Comprehensive vs third party car insurance

South African car insurance comes in three broad levels. The table below compares them. It is a general guide and your policy wording always governs the detail.

This comparison is indicative. Always confirm exactly what your chosen policy includes and excludes.

Comprehensive is the widest cover. It pays for accident damage to your own car, fire, theft and attempted theft, and damage you cause to other people's vehicles or property, plus their injury claims up to the policy limit.

Most policies also include extras such as towing, emergency repairs and sometimes car hire. It does not cover everything, though. Wear and tear, mechanical breakdown and driving without a valid licence are common exclusions, and every claim carries an excess.

[Third party fire and theft](/claims/third-party-fire-and-theft-claim/), often shortened to TPFT, covers your liability to others and adds protection for your own car against fire and theft. It does not pay to repair your car after an accident that is your fault.

This can suit a car that is worth protecting against theft but where you are willing to carry the risk of accident repairs yourself. It is usually cheaper than comprehensive but more than third party only.

Third party only is the most basic legal style cover. It pays for damage you cause to other people's property and for their injury claims, up to the policy limit, but nothing towards your own car at all.

It is the cheapest option and exists mainly to protect you from a large claim if you damage an expensive car or property. If your own car is written off in an at fault crash, you get nothing for it under third party only.

Comprehensive usually makes sense for financed cars, where the bank often requires it, and for newer or higher value cars you could not easily replace.

[Third party fire and theft](/claims/third-party-fire-and-theft-claim/) can suit a mid value car you want protected against theft but not accident damage. Third party only often suits an older, low value car where the cost of comprehensive is high relative to what the car is worth. The rule of thumb is to weigh the premium against the cost of replacing your own car.

Whatever level you choose, check the excess amount and whether it is fixed or a percentage, the exclusions, and how the car is valued at claim time under retail, market or agreed value.

Answer all questions honestly, because non disclosure about the main driver, parking or modifications can void a claim on any cover type. Verify the insurer on the FSCA register, and remember that an unfairly rejected claim can go free of charge to the National Financial Ombud, which absorbed the former Ombudsman for Short Term Insurance.

Choose comprehensive if:

• The car is financed - banks usually require it.
• The car is newish or valuable and you could not easily replace it.
• You park in a higher-risk area for theft or hijacking.
• You want peace of mind across accident, theft, fire and weather.

For most people with a car worth replacing, comprehensive is the sensible default.

Many drivers worry about their own car and forget liability. If you cause an accident that writes off someone's R600 000 vehicle, you could be personally liable for that amount. Every level above includes third party liability for exactly this reason - it is the one cover almost nobody should go without.