1st for Women

Name

1st for Women

Legal name

First for Women Insurance Company Limited

Website

https://firstforwomen.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Insurance

NAICS

Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Carriers (524126), Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412), Direct Life Insurance Carriers (524113), Insurance Carriers (5241)

SIC

Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Life Insurance (6311), Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Auto Insurance (FSAJAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homeowners Insurance (FSAJACAA), Level Term Life Insurance (FSAIAAAA), Personal Accident Insurance (Injury, Disability & Income Benefit) (FSAJAJAD)

Keywords

• Short-term insurance
• Vehicle insurance
• Home contents insurance
• Women-focused insurance
• Business insurance coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Premiums: Monthly recurring premiums collected for comprehensive vehicle, home contents, buildings, business, life, and value-added insurance products. Policies are payable monthly with cover paid a month in advance.
2. Cash Back Bonus: Optional extra rewarding claim-free customers with money back after four consecutive years - either entire first year's premiums or up to 25% of all premiums paid over four years, whichever is lesser.
3. Value-Added Products: Additional coverage products including tyre and rim cover, scratch and dent insurance, legal cover, personal accident, all-risk insurance, and portable possessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

First for Women Insurance is a licensed non-life and life insurer in South Africa that sells insurance products specifically designed for women. The portfolio includes car insurance (with motorcycle, trailer, caravan, watercraft and off-road variants), home contents and buildings insurance, business insurance (professional indemnity, public liability, directors and officers, hospitality, events, e-hailing), life insurance underwritten by 1Life, pet insurance, and value-added products (portable possessions, legal cover, personal accident, all risk). Policies are bundled with the Guardian Angel on Call safety and assistance service delivered via a mobile app.

Product overview

1st for Women is a South African insurance company offering a portfolio of non-life and life insurance products specifically designed for women. The core product portfolio spans vehicle insurance (including car, motorcycle, trailer, caravan, watercraft, and specialised off-road coverage with various add-ons like tyre cover, car warranty, and scratch/dent protection), home insurance (contents and buildings), business insurance (small business, professional liability, hospitality, e-hailing), life insurance (underwritten by 1Life), pet insurance, and value-added products (portable possessions, jewellery, cellphone, laptop, legal cover, personal accident). Safety features including Guardian Angel on Call app with trip monitoring, panic button, and 24/7 roadside assistance are bundled with coverage. The company operates a direct-to-consumer model through call centres and digital channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Car Insurance Comprehensive vehicle insurance covering accidental damage, theft, third-party liability, and fire damage, bundled with Guardian Angel on Call safety features including trip monitoring, panic button, 24/7 roadside assistance, and mobile crash detection. Targeted at South African women drivers.
• Home Contents Insurance Insurance covering household belongings inside the home, including a standard R25,000 handbag cover. Designed for women policyholders in South Africa protecting personal possessions.
• Buildings Insurance Insurance covering the physical structure of the home including walls, roof, and fixtures (excluding geysers). Designed to protect the actual structure of the property for South African homeowners.
• Business Insurance Comprehensive business coverage including business car insurance, business assets insurance, small business insurance, body corporate insurance, professional indemnity, directors and officers liability, public liability, hospitality cover, events liability, and e-hailing insurance. Designed for women entrepreneurs and small business owners in South Africa.
• Life Insurance Long-term life insurance providing a financial safety net for family members in the case of the insured's death. Underwritten by 1Life (FSP 24769) and distributed by First for Women to South African women.
• Pet Insurance Insurance coverage for dogs and cats, providing veterinary expense protection. Targeted at South African pet owners.
• Value Added Products Supplementary coverage including portable possessions insurance (jewellery, watches, smartphones, laptops), cellphone insurance, jewellery insurance, laptop insurance, legal cover, personal accident, and all risk insurance. Sold as a standalone category to South African policyholders.
• Guardian Angel Lifestyle Assistance Safety and assistance service featuring trip monitoring, unlimited panic button, 24/7 accident and roadside assistance, mobile crash detection, and a Guardian Angel to wait with policyholders who feel unsafe. Delivered through a dedicated fleet that has helped over 10,000 women. Available as part of car insurance cover to South African women customers.
• Motorcycle Insurance Specialised insurance coverage for motorcycles and motorbikes, sold as a standalone vehicle category to South African women riders.
• Trailer and Caravan Insurance Coverage for trailers and caravans as specialised vehicle additions, sold to South African women as standalone policies.
• Watercraft Insurance Insurance coverage for watercraft vessels such as boats and jet skis, sold as a standalone specialty vehicle policy to South African owners.

Quantifiable outcome

• R100 million+ raised for gender-based violence causes
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Telesure Investment Holdings (TIH)coreOthersParent company that owns and operates several insurance brands in South Africa. First for Women Insurance forms part of TIH. Headquartered at Auto & General Park, Dainfern.
• 1LifecoreOthersLicensed life insurer that underwrites long-term policies for 1st for Women. FSP 24769.
• Lawyers Against Abuse (LAA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeneficiary of the 1st for Women Foundation. Works to strengthen the justice system's response to gender-based violence by providing legal services and therapy to victims.
• Rape Crisis Cape Town TrustflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey foundation beneficiary with mission to promote safety in communities, reduce trauma experienced by rape survivors, and encourage reporting of rape.
• Centre for Community Justice and Development (CCJD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation beneficiary running 15 advice offices in KZN that provide access to justice in rural communities.
• Network Action Group (NAG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGO working with community-driven ECD services based in marginalised communities and beneficiary of the 1st for Women Foundation.
• Think EqualminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal initiative seeking to empower change and end the cycle of violence through education, and beneficiary of the 1st for Women Foundation.
• NACOSAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 2,500 organisations working to turn the tide on HIV/AIDS and TB in Southern Africa, and beneficiary of the 1st for Women Foundation.
• Action Breaks SilenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational charity working to eradicate gender-based violence and beneficiary of the 1st for Women Foundation.
• ForWomen PlatformcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline platform launched by 1st for Women to consolidate woman abuse fighting efforts in one place where South Africans can provide and receive support.
• Standard BeautycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing partnership with competition campaigns including skincare product giveaways (year's supply valued at R20,000 per winner) and wellness day experiences.
• TakealotcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPet insurance campaign partnership offering 10% discount on premiums for customers who scan QR codes from Takealot order leaflets and complete pet insurance quotes.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MiWay Insurance: Direct-to-consumer South African insurer offering car, home, and business insurance through digital channels. Directly comparable business model as a digitally-distributed multi-line P&C insurer targeting similar consumer segments.
• Auto & General: Sister brand within Telesure Investment Holdings offering direct short-term insurance in South Africa. Most directly comparable as a TIH-owned direct-to-consumer insurer with similar P&C product lines and shared infrastructure.
• 1Life Insurance: TIH-owned licensed life insurer that underwrites 1st for Women's long-term life policies. Directly comparable as a TIH insurance brand with overlapping life insurance products and partnership relationship.
• Budget Insurance: Another TIH-owned South African direct-to-consumer insurance brand focused on car, home, and personal insurance. Directly comparable business model, distribution channels, and product portfolio within the same parent group.

Broad incumbents

• Bryte Insurance: South African commercial and personal lines insurer offering property, casualty, and specialty insurance. Comparable as a P&C competitor with overlapping product categories including personal accident and home insurance.
• Santam: Largest short-term insurer in South Africa offering personal and commercial P&C insurance. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in the same P&C insurance market, though broader in scope and traditionally intermediated distribution.
• Old Mutual Insure: Established South African insurance provider offering personal and commercial lines including car, home, and life insurance. Comparable as a major incumbent with overlapping product portfolio targeting similar South African consumer segments.
• Hollard Insurance Group: Major diversified South African insurance group offering life, short-term, and specialty insurance products. Comparable as a broad P&C and life insurance competitor with strong brand presence in the same market.
• Discovery Insure: Major South African insurer using Vitality behavioral model to offer car, home, and life insurance. Comparable as a tech-enabled, direct-to-consumer P&C insurer competing in the same South African market with innovation-led differentiation.

Emerging players

• Naked Insurance: South African insurtech using AI to offer transparent, app-based car insurance with no call center. Comparable as a digital-first alternative competing for the same direct-to-consumer insurance customer with lower-cost operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/firstforwomen
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/firstforwomen
• Facebookfacebook.com/1stforWomen
• Instagraminstagram.com/1stforWomen
• Pinterestza.pinterest.com/1stforwomen
• TikToktiktok.com/@1stforwomeninsurance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 1st for Women