Policy Terms and Conditions

1. Definitions:

Policyholder: Any individual between the ages 18 and 65, who is allowed to participate in the policy, in terms of the eligibility conditions as stated in the Policy Document. A Policyholder must live in South Africa. If the policyholder is a foreign national, he/she must have a valid passport and work permit.

Dependents: means a Spouse, 6 biological children.

Spouse: A person married to the Policyholder by law or tribal custom, which shall include a Common Law Spouse

Common Law Spouse: A Common Law Spouse is a person who, at Vodacom’s sole discretion, is recognized as the spouse of the insured based on the specific circumstances of each case. This includes, where applicable, individuals in customary marriages, civil partnerships, or life partnerships. To qualify, the insured and the partner must have lived together continuously for a period of at least 12 months prior to the insured’s death, shared a common household, and jointly contributed to living expenses. Vodacom reserves the right to request satisfactory proof of such a union at both policy inception and claim stage. Acceptable proof may include, but is not limited to, affidavits, utility bills reflecting a shared address, joint financial accounts, or other relevant documentation.

Child: An unmarried child of the Policyholder, younger than age 21 years, including a stepchild, posthumous child, an illegitimate child, a legally adopted child or a stillborn child (must be stillborn from the 26th week of pregnancy). Only 2 stillbirth claims will be accepted per family during the term of the Policy. Cover for Children is extended to under age 25 years if the Child is a full-time student at a recognized educational institution. This does not include part-time and correspondence students. Children who are mentally disabled or totally and permanently disabled before age 21 years, who are unable to care for themselves, are covered until cover for the Policyholder ends. Details of a newborn child must be submitted to Vodacom within 3 Months of birth. Details of any children of a Common Law Spouse, illegitimate child and stepchild must be supplied to Vodacom at the time that the Policyholder takes up a policy, as failure to provide this, may result in a repudiation of the claim by Vodacom Life.

Extended Child: A child who is 18 years or younger and does not qualify to be a Child but is financially dependent on the Policyholder in the event of their death. A maximum of 6 extended children may be added on this policy.

Extended Family: Family members, who are dependent on the Policyholder for financial assistance in the event of their death, may be covered. These include parents, parents-in-law, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, grandparents, and children of the Policyholder who are aged 21 years and older.

Grace period: If we do not receive your premium for 2 months, we will send you an SMS to tell you about this. You will then have 30 days to settle your arrear premiums.

Rejoin: Rejoin refers to the process by which a policyholder requests the restoration of a previously lapsed policy. This occurs after a policy has been terminated due to non-payment of premiums or other qualifying conditions and the policyholder wishes to restore coverage under the same policy. Rejoining is subject to the insurer’s approval and may require the policyholder to meet certain conditions, such as:

• Submitting a formal rejoin request
• Complying with any waiting periods terms

Policy start date. Your cover will only start on the first day of the current month if we receive premiums between the 1st and the 7th day of that month. If we receive your premium after the 7th of that month, it will start on the 1st of the following month. Vodacom Life Assurance reserves the right to decline your application within 31 days of you applying for cover. The term of the policy is 12 months and will be automatically renewable after the 12 months.

This insurance cover is underwritten by Vodacom Life Assurance (herein “Vodacom Life”), a licensed Life insurer. Tshipi-Noto Financial Services, an authorised Financial Services Provider FSP no: 46767 is the appointed Intermediary and a Binder Holder. Tshipi-Noto receives commission for rendering the intermediary services and binder fees performing binder functions.

2. People that can be covered under this policy:

You can cover yourself as the policy owner (main member), your spouse and your children (up to six children). You can also cover up to 14 extended family members (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews) on your policy, provided there is an insurable interest. You can include additional children on your policy for an extra premium (the premium amount will depend on your chosen plan). Please note that you must be a South African citizen, permanent resident or hold a valid work permit to apply for this policy. Your extended dependents (extended family members) must also be citizens or permanent residents of South Africa. Your dependents (spouse and children) do not have to be SA citizens or residents. However, if any of your dependents are foreign nationals and do not reside in South Africa, we will need proof of their identity as well as their full contact details at the start of the policy. If your extended family members are foreign nationals but reside in South Africa, they can be covered, but we will need a copy of a valid passport for each of them. New-born children must be added within three months of their birth. If they are not added within three months, the waiting period will apply as per your policy terms and conditions.

Stillbirth: Stillbirths are covered automatically under this policy. A stillborn child is one that did not draw breath or show any other signs of life after being delivered, expelled, or surgically removed from his/her mother after the 26th week of pregnancy. This excludes instances where the mother chooses to have an abortion or someone else acting on the mother’s behalf chooses to terminate the pregnancy. The insurer reserve the right to ask for additional information to ensure that the claim is valid before accepting the claim. Stillbirths may be covered under this policy provided that the mother of the child is covered in the policy as a policyholder or spouse.

 

3. Maximum entry age:

You cannot apply for more than two policies. In the event of a claim, the claim payment will be limited to only two claims up to the value of R 70 000.
Observation: Please note that any enlargement of a coffin or casket will be covered at your own cost. Funerals outside a 100 km radius of the branch will be charged according to the AA rates or Budget car rental areas.

 

4. Waiting period:

The waiting period on this cover for you, your dependents, extended family members, any new dependent or extended family, and re-joiners is six months. We count these six months from your policy start date. Twelve months waiting period will be applicable if death was due to suicide. No waiting periods will apply if you, your dependents or extended family members were to pass away in an accident, provided that the first premium has been paid & policy has started.

5. Maximum cover amounts:

You cannot apply for more than two policies. In the event of a claim, the claim payment will be limited to only two claims up to the value of R 70 000.

Observation: Please note that any enlargement of a coffin or casket will be covered at your own cost. Funerals outside a 100 km radius of the branch will be charged according to the AA rates or Budget car rental areas.

6. General exclusions

The insurer will not pay your claim in the following circumstances (this applies to any person covered on this policy):

• Suicide in the first 12 months of the policy or cover, whether the person is of sound or unsound mind;
• Participating in any terrorist activity, riot, civil commotion, rebellion or war leading to death;
• Death as a result of nuclear, biological and chemical terrorism and nuclear accidents;
• Wilful and deliberate breaking of any criminal law leading to death;
• The death of an unborn child due to the termination of a pregnancy (abortion);
• Providing false or fraudulent information or using fraudulent means or devices when making a claim under the policy; and
• If the policyholder is no longer legally entitled to live and work in the Republic of South Africa.

You must provide true, accurate and complete information: Vodacom Life may cancel your policy from the start date and will not pay any claims if false and inaccurate information was provided when taking the policy.

 

7. How to pay your premium

You can pay your premium using a debit order, persal deduction, at our partnered retailed stores via Pay@, stop order or cash by the 7th of every month. Please keep the receipt you receive after making payment as proof of your payment.

 

8. Making changes to your policy:

Please contact Tshipi-Noto Financial Services if you would like advice on any changes to your cover or if you would like to change or update your contact information.

 

9. Premium review:

Vodacom Life will not change your premium for the first 12 months (unless there are exceptional circumstances). After the first 12 months, Vodacom reserves the right to review and change the premium and cover annually. Premiums will only change if Vodacom Life view on the factors that influence the cost of providing you with cover differ from what was assumed when the current premium rates were set. This may become necessary as a result of, but is not limited to:

• Expected claims incidences;
• Expected inflation and interest rates; and
• The average age and demographics of the insured lives on the product as a whole.

Furthermore, Vodacom Life reserves the right to appropriately adjust the premiums charged or benefits offered on this policy if:

• Any legislation or regulation (including tax legislation or regulations) is introduced or changed, so that it affects the cost of providing your benefits; or
• The legal interpretation or understanding of any legislation or regulation (including tax legislation or regulations) changes to the extent that it affects the cost of providing your benefits.

Vodacom Life will not increase your premiums to recover past losses or to enhance expected profits beyond those assumed at the outset of the policy. Vodacom Life will send you written notice and reasons for any changes to your premium at least 31 days before any changes are applied.

 

10. Cooling off period:

If we have accepted your application and you change your mind, you have 31 days from the start date of your policy to tell us in writing about the changes you want to make or if you want to cancel the policy. If you cancel your policy within this cooling off period, Vodacom Life will refund your premium and recover any claim payment made.

 

11. Your policy will lapse if you do not pay your premiums for three months:

If we do not receive your premium for one month, we will send you an SMS after the missed payment to inform you. You will have until your next premium due date to pay the outstanding amount. If a claim event occurs while your policy is one month in arrears, we will still consider the claim. If you do not pay your next premium (and your policy is now two months in arrears), we will send you another SMS to notify you. You will then have until your next premium due date to pay both outstanding premiums. If a claim event occurs while your policy is two months in arrears, we will still consider the claim. However, if you fail to pay the third or any subsequent premium while the first and second premiums remain unpaid, your policy will lapse and be cancelled. We will send you an SMS to inform you of this. You will not be able to claim for any event that occurred while your policy was lapsed, even if you pay the outstanding premiums later. If you wish to restore your cover after cancellation, you will need to either apply for reinstatement under the Reinstatement Clause or reapply for a new policy.

 

12. Cancelation of policy:

You or anyone acting on your written authority may cancel the policy by giving us one month’s written notice. You will lose all your benefits from the effective date of cancellation, which is the end of the month in which we received your last premium.

 

13. Reinstatement:

A policyholder may apply for the reinstatement of a lapsed policy within two months (60 days) from the date of lapse. To reinstate the policy, the policyholder must pay all outstanding premiums. No new waiting periods will apply to reinstatements unless the policyholder was still within a waiting period when the policy lapsed. In such cases, the remaining duration of the waiting period must be completed. We will not consider any claim events that occurred while the policy was lapsed and cancelled, even if the arrear premiums are later paid and the policy reinstated. A policyholder may reinstate their policy a maximum of two times during the policy term.

 

14. How to claim:

You must submit your valid claims to Tshipi-Noto Financial Services within six months from the date of the claim event. All the required documents must be submitted before a claim can be processed. Claims documents can be submitted in person at one of our branches or via electronic means. Please contact Tshipi-Noto Financial Services (Intermediary) for further assistance. Note: Vodacom Life may request additional information to validate the claim.

Below are the standard documents required to lodge a claim:

• A fully completed funeral claim form (should be completed by the beneficiary or policyholder).
• A certified copy of the deceased’s national identity document or passport;
• A certified copy of the beneficiary’s national identity document or passport;
• Notification of death or still birth form (all four pages) – DHA 1663 (can be obtained from the funeral parlour, doctor that certified the death, mortuary, or Home Affairs); and
• A certified copy of the computerized death certificate.
• Valid proof of banking details (a certified bank statement or a certified letter from the bank, not older than three months);
• For unnatural death: A police statement – should be taken to the investigating officer to complete and stamp;
• For unnatural death: An accident report
• If the claim is for a foreign national, a copy of a valid passport and a valid work permit (at the time of their death);
• If the claim is for a foreign national who is an extended family member, proof that they were residing in South Africa at the time of their death; and
• In the case of a claim for a stillbirth, a doctor’s letter confirming the age of the foetus (i.e., the number of weeks) at time of the stillbirth.

Vodacom Life will make claim payments within two working days of receiving and verifying all required documentation. Claim payments can only be made into South African bank accounts.

 

15. Repudiation:

The insurer reserves the right to repudiate (reject) any claim if the policyholder provides false, incomplete, or inaccurate information during the application or claims process, engages in fraudulent activities, or fails to adhere to the terms and conditions of the policy. A repudiation letter will be sent to the policyholder detailing the reasons for the repudiation/rejection. The insurer will not be liable for any benefits.

 

16. Appeal:

If a claim is repudiated and the policyholder disagrees with the insurer’s decision, they may submit a written appeal within 30 days of receiving the repudiation letter. The insurer will review the appeal and provide a response within 90 days. If the policyholder is dissatisfied with the outcome, they can refer the matter to an independent party or regulatory body, as per applicable laws.

 

17. Policy replacement:

Policyholders who have previously held funeral cover with an FSCA-registered insurer may qualify for a waiver of waiting periods, provided certain conditions are met. Waiting periods already served with the previous insurer will be waived for all insured lives, on the condition that the policyholder provides satisfactory proof of prior funeral cover and official documentation confirming cancellation of the previous policy. The waiver will only apply to the same main benefit amount that was covered under the previous policy.

Supplementary or optional benefits will not be considered for the waiver. Any additional cover taken with Vodacom Life, above the main benefit amount previously insured, will be subject to standard waiting periods as stipulated in the new policy terms. To apply for policy replacement, the policyholder must submit the following documentation to Tshipi-Noto Financial Services:

• Proof of previous funeral cover, including:
  • Full names and ID numbers of all insured lives
  • Policy inception date and details of the underwriter
  • Cover amount for each insured life and any applicable waiting periods
  • Proof of premium payments for at least the past 12 months
  • Official proof of cancellation of the previous policy

Policy replacement requests are subject to verification and approval before payment can be made at Tshipi-Noto Financial Services. Incomplete or inaccurate submissions may result in delays or rejection of the request.

 

18. Continuation of cover:

If you, as the individual policy owner die, your spouse (if selected) or child (above the ageof 18 years) may continue with the policy. We must be notified of the continuation within three months of your death. We will continue the policy subject to the following conditions:

Your spouse or child must be registered as the new individual policyholder and/or premium payer, or they must nominate a premium payer;

A new premium payer may continue paying the premium without affecting the policy. The new premium payer must be:

• Your spouse or child over 18 years; a legal guardian of your children;
• Any other person who is an insured life on the policy
• A curator; or trust.

The premium will not change for any of the insured lives on the policy, including your spouse. Any new members added after the policy continuation will be charged the applicable premium and a waiting period of six months will apply. If we do not receive confirmation of continuation of the policy within three months, the immediate family and extended family members will not be covered.

 

19. Complaints:

We hope to never give you any cause for complaint. But if you’re ever unhappy with our service or the advice you’ve received, please contact us on the following details:

• Tshipi-Noto Financial Services: 72 Cnr. 6th Street & 7th Avenue, Springs, 1560 | Tel: 086 187 4474 | Email: customerservices@tshipinoto.co.za
• Vodacom Life, Vodacom Corporate Park, 082 Vodacom Boulevard, Midrand, 1685. 2190 | Tel: +27 (0)11 653 5000 | Email: complaints@vodacomlife.co.za

If you’re dissatisfied with the outcome, you can contact these independent industry bodies for help:

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)

The FSCA is the market conduct regulator of financial institutions that provide financial products and services, as well as financial institutions licensed under financial sector laws, including banks, insurers, retirement funds and administrators, and market infrastructures.

The FSCA assists clients with legislative-related complaints regarding the conduct of regulated companies and any contraventions of the laws governing them.

Contact Details:
P.O. Box 35655, Menlo Park, 0102
Riverwalk Office Park, Block B, 41 Matroosberg Road, Ashlea Gardens, Pretoria, 0002
Telephone: 012 428 8000 | Contact Us

The Ombudsman for Long-term Insurance

The Ombudsman’s role is to mediate between policyholders and life insurers when disputes cannot be resolved fairly, independently, and objectively. The decisions of the Ombudsman are guided by the Long-term Insurance Act.

Contact Details:
Private Bag X45, Claremont, 7735
Third Floor, Sunclare Building, 21 Dreyer Street, Claremont, Cape Town, 7700
Telephone: 021 657 5000 | 0860 10 3236
Email: info@ombud.co.za

The FAIS Ombud

The FAIS Ombud mediates fairly and independently between clients and financial services providers on matters relating to financial advice. The Ombud follows the provisions of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act (FAIS Act).

Contact Details:
P.O. Box 74571, Lynnwood Ridge, 0040
125 Dallas Avenue, Menlyn Central, Waterkloof Glen, Pretoria, 0010
Telephone: 012 762 5000 | 086 066 3247 | Fax: 012 348 3447
Email: info@faisombud.co.za

Policy declaration and signature

By signing this form, you agree to the terms below: