South Africa's largest independent, privately-owned insurance group. Built on partnerships, driven by innovation, and committed to doing insurance differently since 1980.
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From a Johannesburg street name to a global insurance brand — the power of doing things differently.
In 1980, Robert Enthoven and his son Patrick set out to create a different kind of insurance company. They founded Hollard to underwrite self-insurance programmes for large corporate clients and banks — a niche that the established insurers had largely overlooked. The company's name came from Hollard Street in Johannesburg, where the South African Stock Exchange was located, symbolising ambition and financial enterprise.
From the start, Hollard's approach was unconventional. Rather than building a massive direct sales force or competing head-to-head with the insurance giants, Hollard chose a partnership model. The company would provide the insurance expertise, regulatory licences, and claims-paying infrastructure, while partners — retailers, banks, brokers, and other distribution channels — would bring the customers. This model proved extraordinarily effective: by leveraging the brands, trust, and reach of over 100 partners, Hollard grew to serve more than 10 million policyholders without the overhead of a traditional insurer.
Hollard was an early pioneer in making insurance accessible to previously underserved markets. The company developed the concept of prepaid insurance, sold in cellphone-like starter packs through retail outlets — bringing financial protection to communities that traditional insurers had never reached. This innovation spirit extended to becoming a founding partner of HUGinsure, the world's first Social Impact Insurance entity, created in association with Aon and the Lloyd's market.
Today, the Enthoven family retains majority ownership through The Enthoven Family Trust, and Hollard operates under two insurance licences — short-term and life — with operations across 10 African countries, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, India, and China. Despite its global reach, Hollard remains privately owned and independently managed, giving it the agility to innovate that publicly listed competitors often lack.
Hollard defies the traditional insurance model in ways that directly benefit brokers and clients.
Unlike publicly listed insurers who must answer to stock market expectations every quarter, Hollard is privately held by the Enthoven family. This means the company can take a long-term view, invest in innovation without quarterly pressure, and prioritise sustainable growth over short-term profit maximisation. For policyholders, this translates to a company that can afford to do the right thing — even when it's not the most immediately profitable thing.
Hollard's business model is fundamentally different from traditional insurers. With over 100 active partnerships across retail, financial services, motor, and specialist sectors, Hollard functions as an insurance infrastructure provider — enabling its partners to deliver innovative, customised insurance solutions through their own brands and channels. This model creates products that are tailored to specific market needs rather than generic, one-size-fits-all policies.
Hollard consistently pushes the boundaries of what insurance can be. The company was among the first to sell insurance through mobile phone starter packs, making protection accessible to millions who had never interacted with a traditional insurer. Through HUGinsure, Hollard created the world's first Social Impact Insurance entity. This is not a company content with the status quo — it actively seeks to reinvent how insurance works.
Operating under both a life insurance licence (Hollard Life Assurance) and a short-term insurance licence (Hollard Insurance Company), Hollard can serve the full spectrum of insurance needs under one group. Hollard Life Solutions partners with businesses to offer innovative life cover through various distribution channels, providing responsive, flexible solutions backed by nearly four decades of life insurance experience.
Hollard's flagship broker product combines innovation, flexibility, and comprehensive protection in ways that genuinely differentiate it from the market.
Hollard Life Select isn't just another life insurance solution — it's a smarter, more flexible way to protect your clients and their families. Underwritten by Hollard Life Assurance Company Limited, these are the features that set Life Select apart:
Hollard's digital platform, Holly, enables immediate underwriting. In the past two years, one in three online applications were accepted without any medical tests or requirements — getting clients covered faster with less friction.
Hollard provides cover for clients who may not qualify for traditional life insurance elsewhere, through Deferred Life, Accidental Death & Disability benefits — opening doors that other insurers keep closed.
Manage affordability with age-rated premium increases capped at just 8.25% from age 55. Premium patterns that fit your client's life stage and budget — not the other way around.
Automatic death cover of R20,000 for spouses (up to age 65) and R10,000 for children (up to age 25 or marriage) included with Life Cover. Add the Enhanced Final Expense Benefit for as little as R20/month and get R40,000 spouse cover and R20,000 for children, with the natural causes waiting period halved from 12 to 6 months.
Up to R500,000 Life Cover for accidental death within 30 days of application submission through Interim Accidental Death Cover. Your client is protected from day one — no waiting required.
Life Cover or Deferred Life benefits may be paid for suicide or assisted suicide if the combined duration of the replaced and new policy exceeds two years. A seamless transition that protects clients switching to Hollard.
No exclusions for war, riots, nuclear events, or risky hobbies taken up after cover starts. No ambiguous crime exclusions. Truly comprehensive cover that doesn't surprise you with fine print when you need it most.
No need to notify Hollard if your client starts smoking, takes up a risky hobby, travels, or relocates (unless a travel endorsement applies). Less admin, more peace of mind — for both advisor and client.
Provides guaranteed, tax-free monthly payouts after death. Beneficiaries can use this income for living expenses while the estate is wound up, to support minor children, pay maintenance costs, or for any other purpose.
7-day waiting period for self-employed, commission earners, or contract workers — pays from day one with no hospitalisation required. Salaried clients qualify for a 14-day minimum. The Commutation Option lets clients choose between income or lump sum for permanent disability — included at no extra cost.
A monthly income to cover the cost of frail care, nursing homes, hospice, or full-time professional care for the rest of your life if you need it. Protection that extends well beyond the typical policy scope.
Pays a lump sum if you or your children (under 25) are diagnosed with a listed critical illness. 100% payment for all SCIDEP events irrespective of severity. Includes Catch-all benefits with payments up to R500,000 for lifesaving emergency surgery, ICU stays over 24 hours, or hospitalisation beyond 10 days.
Receive 20% of premiums paid every five years. No health assessments, no additional requirements — you simply qualify by being a loyal policyholder. Real money back, no strings attached.
Add up to R10 million in Life, Disability, and Critical Illness cover later without full medical underwriting, up to age 60. Exercise this option at your policy anniversary or after major life events. You can also reduce and later reinstate cover to manage costs.
Draft, review, and update Wills online with secure digital storage included. Advisors can earn up to 40% of executor's fees when clients have both an Estate Solutions Will and a Hollard Life policy — a genuine value-add for your practice.
Underwritten by Hollard Life Assurance Company Limited (Reg. No. 1993/001405/06), a Licensed Life Insurer and an authorised Financial Services Provider.
Hollard's partnership model means it reaches a remarkably diverse client base — often through brands they already know and trust.
Hollard serves an exceptionally broad market through its partnership model. In the life insurance space, Hollard Life Select works with brokers and advisors to provide comprehensive cover including life, disability, critical illness, income protection, long-term care, and funeral cover. The typical broker-intermediated Hollard life client is someone who values having a responsive, innovative insurer behind their policy — one that empowers their broker to deliver tailored solutions. With Holly's digital underwriting accepting one in three applications without medical tests, the onboarding experience is fast and friction-free.
Hollard is particularly well-suited for clients who appreciate flexibility in product design — from premium increases capped at 8.25% to the ability to add up to R10 million in cover later without full medical underwriting. The absence of general policy exclusions (no war, riot, nuclear, or hobby exclusions) and the 20% cash back every five years make Life Select genuinely distinctive. Self-employed professionals and commission earners benefit from a 7-day disability waiting period with day-one payouts and no hospitalisation requirement.
The stability of a privately-owned insurer with no stock market pressure to cut corners, combined with inclusive underwriting for clients who may not qualify elsewhere, makes Hollard a compelling choice across a wide range of client profiles. Small business owners also benefit from Hollard's commercial insurance products and business-focused life solutions that can protect key personnel and partnership arrangements.
Hollard's partnership-first approach resonates deeply with how we operate at Gemoedsrus. As an intermediary, we are not looking for an insurer that competes with us for client attention — we want one that empowers us to deliver the best possible solutions. Hollard does exactly that, providing the product innovation, underwriting expertise, and claims infrastructure while trusting its partners to manage the client relationship.
We value Hollard's entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to innovate. In an industry often criticised for being slow and rigid, Hollard consistently demonstrates that insurance can be creative, accessible, and responsive. Their digital underwriting platform Holly — which accepts one in three applications without medical tests — is a perfect example. Life Select's elimination of general policy exclusions, its 20% cash back loyalty programme, and the ability to add up to R10 million in future cover without full underwriting show a company that genuinely believes insurance should serve people, not the other way around.
The fact that Hollard remains privately owned by the Enthoven family is significant. There are no quarterly earnings calls driving short-term decisions. Instead, Hollard can invest in the infrastructure, innovation, and relationships that create long-term value for clients and partners alike. This ownership structure gives Hollard an agility that publicly listed competitors — constrained by market expectations — simply cannot match.
Hollard has also built a reputation as one of South Africa's best employers, consistently ranked in the Top 10 of Best Company to Work For surveys. Companies that treat their people well tend to treat their clients well — and our experience with Hollard confirms this.
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