The gender pay gap contributes to underinsurance in women.

Loading player...
South Africa, 1 August 2022: More than a third of women (35%) cite income as their greatest asset (versus 22% of men), yet only 16% have income protection compared to 20% of men. This comes from Sanlam Individual Life’s recent survey of over 900 South Africans, which highlighted the insurance gap between the genders. Women earn up to 35% less than men for work of equal value, impacting their ability to guard against life’s curveballs.

Karen Bongers, Product Actuary at Sanlam Individual Life, says, “According to the United Association of SA (UASA), following the pandemic, the projected time to close the gender gap has gone from 99.5 to 135.6 years. In a country where 38% of households are headed by women, this has major ramifications. The pay gap contributes to women struggling, more than men, to protect themselves against the unexpected, through adequate cover and savings.”
2 Aug 2022 2AM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

SA Tourism returns to Pre-Pandemic Shine

South Africa welcomed 10.5 million tourists in 2025, surpassing pre‑pandemic levels for the first time. To unpack what this means for the industry, for jobs, and for South Africa’s global competitiveness, we’re joined by Thandiwe Mathibela, GM: Global PR, Communications, and Stakeholder Relations
2 Apr 5PM 12 min

Easter getaway: Five critical insurance checks

For families preparing to travel this weekend, there are a few top actions they should take to ensure their cover is valid. Understanding your obligations is as important as having a policy. We’re joined now by John Manyike, Head of Financial Education at Old Mutual, to unpack the biggest risks…
2 Apr 5PM 8 min

Pivot Point – Ramano on Transforming SA Leadership

For today’s Pivot Point feature, we’re joined by Ms. Tryphosa Ramano for a conversation about leadership, transformation, and the future of South Africa’s financial sector. We celebrate her three‑decade career defined by financial stewardship and a relentless commitment to transformation.
2 Apr 4PM 24 min

SA’s two-pot system sees repeat withdrawals

Since South Africa’s two-pot retirement system went live in September 2024, AlexForbes has now processed and paid more than one million savings-pot withdrawal claims, marking one of the largest operational undertakings in the country’s retirement industry. With more on the story behind the numbers, Vickie Lange, Head of Solutions Enhancement…
2 Apr 4PM 14 min

5 Easter scams to watch out for

RCS says holiday periods create the perfect storm: people are traveling, shopping online, and spending more time on social media—all moments when vigilance naturally drops. The company has identified six major scam types that tend to spike during school holidays, and Audrey Roberts, Customer Operations Executive at RCS, joins us…
2 Apr 4PM 12 min