OUTsurance Car Insurance
OUTbonus: cash back after three claim-free years.
Read the guide →Comprehensive is the widest level of car insurance. It covers damage to your own car as well as damage you cause to others, whether you were in an accident, the car was stolen or hijacked, or it was damaged by hail, fire or vandals. It's also the most expensive, so it's worth knowing exactly what you're paying for.
If your car is written off or stolen, what you get depends on the value the policy is based on. Retail value is roughly what a dealer would sell the car for; market value sits between retail and trade; trade value is what a dealer would pay you for it. Retail-value cover costs a bit more but pays out more. Some insurers also offer new-car replacement for very new vehicles.
If your car is financed: the payout may be less than what you still owe the bank. Credit shortfall cover, offered by several insurers and banks, pays the difference.
Financed cars (it's required), newer cars, cars you couldn't afford to replace, and high-theft models where hijacking cover matters.
Older, paid-off cars where a year's premiums and excess come close to the car's value. Third party, fire and theft may be better value.
Many insurers require an approved tracker on higher-value cars, and most give a discount when one is fitted. See which trackers insurers accept or estimate your saving.
OUTbonus: cash back after three claim-free years.
Read the guide →Vitality Drive rewards for good driving, including fuel cash back.
Read the guide →Three cover levels and an excess you can adjust.
Read the guide →eBucks rewards on your premium.
Read the guide →Santam CashBack after three claim-free years.
Read the guide →An annual payment holiday and a cash back bonus after two claim-free years.
Read the guide →Request a Comprehensive Car Insurance quote online in 30 seconds. Free, no obligation, no card details.
It covers damage to your own car from accidents, theft, hijacking, fire, hail, storms and malicious damage, plus damage you cause to other people's property (third-party liability). Many policies also include roadside assistance and windscreen cover, with car hire as an optional extra.
Yes, in practice. Banks and finance houses require comprehensive cover for as long as the car is financed, because the car is their security. You can usually choose any insurer, as long as the cover meets the finance terms.
Common exclusions are mechanical and electrical breakdown, wear and tear, tyre damage from potholes (unless you add tyre cover), driving under the influence, and using the car for purposes you didn't declare, such as business use or e-hailing.
It depends on the car's value and whether you could afford to replace it. If the premium plus excess is close to what the car is worth each year, third party, fire and theft or a limited cover level may make more sense.
Tracker Prices SA is an independent information site. We are not an insurer or a licensed financial services provider, and nothing here is financial advice. Insurer details are summarised from each insurer's own published information, last checked September 2026. Cover, benefits and prices change, so always confirm them in your quote and policy wording. For a complaint about an insurer you can contact the free National Financial Ombud Scheme.
Tell us about your car once and we'll arrange for quotes to be sent to you, so you can compare premiums and excesses side by side.