At the time of writing, it was exactly one week to go before the long-awaited commencement of the Fifa World Cup on African soil. Just enough time to "flag out" your car, buy some decent supporting attire, and make sure you have the right insurance in place to see you through this once-in-a-lifetime event, if you haven't already done the necessary.
While the tangible vibe in the air seems to indicate that most of the population is gearing up with enthusiasm to support the games, there are also those that are simply gearing up to make money out of this lucrative opportunity. And there are those that are getting ready to pack their bags to get as far away from the madding crowd as possible. Bearing this in mind, Sanlam has identified three types of policyholders in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. Edward Gibbens, executive head of broker distribution at Sanlam says they are defined as: the entrepreneur, the escapist and the enthusiast.
The entrepreneur
This is the person who has identified 2010 as an opportunity to launch a business or grow their current business. If this is you, you need to do a last-minute check that your insurance policy is in place to cover you for all eventualities. Many "empty nesters" have converted their homes into Bed & Breakfasts for the tournament, and this requires special insurance for guests. See Insurance4 Women's previous article, "Are you insured for the FIFA World Cup" for more tips on the appropriate cover.
The escapist This person has no interest in the World Cup and will be using it as an opportunity to travel or leave the country for four weeks. If you're about to set off, don’t forget to check you've got the right travel insurance. Chances are you're going locally, or into Africa, in which case consider options that cover you for 4X4 adventures. Not only will all your costs of returning your vehicle to SA be covered in the event of an incident, but should your personal documents go amiss, you'll be compensated for the costs involved in replacing them – with the list including things like identity documents, visas, passports, permits and vaccination certificates, the associated costs add up pretty quickly.
The enthusiast This is the soccer-lover who will be taking leave during this period to follow the tournament and attend as many games as possible. If you've blown your vuvuzela more than four times this week and you're sitting in your Bafana Bafana scarf while reading this, this is probably you. If you're planning a road-trip, make sure you have the right vehicle insurance and medical aid. A personal accident policy is a useful form of insurance that can cover a host of costs related to various incidents and injuries…soccer yob assaults included!
However you choose to enjoy the World Cup, make sure you always have your insurance policy details on hand. Other than that, we wish you nothing more than an ayoba-filled month of merriment!
