Cape Town, November 2009: Does the idea of going on a long December holiday break make you feel giddy and excited? Are all your ‘must have’ holiday items – sunscreen, hats, spending money packed and ready? But have you given any thought to what happens to the important assets which you’ll leave behind?

Santam, South Africa’s leading short-term insurer, has prepared a list of tips to ensure you leave your house and your assets are as secure as possible, so that you can focus on the good things associated with holidays.

Ten tips to ensure your insurance is in order:
1. It is also wise to have other valuables that you want to leave at home - like jewellery, placed in a safe at your local bank. If you would prefer to leave them in your safe at home, make sure your safe is bolted to the wall.
2. Also remember to inform your family, friends or trusty neighbour of your holiday plans and make arrangements with them to regularly empty your post box, have the lights switched on at night and cancel newspaper subscriptions timeously.
3. Inside house review: Household appliances like geysers and fridges should be checked thoroughly. Also be sure that sinks with leaking taps are not left with the plug in. This is a major cause of flooding.
4. Underinsurance is one of the primary reasons why people don’t get paid out enough when they claim if something gets lost or is stolen. However, ensuring that the cover you have is also broad enough is very important. If you recently purchased an expensive digital camera or cellphone that you’d like to take with you on holiday, best you insure it under the ‘all risks’ section of your policy.
5. Make sure that all your belongings at home, and those that you take with you on holiday are safe and that you have adequate and appropriate insurance.
6. People don’t think twice about getting extra insurance when going on an overseas trip, but when they travel within South Africa they rarely see the need to adapt their policy to ensure that their belongings are covered when they are on holiday. This is an easy process and can be done immediately.
7. When on holiday, try to remain safety-conscious at all times. Make sure that your belongings are stored away in a safe place in the hotel or guesthouse where you are staying. When in doubt have valuables stored in the hotel safe.
8. Make sure that your vehicle is in good working condition to avoid being stranded. Also avoid areas that look suspicious and park in a safe place.
9. Vehicles can be stolen at any time and anywhere, which is why people should avoid parking their vehicles in quiet areas – whether outside your home or on holiday. Remember the golden rule – to immediately drive to the nearest police station or a public place if you think you are being followed.
10. Outside house review: make sure all gutters and drains are clear – summer rains and blocked drains can lead to leaking roofs and damage to the interior of a house in some cases.

Take the policy number and contact details for your insurance company with you.

For more information, contact your broker or call 0860SANTAM.

Ends.

About Santam:
Santam is the leading short-term insurer in South Africa with a market share exceeding 20%. Santam offers clients a wide variety of highly specialised products and services. Its core business has been the same for 90 years - to take care of its clients’ insurance needs. This is embedded in providing short-term insurance products and services aimed at specific markets, as well as using and optimising its broker network as the main delivery channel. Recent accolades include: the Deloitte Best Company to Work For in 2009 as voted by staff, the top business-to-business short-term insurer in the Markinor Top Brand survey in 2009, and the Best Personal, Commercial and Corporate insurer by the Financial Intermediaries Association. Santam offers personal, commercial, corporate and specialist risk solutions and insures most of the largest 100 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.