Car and home insurance FAQs

Car insurance is not legally mandatory for all vehicle owners in South Africa. However, if you finance your car through a financial institution, comprehensive insurance is a mandatory requirement until the loan is paid off. Comprehensive cover also protects you against third-party liability and costly repairs.

To guarantee quality craftsmanship and honour work warranties, Momentum Insure routes repairs through an approved network of accredited panel beaters. Using a non-approved repairer without prior written authorisation may affect repair guarantees and result in additional out-of-pocket costs or excess adjustments.  

• Licenses: Valid South African driving licenses and recognised foreign licenses (with valid international driving permits/translations) are accepted.
• Modified vehicles: Aftermarket accessories and performance modifications must be declared upfront, so they are specified under your cover.
• Rebuilt / Code-3 vehicles: Cover is subject to strict technical inspection and special underwriting conditions.

There are 3 main types of car insurance:

• Comprehensive: Covers accident damage, theft, hijacking, fire, natural disasters, and third-party liabilities.
• Third-party, fire & theft: Covers theft, hijacking, fire damage, and damage caused to other people's property, but does not cover accidental damage to your own vehicle.
• Third-party only: Covers financial liability for loss or damage caused to other people or vehicles in an accident. It does not cover loss or damage to your own vehicle.

Credit shortfall bridges the financial difference between your vehicle’s market/retail payout value and the remaining settlement balance owed to your financing bank in the event of a write-off or theft. Please note that there are certain fees levied as part of your finance agreement that will not be covered by credit shortfall cover.

To log your claim with Momentum Insure, you can choose one of three options:

1. Submit via the app: Log into the Momentum App, navigate to the Claims section, select your claim type (car accident, hail, or windscreen), and follow the step-by-step on-screen prompts to complete your submission.
2. Submit over the phone: Call 0860 006 784 to log your claim with a consultant during business hours (Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:00, or Saturdays from 08:00 to 13:00).
3. Submit via email: Send your claim details and supporting documents directly to miclaims@momentum.co.za.

A regular driver is the person who drives the vehicle most often in any monthly period. Our premiums are charged based on the profile of the regular driver, meaning if a different driver from the one noted on the premium is considered the regular driver, then the monthly premium is incorrect and will not be covered.

For example, if a ‘regular driver’ (45-year-old) lets a driver (18-year-old) drive their vehicle to university daily without notifying us, we will charge a premium based on the profile of the ‘regular driver’ (45-year-old) rather than on the profile of the 18-year-old driver. This simply means we are receiving an incorrect premium, therefore, the vehicle is not covered. If the ‘regular driver’ changes, make sure you notify us immediately for continuous cover.

Yes, in order to have cover, it is vital that you insure your vehicle for the correct use.

Your vehicle is covered in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe when used for private purposes.

If your vehicle is insured for business use, it is not covered while being used for business purposes outside South Africa unless you have selected the specific optional cover for business use in countries outside South Africa.

Always inform us immedicately if the address of where the vehicle is kept changes to have continuous cover and a valid claim.

You may need to fit additional anti-theft devices in your vehicle depending on what's noted on your policy.