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Africa Travel Insurance

  The 1 Thing You Need, When 1 Thing Goes Wrong In Africa.

 

Important Travel Alert:

Before you buy, please read our travel alerts.

Why Do I Need Travel Insurance In Africa?

$360,000

Average cost of an air ambulance from Morocco to Australia.

$70,000

Average cost of a weekly hospital stay in South Africa in ICU.

 

$75,000

Cost of repatriation on a plane from Kenya to Australia 


Travelling Safe In Africa

  1. Whether it’s Botswana, Morocco, South Africa, or Egypt, Africa has an incredible mix of countries and cultures. However, there are are some things you should think about if you’re heading to this amazing part of the world. 
  2. 1.  In Botswana, tourist attacks are quite rare, but crimes such as break-ins and carjacking do occur. Foreigners have been robbed in the areas of Gaborone Dam and Kgale Hill in the capital Gaborone.
  3. 2.  In South Africa, there are high levels of crime such as muggings, rape, armed robbery and other forms of theft. Murders, car jackings, drink-spiking have previously occurred involving tourists. Some criminals pose as 'Tourist Police' to extort money from tourists, but there is no such thing as the 'Tourist Police’ in South Africa.
  4. 3.  Be especially careful with your luggage around airports especially in places like Johannesburg and Cape Town. If possible, keep your valuables in your hand luggage. 
  5. 4. In Egypt, taxi is generally considered the easiest way to get around. You can also rent a car but you will require an international driving license. Be aware that driving practises and poor road conditions contribute to a high rate of road accidents in Egypt. 
  6. 5. In Namibia, there have been reported incidents of tourists being robbed by taxi drivers. You should ensure you only use a taxi that displays the Namibia Bus and Taxi Association logo or organised through a reputable hotel. Do not flag taxis on the street.
  7. 6. In some countries in Africa, you should be vigilant at ATMS as criminals may try and distract you or pretend to help you with the aim of stealing your money.
  8. 7. Medical costs in some countries like South Africa are up to 5 times higher than those in other countries, so being covered is important. 
  9. 8. If you’re planning to travel all over Africa, you might need a Worldwide travel insurance policy for this region.
  10. 9. Did you know we also provide travel insurance cover for safari tours?

​We can’t stop things going wrong when you travel, but there are lots of situations we can help you out with. Keep scrolling to find out more. 

What Are My Travel Insurance Options For Africa?

Option 1

Comprehensive

This is our highest level of cover. 

 

Option 2

Medical Only

For medical expense coverage only.

Option 3

Frequent Traveller

If you travel more than once a year.

We've provided an outline for each of the options below. If you need more information or need to view the terms and conditions, please take a look at the PDS, or get an instant quote now.

 

Get a quote

 

Option 1: Comprehensive Cover

 

Comprehensive Travel Insurance is our highest level of cover, with optional add-ons for snow, cruise, extra rental vehicle excess, and high-value items.

If you have pets, we include vet fees if your pet gets sick while you're away, and we'll pay pet boarding fees if you're delayed. 

For a detailed outline of benefits and inclusions, as well terms and conditions, please refer to the PDS, or get an instant quote now.

 
Africa Travel Insurance Policy Benefit Overseas Single-Trip
Comprehensive
medical Cover 
 

Overseas Emergency Medical Assistance^

Unlimited

Overseas Emergency Medical & Hospital Expenses^*

Unlimited

Includes Dental Expenses (per adult)^

$1,000

Resumption Of Journey^*

$3,000

Hospital Cash Allowance^*

$5,000

Repatriation Of Remains

$15,000

Permanent Disability^*

$25,000

Loss Of Income^*

$10,400

luggage Cover 
 

Credit Card Fraud & Replacement^

$5,000

Includes Travel Documents & Traveller's Cheques^

Yes

Theft Of Cash^#

$250

Luggage & Personal Effects*

$15,000

Luggage & Personal Effects Delay Expenses^

$250

cancellation Cover 
 

Additional Accommodation & Travel Expenses*

$2,000

Includes Family Emergency*

Yes

Includes Emergency Companion Cover*

Yes

Cancellation Fees & Lost Deposits*

Unlimited

Disruption Of Journey*

$2,000

Alternative Transport Expenses^

$5,000

ancillary Cover 
 

Personal Liability#

$5 million

Domestic Pets^*

$500

Domestic Services^*

$500

Rental Vehicle Insurance Excess#*

$5,000

 

Choose Add-ons For your Comprehensive cover

If you’re travelling with expensive new items, going cruising, hitting the ski slopes, or you're worried about car rental insurance excess, then you may want to select the following add-ons. 

Cruise
Pack
 

Protect yourself
while cruising in
Africa with our
Cruise Pack add-on.

Winter Sports
Pack

Cover yourself and your gear on your ski or snowboarding trip with our Winter Sports Pack add-on.

More Cover for Your Rental Vehicle 

We automatically cover rental excess up to $5,000. But you can increase this up to $8,000 if you need to.

High Value
Items Cover

Protect high-value items that are not automatically covered by your policy. Note: items cannot be older than 12 months.


Option 2: Medical Only Cover

If you're travelling on a budget, and looking for cheap travel insurance to Africa, then 1Cover’s Medical Only policy offers a cheaper alternative to comprehensive travel insurance. It's our most basic policy and will only provide cover for any medical expenses and emergency assistance costs. 

For a detailed outline of benefits and inclusions, as well as terms and conditions, please refer to the PDS, or get an instant quote now.

Medical Only Cover Policy
 
Medical Only Policy
Single Trip
medical Cover 
 

Overseas Emergency Medical Assistance^

Unlimited

Overseas Emergency Medical & Hospital Expenses^*

Unlimited

Includes Dental Expenses (per adult)^

$500

Ancillary
 

Personal Liability#

$5 million

Option 3: Annual or Frequent Traveller Cover

Do you travel more than once a year to Africa? Then it might make sense to buy a multi-trip annual policy. This works just like our comprehensive cover (detailed above), except you can take as many trips as you want in a year and you’ll still be covered.

Let us know the maximum trip duration of any one trip before selecting from the options below.

 

Frequent Traveller 21 days maximum

 

Frequent Traveller 45 days maximum

 

Find out which Annual Frequent Traveller cover policy would suit you best here. 

For a detailed outline of benefits and inclusions, as well as terms and conditions, please refer to the PDS, or get an instant quote now.

  

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Africa Travel Insurance FAQs

  • Will You Pay My Hospital Bills If I get Sick Or Injured In Africa?
  • Please refer to the PDS and policy schedule and check if your sickness or injury is a claimable event and is covered. If you are hospitalised, or if you are treated as an outpatient, or if the total cost of the treatment will exceed $1000, please contact our emergency assistance service as soon as possible to obtain their prior approval.

    In circumstances where the claim is approved, we can then provide written guarantees of payment of reasonable expenses for emergency hospitalisation that may be required while you are in Africa.

  • Can I Apply To Extend My Travel Insurance Policy While I’m Away?
  • Yes, of course. If you want to extend your policy while you’re in Africa, the easiest way to do this is via the Policy Manager.
    You'll need your policy number (available in the email confirming your policy), and a few other simple details. Log-in and extend your trip, add destinations, or buy add ons/extras.

    Make sure you extend your policy before it expires (please keep in mind Australian AEST/AEDST).

    If you have trouble, you can email us at [email protected]

    Please note there may be instances where a policy extension is not available. 

  • What Do I Do If I'm robbed In Africa?
  • If you are robbed while you’re in Africa, you should report the theft to the police or nearest local authority immediately. You will also need to obtain a written report to be used as supporting documents for your claim

  • I’m in Africa and the airline has lost my luggage. What Do I Do?
  • If you are entitled to be reimbursed by the bus line, airline, shipping line or rail authority you were travelling on when the loss, theft, misplacement or damage occurred, then your travel insurance may not cover you.

    However, if you are not reimbursed the full amount of your claim, we will assess your claim and you may be entitled to be paid the difference between the amount of your loss and what you were reimbursed, up to the limit of your cover (allowing for depreciation due to age, wear and tear).

  • What Is Covered Under Rental Vehicle Excess?
  • If you plan on hiring a rental car to drive during your African holiday, there are several rental vehicle excess cover amounts available. The default cover amount we offer is for up to $5K but you have the option to increase this to $6K, $7K or $8K.

    We will reimburse you up to the rental vehicle excess insurance amount listed on your policy, covering any excess you become legally liable to pay under your rental vehicle hiring agreement.

    Car rental exccess is payable if your rental vehicle is involved in an accident while you are driving, or if the rental vehicle is damaged or stolen while in your custody.

    Please be aware this benefit does not take the place of rental vehicle insurance. Also, there are a range of conditions that must be met for cover to be available under this benefit. View the full list of conditions here.

  • What Happens If I Encounter Terrorism Or Political Unrest in Africa?
  • In the event of a terrorist attack or political unrest, there is no cover for cancellation fees and lost deposits, disruption of journey or alternative transport expenses.

    However, if you do get caught up in an unforeseen event while you are in Africa and you are injured, cover is available for all necessary medical/hospital expenses. 

  • Can I Choose My Doctor If I Become Unwell While In Africa?
  • You may choose your own medical advisor, or we can appoint an approved medical advisor to see you.

    Please note: if you do not get the medical treatment you expect, although we can assist you, 1Cover are not liable for anything that results from that treatment. If you are unwell overseas please contact us.

  • I’m Travelling To Multiple Countries in africa. Do I Need To List All My Destinations?
  • When you apply for a policy you need to tell us where you are travelling to. The premium you pay for the policy depends on your destination(s). 

    If you're travelling to multiple countries, you need to nominate the countries when you are applying for cover.

    If you’re going on a cruise, you must select the appropriate cruise region for where you are travelling and pay an additional premium for travel on a cruise vessel by purchasing the Cruise Pack. If you don't purchase a cruise pack, you won't be covered while on the ship. There is, however, no cover under any sections of the policy when you are on a cargo ship or freighter.

  • Can I Choose My Excess?
  • Sure. If you choose a lower excess, it means you'll pay less if you need to claim, but you'll pay a little bit more upfront. If you opt for a higher excess, it means you'll pay less now and a little bit more if you need to claim.

  • I travel to Africa a few times a year. What’s the best policy for me?
  • We have a policy called Frequent Traveller which allows you to take as many trips under the one policy for 12 months and enjoy comprehensive cover on each one. There is a limit to the maximum length of each trip on these policies. You can travel to one or more destinations with this policy. 

    Find out more about our annual travel insurance policies here.

  • Do you cover seniors travelling to africa?
  • We can provide cover to people of all ages. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions we may require a little more information from you and some exclusions may apply. See here for more details. 

  • Am I Covered If I'm Pregnant When I'm Travelling To africa?
  • If you're travelling to Africa while pregnant, you are covered for single foetus pregnancies, up to, and inclusive of, the 24th week of gestation. For multiple pregnancies, you'll be covered up to and inclusive of the 19th week of gestation. If you have had complications from your pregnancy, you’ll need to complete a medical screening.

    We will assess your application and decide whether and to what extent we can offer you insurance for your pregnancy and/or journey. If you have not told us about the circumstances of your pregnancy when you were required to do so, we may refuse your claim or reduce it to the amount we would have paid had you given us the required information.

    Please note: we will not pay any medical expenses for:
    a) Regular antenatal care;
    b) Childbirth at any gestation; or
    c) Care of the newborn child. 

    Find more here. 

  • Can I Get Extra Cover For My High-Value Items?
  • Laptop computers, cameras, mobile phones…they’re all things we need on at home and on holiday. That’s why you can choose a bit of extra protection for your can’t-live-withouts. All you need to do is include and specify certain high-value items that aren't automatically covered when you're buying your policy.

    Note: the items cannot be older than 12 month, and you can't specify items like jewellery, watches, bicycles and watercraft (apart from surfboards).

  • Am I Covered For Travel Interruptions Caused By Earthquakes And Other Natural Disasters?
  • Travel insurance provides cover for weather events as long as they are unforeseen. Our policies do not cover claims for losses caused by an event that you were aware of at the time of purchasing your policy.

    Once an event has become published in the mass media, it is expected that you have purchased your insurance with this knowledge in mind. 1Cover will, where possible, issue travel warnings in relation to such large scale events and the dates and times after which they are not seen as an unforseen event.

 

READ ALL FAQS

 

Travel Insurance Statistics

...they're interesting, really!

Nearly a quarter of Australian travellers experienced an insurable event on their last trip overseas.*

Expensive Medical Bill

70% of travellers don’t realise travel insurance won’t cover you if you’re  intoxicated at the time of an event.**

35% of Australians think the government would pay to get them home in a medical emergency. Not true – you would be responsible for these costs. 

*in 2016/2017
**Research conducted in 2016

We've Already Helped 1.5 Million Customers

1Cover is rated 4.2 out of 5 by over 1639 reviews on
  • "Do not travel without 1Cover"

    We have used 1Cover for many years now and do not leave home without it. Great service, exceptional if you make a claim. Only insurer I would recommend. 

    By Ian, Nov 2022

  • Helpful, caring & supportive

    My husband required emergency surgery in the USA. There was no expense spared with either the medical costs (considerable) or our accommodation. We cannot speak highly enough of 1Cover and have recommended them to all our friends.  
    By Anonymous, Dec 2022

  • "great company"

    Found this company the best for insurance prior to Covid and especially now that travel has restarted. We had multiple credit vouchers that they have honoured with not problems. Thank you 1Cover for your great service. 

    By Bernadette, Dec 2022 

  • Easiest company

    You never know how good insurance is until you have to make a claim! 1Cover responded to us in their prescribed timeframe and our payout was made within 15 days. I would recommend them 100%. This is the seventh time we have used them and first time we had to claim. Well done! 

    By the Bakers, Nov 2022

Read More Reviews

 

Do you need to Know about...

Cover for Activities

You wouldn’t be going to Africa if you weren’t going to be doing some activities. Find out all about the 100+ activities we cover. 

medical Questions

All sorts of medical issues could affect your travel in Africa. Find out about pre-existing medical conditions, as well as pregnancy and emergencies

What Travel Insurance Covers

We always recommend you read the PDS, but this page will give you an overview of what travel insurance will cover in Africa. 

 

One Last Thing: Emergency Contacts & How To Claim

We hope nothing goes wrong on your trip to Africa. But if it does, the resources in this section can help you.

 


Be informed. Be prepared. With important information about local currency and transport make sure you have the right knowledge to have a safe and enjoyable trip.   South Africa 

 

Whether you need some tips for the type of travel you'll be doing, from beach holidays to solo travelling or you're researching the area you have booked to travel to. Expert Africa offers insightful information pages and reviews from other travellers. 

 

 

 

 

 


If you need emergency assistance in Africa, please call our 24/7 emergency medical assistance line  on (+) 61 2 8776 3010 or email [email protected]

For non-emergency assistance, you can message our Sydney-based support centre seven days a week.  


If something happens to you and it's not an emergency, you can start the claims process whenever it's convenient to you. Visit our online claims platform, and if you have all the necessary documentation, your claim will be processed in 10 business days.