Life & Critical Illness Cover
Protect your family’s financial future with internationally underwritten cover denominated in hard currency.
If you are the primary earner in your family, your income is the most valuable asset you have. Not your house, not your investments, not your business — your ability to earn. Life insurance and critical illness cover protect that asset. For African professionals, the question is not whether you need cover, but whether you need it in a currency that will hold its value when your family needs it most.
Why Offshore Life Cover?
Local life insurance policies in most African countries are denominated in local currency. A ZMW 5 million life policy sounds substantial today, but if the kwacha depreciates by 50% over the next decade — as it has in the previous decade — your family receives the equivalent of half the intended benefit in real terms.
Offshore life cover solves this problem. Policies are denominated in US dollars, British pounds, or euros. The sum assured retains its international purchasing power regardless of what happens to the local currency. If your family needs to pay UK school fees, service a dollar-denominated mortgage, or simply maintain their standard of living, the payout is in a currency that can do that.
We work with internationally rated insurers — Zurich International, Generali, Friends Provident International, and others — to secure cover that is portable (it follows you if you relocate), flexible (you can adjust cover as your needs change), and competitively priced.
Critical Illness Cover
Critical illness cover pays a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a specified serious illness — typically cancer, heart attack, stroke, or organ failure. This is not a death benefit; it pays while you are alive, giving you the financial resources to seek the best treatment, take time away from work, and restructure your affairs.
For African professionals, critical illness cover is particularly important because the best medical treatment is often available only overseas. A cancer diagnosis may require treatment in South Africa, India, or the UK. The costs — flights, accommodation, treatment, and lost income — can easily exceed $100,000. Critical illness cover provides the funds to access the best care without depleting your savings or selling assets under pressure.
How Much Cover Do You Need?
The answer depends on your circumstances, but the principle is straightforward: your cover should be sufficient to replace your income for the period your family would need to become financially self-sufficient without you. For most professionals with young families, this means 10–15 times annual income.
We also factor in specific liabilities — outstanding mortgages, school fees commitments, and family obligations — to arrive at a precise figure. We then source the most competitive quotes from multiple international insurers and present you with a clear comparison.
The goal is not to avoid tax — it is to ensure you do not pay more tax than you are legally required to, and that the timing and structure of your tax payments are optimised to preserve the maximum amount of wealth for you and your family.
Our Process
01
Needs Analysis
02
Market Comparison
03
Application & Underwriting
04
Policy Review
Next step
Every strategy begins with a conversation. We would welcome the opportunity to understand your circumstances and show you what is possible.
Key Facts
USD, GBP, EUR
10–15x income
Zurich, Generali
Global
40+ conditions
Required
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