Protect what’s yours: Smarter moves for SA consumers

Clicks ClubCard just nabbed top spot as SA’s favourite loyalty programme, beating Checkers Xtra Savings. 

Eighty percent of active shoppers use ClubCard, says Truth Loyalty’s 2024/25 Whitepaper. 

With 82% of us juggling 10 programmes (up from 67% a decade ago), there are huge savings to be had if you get clued up on how to get maximum benefit. It’s worth the time spent scouring those Ts and Cs!

2. Dodgy Online Parts? Check Twice

Need car parts? Don’t trust random online sellers without doing some digging on them first.

Leon lost R1,600 to a “Joburg” site which advertised an airflow meter. 

He paid, but the delivery was delayed. He got a “wrong part” excuse, then endless refund delays—still nothing. 

So vet sites first: check out the online reviews, check physical addresses, and demand tracking upfront. 

Pay via card, not EFT.  If there is no proof of dispatch, that’s a red flag. Best to stick to known suppliers.

3. Plane Lockers Aren’t Safe

Planning a long-haul flight?

Don’t stash your valuables in an overhead locker—thieves don’t sleep. A South African lost R785,000 worth of diamond jewellery mid-flight, thinking “all-risk” insurance had her back. It didn’t, so the claim was rejected. 

Such policies often demand that items over R150,000 stay locked up when unworn. Her advisor couldn’t prove he’d brought that vital clause to her attention, and as a result, the FAIS Ombud, which mediates disputes involving financial service providers, suggested that he pay her R50,000 as a settlement. 

Best you keep your bling on you in a locked safe - nothing in between. 

4. Keep Your Cell Number Alive

Got a prepaid SIM you seldom use? You could be at risk of losing it.

Dwayne Assis - now living in the US - lost the cell number he’d had for 30 years, most recently on the Telkom network, after he failed to make calls or send SMSes for many months. 

Icasa forces networks to “recycle” inactive numbers after a period of inactivity - most networks do so after 90 days and Vodacom after 110. They’ll warn you via SMS, but if you miss it, it’s bye-bye number. 

Telkom reinstated Dwayne’s after I pushed, but that doesn’t happen in every case.

To make sure you hang on to your number, make a quick call or send an SMS monthly—WhatsApps don’t count. 

5. Skipping Insurance Premiums? Big Mistake

TransUnion’s Q4 2024 report says 65% of South Africans pay their bills in full every month—great, but 35% don’t. 

It may be tempting to skip your insurance payment, but be warned, as that leaves you massively exposed should disaster strike.

And failed debit orders tank your credit score. 

With a low score, you’ll pay steeper premiums later, or get denied cover outright. 

Prioritise that premium payment - it’s your safety net.

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