The 2017 FIA Awards finalists emerged after an extensive survey of the FIA’s membership, conducted by South Africa’s largest independent research firm, Ask Afrika. “Our challenge to Ask Afrika was to reconceptualise and reinvigorate the awards process without straying too far from a selection process that has been fine-tuned over 19 years,” says Lizelle van der Merwe, CEO of the Financial Intermediaries Association of Southern Africa (FIA).
Special care was taken to match the ‘old’ and ‘new’ methodologies to ensure that the results accurately reflect FIA member brokers’ experience of product suppliers in so far product quality, service quality, relationship quality and overall satisfaction. “Data collection took place between 14 March and 4 May 2017 with more than 8,000 contracts rated by FIA members in the process,” says Sarina de Beer, Managing Director at Ask Afrika.
The 2017 survey process was further improved with the introduction of a more robust diagnostic questionnaire to gain further insight into key issues facing FIA members and the wider intermediated distribution environment. The FIA will share some of the insights gained during the survey process in the weeks immediately following the Awards.
The FIA is proud to introduce the finalists of the 2017 FIA Awards, listed alphabetically under each of 10 awards categories:
In the world of short term insuranceShort Term Insurer of the Year – Personal LinesYour finalists are Auto & General, Hollard, Momentum, Renasa and Santam
Short Term Insurer of the Year – CommercialYour finalists are Auto & General, Guardrisk, Hollard, Renasa and Santam
Short Term Insurer of the Year – CorporateYour finalists are Bryte, Hollard and Santam
Underwriting Manager of the YearYour finalists are CIA, KEU, Leppard and Paladin
In the world of life & investmentsLong Term Insurer of the Year – RiskYour finalists are Hollard Life, Momentum and PPS
Product Supplier of the Year – Investment Product Lump SumYour finalists are Allan Gray, Liberty and Sanlam Glacier
Product Supplier of the Year – Investment Product SavingsYour finalists are Allan Gray, Old Mutual Wealth and Sanlam Glacier
In the world of employee benefitsProduct Supplier of the Year – Employee BenefitsYour finalists are Liberty Corporate, Momentum EB and Sanlam EB
In the world of healthcareProduct Supplier of the Year – HealthcareYour finalists are Discovery Health, Fedhealth and Momentum
Product Supplier of the Year – Health InsuranceYour finalists are Sirago and Stratum Benefits
The awards are fiercely contested and the finalists are recognised as companies that go ‘the extra mile’ for the intermediary, who in turn recommends appropriate financial product to consumers. Now in its 19th year the annual event also provides an opportunity to reflect on the value of good financial advice in achieving the industry’s overarching goals of consumer protection, financial inclusion and transformation.
“Although product suppliers walk away with the accolades on the night the awards are also a celebration of the value that financial advisers, insurance brokers and other financial advice professionals bring to the industry,” said Van der Merwe. She noted that the choice of survey partner, in Ask Afrika, was intended to bring the association closer to the consumer, who is recognised as the most important component in any financial transaction.
“We extend our congratulations to those financial services brands that have made it to the final stages of the 2017 FIA Awards,” concluded van der Merwe. “Thank you for your continued support of the FIA, its members and the intermediated distribution model – may the best brand win”.
