SANLAM Retail Mass is accelerating its growth in South Africa’s retail mass market by advancing the integration of Assupol, the insurer it acquired in 2024, into a single platform designed to drive scale and deeper market penetration.
The newly launched “Plan for Funeral, and for Life” campaign, a client-focused initiative that highlights the importance of planning for both life’s celebrations and its unexpected challenges, marks the first unified market-facing initiative post-acquisition.
For customers, integration brings dual servicing, making it easier for clients to access advice and products in one location, rather than having to travel between different offices. This shift takes the business to the customer, reinforcing accessibility and convenience. At the same time, digital platforms provide 24/7 access to policy details, claims processes and financial planning resources, enhancing the adviser-led model rather than replacing it.
The “Plan for Funeral, and for Life” campaign reflects Sanlam’s commitment to helping households navigate both immediate needs and long-term financial goals. With rising inflation pushing up funeral costs, this approach ensures that cover keeps pace with real-life needs; from transportation and catering to memorial services, while advisers work with families to plan with dignity and confidence.
While positioned as a client engagement drive, the campaign also signals Sanlam’s intent to consolidate its leadership in funeral cover, a cornerstone of the mass market, while deepening penetration into long-term savings and life solutions. By aligning immediate protection needs with broader financial planning, the campaign aims to shift client behaviour from single-product use to lifelong financial engagement.
The integration is reshaping Sanlam’s position in one of the country’s most competitive and resilient insurance segments, as the group seeks to diversify revenue streams and capture growth among millions of under-served households. The process combines Sanlam’s balance sheet strength, product range and digital innovation with Assupol’s long-standing community presence and distribution reach.
Bongani Madikiza, CEO of Sanlam Retail Mass says: “We are helping clients plan with clarity and confidence. By combining our strengths with Assupol’s trusted relationships, we are creating a sustainable model for inclusive financial growth.”
Progress is already visible across distribution, operations, and adviser support.
Assupol’s extensive footprint is enabling cross-sell of Sanlam’s full suite of savings, insurance, retirement, and healthcare solutions. Operational work across IT systems, branch networks, and adviser tools is improving efficiency, while advisers benefit from expanded training and product portfolios.
The “Plan for Funeral, and for Life” campaign builds on this momentum. With funeral cover remaining one of the most in-demand products in South Africa, the group is positioning itself to transition clients into savings, retirement, and healthcare offerings; supporting both financial inclusion and long-term profitability.
“This is a growth strategy,” Madikiza adds. “We are combining trusted community reach with institutional scale to ensure more households can plan with clarity and confidence, while Sanlam strengthens its future earnings base.”
The evening also saw the reveal of Sanlam’s new branch uniforms, designed by Fabrosanz, a fresh step in bringing the integration to life.
It culminated in the premiere of Sanlam’s new television commercial, inspired by its Brand Uplift student competition, which challenged South African film students to conceptualise a TVC for the brand.
AAA School of Advertising took the top spot, winning R200 000, while the University of Johannesburg claimed second position.
Image supplied (Students from UJ who won a cool R100.000, recorded with Sanlam Retail Mass CEO Bongani Madikiza and Mandisa Theko- Khitsane (marketing exec), at the announcement shindig, held at Hyde Park- The Forum on Wednesday evening).
