"As Covid-19 sweeps across the world, the way we live, work and transact is changing at unprecedented rates."

"Cape Town-based Insurtech Simply, has seen more than 40 percent month-on-month growth in life, disability and funeral cover sales since February."

"An RGA EMEA webinar, presented 26 May 2020, is the perfect foil for today’s newsletter. The discussion on ‘Changing consumer behaviour and digital distribution in a COVID-19 world’ was expertly led by Adriano De Matteis, MD: Italy at RGA. He was joined by CEO at Simply, Anthony Miller, and MD for RGAX EMEA, Jonathan Hughes."

"Cape Town based Simply Financial Services, an Insurtech company selling life, disability and funeral cover online, has seen a five-fold increase in sales by brokers on their No-Touch Broker Platform since lockdown started."

"Cape Town-based life insurance intermediary Simply has partnered with HR and payroll software provider PaySpace to allow small businesses to buy life, disability and funeral insurance online. PaySpace customers can now use their PaySpace credentials to get a quote and buy coverage."

"According to Anthony Miller, CEO at Simply: "SME owners don't have time to do admin. They need to focus on running their businesses. Lots of good employers don't offer employee benefits because it's just too much hassle. Payroll integration means they can buy cover in minutes and not worry about keeping their policies up to date – the only time they need to deal with us is at renewal or if there's a claim. To me, this is what Insurtech is all about – using tech to make customers' lives easier."

"In another (apparent) global first, Simply has addressed these issues by integrating via API with cloud based payroll system provider, PaySpace. PaySpace customers can now use their PaySpace credentials to seamlessly get a quote, buy cover and keep their schedules up to date on a monthly basis. The integration means PaySpace users can rest assured their group life cover is in place and up to date and if something happens to one of their employees the claim will be paid."

"South African insurtech startup Simply has partnered Iemas Insurance Brokers to extend the reach of its tech-based products using the brokerage firm’s strong grassroots distribution network."

"Insurance pioneers, Simply and Iemas Insurance Brokers have formed an exciting insurance distribution partnership that brings together leading edge insurtech, innovative life insurance products and a strong grassroots distribution network."

"With no financial safety net in place, if something severe happens to a domestic worker or a member of their family, their first recourse is almost always to their employer, who is likely to feel obliged to make a contribution"

"Local insurtech start-up Simply Financial Services has developed a digital platform that enables insurance brokers to sell products in minutes via a user-friendly interface."

"Insurance pioneers, Simply and Iemas Insurance Brokers have formed an exciting insurance distribution partnership that brings together leading edge insurtech, innovative life insurance products and a strong grassroots distribution network."

"Insurtech business, Simply, recently launched a digital life cover product for small businesses that allows employers to give their employees cover that has historically only been available to big companies. Kieno Kammies speaks to the CEO of Simply, Anthony Miller."

"A company that lets domestic workers load their work history on its platform for free so that prospective employers can contact them handles almost 50,000 bookings a month and plans to expand."

"The big question everyone has been asking is: are robo-advisers going to take financial advisers’ jobs? Anthony Miller, CEO of Simply Financial Services, says he doubts this will happen because insurtech is about making the whole insurance industry more efficient through technology."

"The “African insurance market” is barely worthy of the name, such are the low levels of penetration of all types of insurance across the continent. Yet insurtech startups innovating in areas such as the distribution and management of insurance are creating a win-win scenario for everyone involved."

"Companies that offer employee benefits and various incentives for their staff stand to boost morale and promote their retention. This is as applicable in the SMME sector as it is in the corporate sector, although much tougher for business owners to address. One company that is doing something about this is Simply."

"Insurance penetration is incredibly low across Africa, but tech solutions are beginning to play a part in increasing access to this service for Africans."

"Local insurtech start-up Simply Financial Services is eyeing African expansion after recently signing a multimillion-rand funding deal with private investment group Yellowwoods."

"Insurtech player Simply Financial Services has secured a significant multi-year funding commitment from Yellowwoods, a private investment group with interests in insurance ventures around the world, including Hollard and Clientele in South Africa."

"Insurtech firm Simply Financial Services has secured a significant multi-year funding commitment from Yellowwoods, a private investment group with interests in insurance ventures around the world, including Hollard and Clientele in South Africa."

"South African insurtech startup Simply Financial Services has secured a significant multi-year funding commitment from private investment group Yellowwoods to help it achieve its growth aspirations."

Insurtech startup Simply and on-demand home services app SweepSouth said the partnership was a “win-win”, deepening Simply’s commitment to provide cover to individuals among lower income groups and building loyalty among the 7,000 “SweepStars” on the books of SweepSouth.

Simply and SweepSouth, two technology players with a focus on social impact and financial inclusion, have announced a partnership to provide accidental death and disability cover for all SweepStars, SweepSouth's force of domestic cleaners. The cost of these benefits will be funded by the partnership.

Kieno Kammies speaks to Sam Fleming Head of Marketing at Simply. Many of these hardworking women...and men in some cases...take home very little pay. Now there is a course that can teach them how to make more out of what they earn.

Simply Financial Services (Simply) has introduced a life assurance product for households that want to offer their domestic workers life and disability cover. The product, called Domestic Cover, is aimed specifically at employers of domestic employees, comprises life, disability and funeral cover.

“Digital All Stars is a series of articles which aims to celebrate the best of South African digital. The articles, which will appear on Memeburn and Ventureburn, recognise and celebrate South Africa’s best digital entrepreneurs, business people, advertisers, and media professionals among others.”

SImply uses technology, data and behavioural science to radically reduce the cost and complexity of life insurance. Simply’s products include Family Cover, which is bought directly by individuals, and Domestic and Group Cover, which are bought by employers to protect their employees.

Interview with Simply CEO Anthony Miller on Power FM

Often businesses assume that their employees will take the necessary steps to insure themselves, but in reality, many people don’t. By covering your employees you’re not just insuring their financial futures if something happens, you’re covering your business too.

“According to Stats SA’s latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, more than 6% of working South Africans are employed as Domestic Workers*, and more people are employed in private households than in the mining and agriculture sectors combined. If dependents of these workers are included, then as many as four to five million people are supported by this industry.”

With cloud-based technology, all of that becomes a low variable cost. It means as an insuretech business it is possible to run our technology at very low overhead costs. As a result of that, we don’t have a lot of tech loading going into the pricing of our policies.

New developments in technology and other factors have made digital cover possible, but the old way is still popular.

Insurance is seen by many as the ultimate grudge purchase. And while there's no arguing the fact that it provides peace of mind in case the unexpected happens, nobody wants to overpay.

Joining CNBC Africa to discuss technology disruption in South Africa’s insurance market is Anthony Miller, CEO, Simply Financial Services – whose business aims to secure the financial futures for South Africa’s mass market.

Three years on, and after soft-launching its first products in 2016, Simply has sold 5920 policies worth over R3-billion in cover. With an average of 2.3 benefits per policy, he explains, most of its clients are generally buying combos. In addition, the startup boasts it has the first online group life offering in South Africa.

Almost 19 million adults in the country are covered by a funeral plan and more than 40% of adult South Africans are covered by two or more funeral policies. But consumers misunderstand some of the most basic things about their cover, which results in complaints to the Ombudsman for Long-Term Insurance.

If you’re shopping for funeral insurance, this could be a sign that you need financial advice.

After ten years in the industry Anthony Miller, an entrepreneur operating in data, technology and financial services was still seeking to start something with a sense of purpose. That's when he saw a gap for digital disruption in the financial services offering for particularly SMMEs.

Picking the right lane – figuring out what you’re going to do – is probably the most important decision you’ll make. Once you’ve figured that out, you can get down to the nitty gritty of picking your team and building your business.

A South African fintech start-up is looking to change the life insurance industry with the sale of policies to employees with low incomes.

Businesses looking to provide quick and easy life insurance for their employees can now get it online with insurance technology company Simply Financial Services.

Simply, as the name implies, focuses on providing simple, cost-effective cover, while Indie has built in a rewards element that acts as a savings fund so that you receive a payout irrespective of whether you make a claim.

South African insurtech startup Simply Financial Services has rolled out a new product that allows businesses looking to provide quick and easy life insurance for their employees to get it online.

Fintech disruptor Simply Financial Services innovates in group life insurance, through an all-online signup targeting SA businesses

“What young people should think about is their most significant asset because that’s their future income. The most important thing they should think about is disability insurance.”

The business aims to secure the financial futures for South Africa’s mass market by selling easy-to-understand, affordable life insurance products (that are up to half the cost of comparable policies on the market) in an industry that writes up R8,5-billion worth of business a year.

The Simply shake up involves a combination of technology smarts, keen pricing and deep life insurance experience, as well as strong industry networks to build a business that can deliver super simple life insurance products at disruptively low prices.

Fledgling Fintech start up takes on mass market insurance sector with simple low cost product combos

For many people, life insurance is a luxury they can’t afford. It’s either that or dinner. Simply Financial Services’ (Simply) goal is to remove this obstacle by making the process easy and cost-effective.

South African startup Simply Financial Services is looking to shake up the country’s mass-market life insurance space by serving as many people as possible.

The market for life insurance in South Africa is big, competitive and profitable, with just under R10bn in new annual premiums being written annually, according to the New Business Volumes Survey published by Swiss Re in 2014.

The business aims to secure the financial futures for South Africa’s mass market by selling easy-to-understand, affordable life insurance products (that are up to half the cost of comparable policies on the market) in an industry that writes up R8,5-billion worth of business a year.

“South Africa’s insurance market is ripe for tech disruption,” says Anthony Miller, CEO of Cape Town-based fintech start-up Simply Financial Services.