Insurance Market Research
South African insurance sits under a conduct regime — TCF, CoFI, and prudential reforms from the Prudential Authority — that has fundamentally raised the evidence bar for product, pricing, and claims decisions. Insurers and reinsurers increasingly need primary customer and broker evidence that can be audited against regulatory expectations. In an environment where climate, crime, and medical inflation are simultaneously reshaping risk, research has moved from marketing input to boardroom input.
Why Insurance Research Matters
- TCF and CoFI expectations require insurers to document customer understanding with primary evidence, not inferred from NPS or complaints data alone.
- Climate risk — flooding, drought, fire — is reshaping short-term insurance pricing and requires primary evidence on customer willingness to pay.
- Life insurance pricing and persistency shifts post-pandemic continue to play out, and primary evidence is needed to reset retention models.
- Medical schemes and gap cover operate in a distinct regulatory environment where CMS oversight shapes product and distribution design.
- Broker and tied-agent channels remain central in SA, and primary channel research is essential for product launch and retention strategy.
Our Insurance Research Services
Customer Research and Segmentation
Primary research with short-term, life, and health insurance customers calibrated to SA risk pools and channel realities.
Broker and Channel Research
Research with brokers, tied agents, and UMAs on product placement, commission structures, and competitive positioning.
Product and Pricing Diagnostics
Concept testing, pricing sensitivity, and willingness-to-pay studies for new products, policy endorsements, and rider structures.
TCF and Conduct Evidence Packs
Structured primary evidence supporting TCF outcomes, CoFI readiness, and fair value assessments for boards and regulators.
Claims Experience Research
Customer experience research focused on claims journeys — a critical driver of retention and regulatory scrutiny.
Brand and Trust Tracking
Brand equity, consideration, and trust tracking across short-term, life, and health insurance segments.
How We Approach Research in This Sector
We design insurance research with regulatory auditability in mind — sampling frames, consent capture, and instrument design are documented to stand up to FSCA, PA, and CMS review. Senior researchers handle broker, underwriter, and executive-level interviews personally, and we write findings in a format audit committees and actuarial teams can use directly.
Why Choose Meraki Research for Insurance?
- Experience across short-term, life, and health insurance in SA, including TCF and CoFI-grounded customer research.
- Established access to broker networks, UMAs, and actuarial respondents through years of sector fieldwork.
- Senior-led methodology design that anticipates audit committee and regulator review.
- Independent of any insurer or reinsurer — no conflicts on competitive, broker, or customer research.
What We Deliver
| Deliverable | Format | Typical Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Customer segmentation | Segments deck, typing tool | 6-8 weeks |
| Broker channel study | Channel report plus perception map | 5-7 weeks |
| Pricing and concept test | Pricing simulator plus concept rankings | 5-7 weeks |
| TCF evidence pack | Audit-ready pack, data annex | 4-6 weeks |
| Brand and trust tracker | Wave report plus dashboard | Rolling |