Farming is often described as the backbone of South Africa’s economy. But behind every harvest are the people who make it happen: the men and women who plant, pick, and pack, who tend orchards and vineyards, and who care for livestock from sunrise to sundown. Without them, the sector would not function.
Yet while producers insure their crops, machinery, and land against risk, far fewer insure their most important asset – their people. For farm workers, the absence of a financial safety net can be devastating. Which is where group life, disability, and funeral cover come in for producers – it is the right thing to do and a smart business decision.
The burden of risk on farm workers
Farm work is demanding, physical, and often dangerous. A sudden illness, accident, or death can tip families into crisis overnight.
Funerals, deeply significant in South African culture, bring urgent and overwhelming expenses. Without support, families may be forced to delay burials, take on crippling debt, or go without essentials. Furthermore, they suddenly find themselves without a bread winner and looking at a bleak future.
And while retail life, disability, and funeral products exist, they are expensive (workers can spend more than R500 per month on funeral cover alone), unavailable to lower income individuals, or denied to those with conditions like HIV or TB – still common in rural communities.
Group cover: affordable, inclusive, effective
By purchasing risk cover for their staff, employers unlock benefits workers could never secure alone.
- Affordability: Group cover can be up to 80% cheaper than retail alternatives, with
R20 000 family funeral cover starting from less than R25/employee/month and R50 000 life cover from less than R40/employee/month. - Inclusivity: Group policies provide ‘guaranteed cover’ for active employees –irrespective of pre-existing conditions.
- Simplicity: Products are easy to buy and manage, even for farms without formal payroll systems, and premiums can be paid by debit order, further reducing admin.
Policies can also include services like counselling support for employees, help with funeral arrangements, and repatriation of mortal remains – all invaluable when tragedy strikes.
Why producers should care
At first glance, risk insurance seems like just another cost, but in practice, offering cover delivers value on multiple fronts:
- Employee welfare: Providing cover tells workers their employer values them and their families. It provides dignity, stability, and peace of mind – especially when they see a claim paid out.
- Social responsibility: In a sector under scrutiny for labour practices, risk benefits are a tangible demonstration of care. They strengthen relationships with workers, communities, buyers, and regulators.
- Business outcomes: Supported workers are more loyal and productive. Farms that look after their people earn reputations that attract and retain good workers. In close-knit rural areas, word spreads quickly – and a reputation for fairness is priceless.
- The hidden cost of no cover: When employees are disabled, or die without cover, producers often end up absorbing the cost – lending money to desperate families or contributing to funeral expenses. These unplanned costs can easily exceed the modest monthly premium of a group scheme.
The cost of waiting
With solutions this affordable and accessible, the question is not why producers should act, but why they would wait. Every uncovered worker represents a potential financial shock, not just for their family but for the producer too. Unexpected accidents or illnesses, both harsh realities in South African agriculture, can cost producers tens of thousands of rands in unplanned support – far more than the few hundred rand a month it would have cost to provide cover.
In an era when consumers, retailers, and international buyers demand ethical practices, offering cover is more than compassion – it’s a competitive advantage. It’s a statement that says, ‘On this farm, people matter.’
Take the first step
The agricultural sector cannot thrive without its people. Protecting them with life, disability, and funeral cover is one of the simplest, most cost-effective, and meaningful ways producers can demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility and financial inclusion.
Now is the time to act. Don’t wait for a tragedy to expose the gaps. Contact a provider, request a quote, and see how straightforward – and powerful – it is to protect the people who sustain your farm.
Because in farming, looking after the land is only half the job. Looking after people is the other half.
For more information on insurance for your workers, contact Anthony Miller at ant@simply.co.za.
