NEWS
MBABANE – Insurance is not as expensive as many emaSwati believe, the Eswatini Royal Insurance Corporation (ESRIC) has said, urging the public to rethink how they protect their assets. The message was delivered by ESRIC Assistant General Manager for Corporate Services, Musa Simelane, during a client celebration event held at the corporation’s headquarters in Mbabane.
Simelane used the platform not only to reward loyal clients, but to confront what he described as one of the biggest barriers to insurance uptake in the country: The perception that insurance is unaffordable. “There is always that perception that insurance is expensive,” he said. “Let me try to demystify that.” He said many people were willing to spend hundreds of Emalangeni each month on entertainment, beauty treatments and other lifestyle expenses, yet hesitated to insure assets worth hundreds of thousands or even millions.
Accurate
Simelane said the reluctance to insure property was not always rooted in actual cost, but in assumptions made without seeking accurate information. He urged emaSwati to enquire about premiums instead of dismissing insurance as unaffordable. “If you think it is expensive, go and ask. Find out what it would cost to insure your house, your car, even your cellphone,” he said.
He said even those who ultimately found premiums beyond their means would at least be making decisions based on facts rather than misconceptions. Simelane described insurance as indispensable in modern life, arguing that unpredictable risks made it no longer a luxury but a necessity. “The realities of life require all of us to have some sort of cover, one way or the other, just to secure our future,” he added.
His remarks came as ESRIC concluded the third edition of its client celebration campaign, which began in October 2025 and ended in December, where 10 loyal clients each won E5 000 school fees vouchers, while earlier winners in October and November received grocery vouchers worth E2 500. Simelane said the campaign was not only about rewarding loyalty, but also about encouraging responsible financial behaviour. He urged clients to take property insurance seriously, warning that many households remained exposed to financial ruin in the event of fires, floods or other disasters. He also linked affordability to accessibility, noting that ESRIC had invested in digital platforms to reduce the inconvenience associated with insurance services.
He said the ESRIC mobile application, launched in 2014, now had more than 15 000 users who could request quotations, lodge claims, apply for loans and make payments without visiting ESRIC offices. “This is about convenience as well as cost,” he said. Simelane said ESRIC was upgrading the app to include a premium calculator that would allow clients to generate quotations for vehicles and other assets directly from their phones. He said the corporation had also refreshed its customer service charter and introduced automated visitor registration at its premises to improve service delivery. Despite growing competition in the insurance industry, Simelane said ESRIC remained committed to financial inclusion and consumer education. He said demystifying insurance costs was part of a broader effort to expand coverage and reduce vulnerability among emaSwati. “Insurance is not about who you insure with,” he said. “The most important thing is that you must have insurance.”
THE AWARDEES:
- Cebile Khoza
- Senanelo Dlamini
- Zandile Dlamini
- Hloniphile Khumalo
- Thandie Zungu
- Ncamsile Dludlu
- Wandile Jele
- Zakhele Dlamini
- Futhi Dlamini
- Bawinile Hlophe.
Photo Caption: The ESRIC management together with the awardees after the presentation of prizes yesterday. (INSET) ESRIC Assistant General Manager for Corporate Services Musa Simelan