What dotsure.co.za does

Dotsure Limited (formerly Oakhurst Insurance Company Limited, incorporated 2006) is a South African direct-to-consumer insurance provider operating through two licensed entities: Dotsure Limited (non-life insurer, FSP39925) and Dotsure Life Limited (life insurer, FSP44793). The company sells pet, car, motor warranty, and small business insurance products exclusively within South Africa through its website and a 24/7 self-service Manage Portal, with over 600 employees and 1.2 million policies sold historically. Dotsure is a 100% owned subsidiary of Badger Holdings Proprietary Limited (part of the Badger Group), and Hollard Insurance Company holds a significant shareholding in the Badger Group following the 2021 transfer of Hollard's direct personal lines business (motor, property, warranty, Petsure, MotorHappy, LiquidCapital, and Bidvest Financial Services policies) to Dotsure under Section 50 of the Insurance Act, 2017.

The core technology platform is a fully digital insurance stack supporting online quote, purchase, and policy management, with quotes typically issued in under three minutes and claims processed within 48 hours for valid submissions. Product differentiators include the "Name Your Price™" customizable coverage model, the first telematics-based car insurance in South Africa using Smart Driver Tag (month-to-month) and Smart-Box (36-month contract via Netstar) devices to tailor premiums based on driving behavior, and broad pet insurance coverage spanning dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and exotic mammals with tiered plans ranging from R99pm to R1,399pm. Payment processing uses encrypted SSL channels and monthly debit orders.

The business model is subscription-based recurring premium revenue collected via monthly debit orders, supplemented by add-on products (Excess Buster, Cover Gap Extension, etc.) and supported by a hybrid GTM: digital self-serve for personal lines and dedicated consultants for business insurance products. Distribution is fully direct-to-consumer with no intermediaries for standard products, marketing through a content-led website and blog (blog.dotsure.co.za), organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube), and Google Display Network remarketing. The company serves a diversified long-tail of individual pet owners, vehicle owners, and small businesses across South Africa only, with regulatory licensing through the Financial Sector Conduct Authority and compliance with POPIA and ECTA.

Name

dotsure.co.za

Legal name

Dotsure Limited

Website

https://dotsure.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Dotsure Limited is a South African direct-to-consumer insurer selling pet, car, warranty, and business insurance exclusively through its digital platform, serving over 1.2M cumulative policyholders via a self-serve Manage Portal under the Badger Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Direct Insurance

NAICS

Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412), Direct Life, Health, and Medical Insurance Carriers (52411)

SIC

Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399), Accident & Health Insurance (6321), Life Insurance (6311)

akta.pro primary industry

Pet Insurance (FSAJAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accident & Supplemental (Non-Life) Insurance (FSAJAKAA)

Keywords

• Pet insurance
• Car insurance
• Motor warranty
• Business insurance
• Direct-to-consumer insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Premiums: Monthly premiums collected via debit order from policyholders. Premiums are risk-profile dependent and vary based on coverage type, limits, and excess selected. Multi-pet discount of 15% available.
2. Extended Car Warranty: Monthly warranty premiums covering mechanical and electrical component failures. Cars up to 15 years old with up to 300,000km qualify. Optional service extensions available at additional premium.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Dotsure.co.za is a South African direct-to-consumer insurance provider selling pet insurance (dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, exotic mammals), car insurance (with Name Your Price™ customization and telematics), motor warranty, and small business insurance (construction, hospitality, church, veterinary). Policies are quoted, purchased, and managed online 24/7 through the Manage Portal, with claims processed digitally and 48-hour payouts for valid claims.

Product overview

dotsure.co.za is a South African direct insurance provider offering a multi-product portfolio including Pet Insurance (covering dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and exotic mammals with tiered plans), Car Insurance (Name Your Price™ with telematics), Motor Warranty, and Business Insurance (Contractors All Risk, Plant All Risk, Church, Hospitality, and Veterinary insurance). The company operates as a direct insurer under Dotsure Limited (FSP39925) and Dotsure Life Limited (FSP44793), offering online quote, purchase, and policy management through their Manage Portal. Core products are supplemented by add-on extensions for enhanced coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pet Insurance Comprehensive pet insurance covering dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and exotic mammals with accidental injury, illness, and hereditary condition coverage. Tiered plans include Accidental, Vital, Elite, Deluxe, Ultimate, and Senior. For South African individual pet owners.
• Dog Insurance Dog-specific insurance covering accidental injuries, third-party liability, illness, and hereditary conditions with multiple plan options starting from R99 per month. For South African individual dog owners.
• Cat Insurance Cat-specific insurance covering accidental injuries, third-party liability, illness, and hereditary conditions with plans ranging from R99pm to R1,399pm. For South African individual cat owners.
• Bird Insurance Specialized bird insurance covering small birds, large birds, and birds of prey against accidents and health problems starting from R165pm. For South African bird owners.
• Reptile Insurance Reptile insurance covering scaled, shelled, or slithering pets against accidents and health problems starting from R239pm. For South African reptile owners.
• Exotic Pet Insurance Exotic mammal insurance covering bunnies, ferrets, monkeys and similar pets against accidents and health problems from R269pm to R395pm. For South African exotic pet owners.
• Car Insurance Name Your Price™ car insurance allowing customers to set their preferred price and adjust coverage accordingly. Includes telematics-based tracking via Smart Driver Tag (month-to-month) or Smart-Box (36-month Netstar contract). For South African individual vehicle owners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 48-hour claims turnaround time for valid pet insurance claims
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, community and transferred.

• NetstarcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for Smart-Box telematics device. Netstar provides 36-month contract telematics hardware installed in customer vehicles for driving behavior tracking and premium customization.
• Hollard Insurance Company LimitedmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership involving transfer of Hollard's direct personal lines business to Dotsure. Hollard established a focused direct insurer together with Dotsure and gained significant shareholding in Badger Group. Transfer included MotorHappy, LiquidCapital, Bidvest Financial Services policies, and Petsure policies.
• SA Guide-Dogs AssociationcommunityGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsorship of Winnie, a guide dog puppy in training. Part of company's Soft Landings community initiative.
• Bidvest Financial ServicestransferredChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreviously intermediated Motor and Home comprehensive policies through Bidvest Financial Services. These policies transferred to Dotsure as part of Hollard partnership.
• MotorHappytransferredChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreviously intermediated Personal Lines Motor Policies. These policies transferred to Dotsure as part of Hollard partnership.
• Liquid CapitaltransferredChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreviously intermediated Personal Lines Motor Policies. These policies transferred to Dotsure as part of Hollard partnership.

Scale indicators8 records

Direct peers

• Hollard Insurance Company: South Africa's largest privately-owned insurance group and direct strategic counterparty to Dotsure after transferring its direct personal lines book in 2021 and taking a significant Badger Group shareholding. Both operate as multi-line direct insurers in South Africa offering pet, motor, and property coverage.
• Discovery Insure: South Africa's leading telematics-based short-term insurer (Vitalitydrive) with similar product-led digital model and behavioral-incentive pricing. Competes head-to-head with Dotsure's Smart Driver Tag/Smart-Box in the SA motor market and shares the tech-enabled insurer positioning.
• 1Life Insurance: Direct-to-consumer life insurer in South Africa with similar digital-first GTM and licensed FSP structure. Sister entity to Dotsure Life Limited within the broader direct-insurance competitive set, and a relevant comparator for Dotsure's life insurance subsidiary economics.

Broad incumbents

• Santam: Largest short-term insurer in South Africa and dominant commercial-property underwriter. Operates primarily through broker networks rather than direct digital, representing the traditional incumbent model Dotsure is disrupting. Overlaps significantly in personal lines and specialty commercial classes.
• Old Mutual Insure: Major South African life and short-term insurer with multi-channel distribution (advisors, brokers, direct). Competes in pet, motor, and commercial lines across the same customer base as Dotsure, though with a much larger balance sheet and longer brand heritage.

Regional players

• Trupanion: Pure-play pet insurance carrier operating in North America, Europe, and Australia with Vet Direct Pay model and similar direct-to-consumer positioning. Closest international comparable for Dotsure's pet insurance core, though geographically non-overlapping.
• PetSure (Australia): Australia's largest pet insurance provider under multiple brands (Petplan, Pet Insurance Australia). Comparable product breadth (dog, cat, exotic) and direct distribution; useful benchmark for unit economics and underwriting practices in pet insurance outside SA.
• ManyPets: UK and US digital-first pet insurance startup with subscription model and tech-led underwriting. Closest emerging-market peer for Dotsure's product-led growth and exotic-pet positioning outside of South Africa.
• Root Insurance: US mobile-first auto insurer using smartphone telematics to price premiums — closest international analog to Dotsure's telematics-based car insurance and Name Your Price customization model. Different geography but directly relevant product and technology comparability.
• Lemonade: US digital-first insurance carrier offering renters, home, pet, and life insurance with AI-driven underwriting and direct-to-consumer model. Comparable digital-native insurance approach with a pet insurance vertical that overlaps with Dotsure's flagship product, though operating in North America and Europe only.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dotsure
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/dotsure
• Facebookfacebook.com/dotsurepetsa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dotsure-co-za/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/dotsurepetsa

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about dotsure.co.za