Over the past couple of months, we have written on decisions by various European insurers to pay policyholders for their COVID-19 related losses. That positive trend is now moving across continents.

In response to COVID-19, South Africa’s government imposed restrictions allowing only essential services to operate under a lockdown imposed in March 2020, resulting in substantial losses for corporations and small businesses. In response to policyholders’ claims, South African insurance companies Santam, Hollard Insurance Company, and Guardrisk Insurance Co. Ltd. have agreed to pay certain business interruption losses resulting from COVID-19 and related government orders. The insurance companies recently announced that they will offer settlements and interim relief to thousands of its insured businesses under business interruption insurance policies that provide coverage for losses resulting from contagious and infectious diseases.

Reprinted courtesy of Sergio F. Oehninger, Hunton
Andrews Kurth and Daniel Hentschel, Hunton
Andrews Kurth
Mr. Oehninger may be contacted at soehninger@HuntonAK.com
Mr. Hentschel may be contacted at dhentschel@HuntonAK.com