicides decreased by 7%. Accidents claimed just over a third of those who received payouts, followed by murder (20%) and suicide (19%). But for clients younger than 30, motor accidents are even more of a concern, claiming 67% of lives lost through unnatural causes.

While Covid-19 accounted for 12% of Momentum's death claims in 2022, unnatural death claims increased by 11% year-on-year, representing 11% of all pay-outs. It was ranked in the fourth spot for causes of death claims.
10 Jul 2023 4PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

The Mental Health Cost of Financial Stress

Financial stress has emerged as one of the biggest threats to South Africans' mental wellbeing. Dr Rachel Moore, Chief Medical Officer at Mediclinic Southern Africa, discusses the psychological impact of economic pressure, barriers to accessing mental healthcare and what can be done to reduce stigma and improve support.
22 Oct 2PM 12 min

KPMG Africa CEO Outlook: Confidence vs Execution

African CEOs remain confident about growth despite geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and disruptive technological change. Tola Adeyemi, CEO of KPMG One Africa, unpacks why execution has become the defining leadership challenge, and why many organisations are still struggling to keep pace with artificial intelligence
22 Oct 1PM 20 min

South Africa’s Economic Report Card After the MTBPS

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement paints a mixed picture of South Africa's economy. Revenue collection is outperforming expectations, and fiscal stability appears to be improving, yet growth forecasts have been downgraded amid infrastructure constraints and global risks. Dr Nwabisa Kolisi of the HSRC unpacks what the MTBPS…
22 Oct 12PM 9 min

Clicks Crosses R50bn: Growth Through Scale

Clicks Group has become a R50 billion turnover business, cementing its position as one of South Africa's retail success stories. CEO Bertina Engelbrecht discusses the drivers behind the milestone, changing consumer behaviour, pharmacy-led growth and how the retailer plans to expand while navigating a tough consumer environment.
22 Oct 12PM 15 min

Strong Cash Flow, Softer Profits: Inside Famous Brands' Interim Results

Famous Brands delivered a resilient performance in difficult trading conditions, growing revenue and more than doubling free cash flow while navigating consumer pressure and global uncertainty. CEO Darren Hele discusses cash generation, expansion plans, shareholder returns, challenges in key regional markets and what current trading conditions reveal about South African…
21 Oct 1PM 14 min