"Insurance approved" isn't a single national standard — it's your insurer's own list of accepted tracking devices and providers, and that list can differ from one insurer to the next. Here's what actually determines approval, what kind of premium discount is typically on offer, and how the providers we compare generally stack up — with the honest caveat that you should always confirm approval with your own insurer before choosing a plan.
It's a term that gets used loosely, but it has a specific meaning worth understanding before you buy.
Each short-term insurer keeps and maintains its own list of tracking devices and providers it accepts. There's no single South African body that stamps a tracker "insurance approved" for every insurer at once — a device on one insurer's list may not appear on another's. If you're switching insurers, it's worth re-checking that your existing tracker is still on the new insurer's list.
Many insurers only require an approved tracker once a vehicle's value passes a certain threshold, rather than on every policy. Below that threshold, a tracker may be optional and simply earn you a discount; above it, some insurers make an approved device a condition of cover. Vehicle value thresholds and rules differ by insurer, so ask your insurer or broker where your specific vehicle sits.
Where a policy specifies an approved tracker as a condition, having an unapproved or uninstalled device could complicate a claim down the line. It's a detail worth settling before you sign up for a tracker plan, not after something goes wrong.
An approved tracker can lower your premium, but its bigger job is improving the odds of getting a stolen vehicle back — which saves you the excess, the claims process, and the disruption of replacing a car outright. Compare providers on both the discount and the underlying recovery service.
Figures vary by insurer, vehicle, and risk profile, but there's a commonly cited range worth knowing before you ask for a quote.
Many South African insurers advertise a discount in the region of 15-30% off comprehensive premiums when an approved tracker is fitted. That's a commonly cited range, not a guaranteed figure — your actual discount depends on your insurer, your vehicle, your area, and your broader risk profile. Ask your insurer for the exact percentage that applies to your policy.
Get the discount amount in writing (or clearly stated in your policy schedule) before you commit to a 36-month tracker contract on the strength of an assumed saving. A quick call to your insurer or broker with the exact provider and plan you're considering is the safest way to confirm both approval and the discount.
Installation type is one of the biggest factors in whether a tracker actually satisfies an insurer's requirements.
| Installation Type | Typically Accepted for Insurance? | Why | Best Suited To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardwired, professionally installed | Most commonly accepted | Fitted out of sight by a certified technician, wired into the vehicle, and harder to find or remove quickly | Owned vehicles, higher-value vehicles, long-term cover |
| Self-install OBD / plug-in | Accepted by some insurers, not others | Convenient and portable, but plugs into a visible port and can be unplugged in seconds | Rentals, short-term vehicles, budget basic tracking |
| Passive / logbook-only tracker | Rarely accepted on its own | Stores location data locally rather than transmitting live, so it doesn't support active recovery | Fleet mileage & logbook purposes, not theft cover |
This is a general pattern, not a rule that applies to every insurer or every product — always check the exact requirement on your own policy.
Tracker, Cartrack, Netstar, Matrix Vehicle Tracking, Fidelity Tracking, Ctrack are among the providers commonly accepted by major South African insurers, and several plans below are explicitly marketed as insurance approved. Acceptance can still vary by insurer and by specific plan — confirm directly with your own insurer before choosing one.
Insurer approval lists change, and no provider is approved unconditionally or by every insurer. Prices last checked August 2026 and include VAT — always confirm both the current price and the current insurer-approval status directly with the provider and your own insurer or broker before signing anything. Tracker Prices SA is an independent comparison service and does not decide, guarantee, or control any insurer's approval decisions.
A few minutes of checking upfront avoids a nasty surprise at claim time.
Ask directly whether the specific provider and plan you're considering is on their current approved list, and whether your vehicle's value triggers a mandatory tracker requirement.
Ask for the exact premium discount percentage that applies to your policy, and have it reflected in your policy schedule rather than assumed from a marketing figure.
If your insurer requires an approved device, confirm whether they specifically require hardwired installation — self-install OBD units are accepted by some insurers, but not all.
Approval lists differ between insurers. If you switch, don't assume your existing tracker still qualifies — confirm it against your new insurer's list.
The questions we're asked most often about insurance approved car trackers.
It means the specific tracker and provider appear on your insurer's own list of accepted tracking devices. Each insurer maintains and updates that list independently, so a tracker approved by one insurer isn't automatically approved by another. There's no single national "insurance approved" certificate that applies across every insurer.
No guarantee, but it's common. Many insurers offer a premium discount, often cited in the region of 15-30%, when an approved tracker is fitted, though the exact figure depends on your insurer, vehicle, and risk profile. Ask your insurer or broker for the specific discount before you commit to a plan.
Not always. Many insurers only require an approved tracker once a vehicle's value passes a certain threshold, and requirements vary by insurer and by policy. Always confirm directly with your insurer or broker whether your specific vehicle needs one and what device requirements apply.
Sometimes, but hardwired, professionally installed trackers are more commonly accepted for insurance purposes. A hardwired unit is fitted out of sight by a certified technician and is harder to remove or disable, which is generally what insurers are looking for. A plug-in OBD tracker is easier to unplug and, on many insurers' lists, doesn't qualify on its own.
The providers we compare — Tracker, Cartrack, Netstar, Matrix Vehicle Tracking, Fidelity Tracking, Ctrack — are generally accepted by major South African insurers, and several plans are explicitly marketed as insurance approved. That said, approval lists change and vary by insurer, so always check directly with your own insurer or broker to confirm current approval status before choosing a plan.
You may still get the tracker's security and recovery benefits, but you likely won't qualify for a tracker-related premium discount, and in some cases a policy condition tied to an approved device could complicate a claim. If your policy specifies an approved tracker, confirm the exact requirement with your insurer before installation, not after.
Tell us about your vehicle and your insurer, and we'll help point you toward providers worth checking on your approved list.
We help drivers across South Africa compare insurance approved tracker plans, but the final approval decision always rests with your own insurer. If you have a dispute with an insurer, the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance is an independent, free resource worth knowing about.
Get a quote on a provider commonly accepted by major SA insurers, or read up on how stolen vehicle recovery actually works before you decide.