Partner Risk Solutions

What Partner Risk Solutions does

PARTNER RISK (Company Reg. No. 2016/544416/07) is a South African specialist underwriting management agency founded in March 2017 by Gareth Baines, headquartered in Sandton, Johannesburg. The firm operates exclusively as an underwriting manager on behalf of principal insurer Guardrisk Insurance Company Ltd (FSP 75), and is itself authorised as a Financial Services Provider (FSP 48214) by the Financial Services Conduct Authority. It serves medium-sized and large commercial property owners and operators across Southern Africa, distributing its products solely through insurance broker intermediaries.

The company's core product suite comprises commercial Property Insurance, Multi-Peril Insurance, SASRIA Insurance, Assets All Risks (AAR) Insurance, and standard Asset Insurance. Its principal differentiator is the exclusive PayBack Undertaking — a low-claims-bonus mechanism under which a portion of underwriting profit (capped at 5% of the PayBack portfolio GWP, split into Long-term and Short-term PayBack components) is returned to qualifying clients to fund agreed risk management improvements after a multi-year performance period. Eligibility is determined by an actuarial Threshold Claims Ratio (TCR) Calculator applied per client. Supporting technology includes the in-house Risk Appetite Indicator App, which delivers broker risk-acceptance decisions within 24 hours, proprietary risk selection and claims settlement systems, and geospatial exposure mapping tools used to monitor portfolio accumulation. Thought leadership is delivered via the company blog, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

The business model is underwriting-margin based: PARTNER RISK earns a share of the underwriting margin on commercial property policies underwritten through Guardrisk, with a share of profit recycled to clients via PayBack rather than retained. The firm has achieved Level 1 B-BBEE status under the revised Financial Sector Code through its affiliation with MMI Holdings — a material procurement advantage in South African commercial insurance — and maintains minor advisory partnerships with Riskonet (fire safety) and Forensure (forensic loss adjustment) for content collaboration. No external funding, M&A, or revenue disclosure is present in the public record.

Name

Partner Risk Solutions

Legal name

PARTNER RISK (Company Reg. No. 2016/544416/07)

Website

https://partnerrisk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Partner Risk Solutions is a South African underwriting management agency founded in 2017, providing commercial property insurance solutions to medium and large enterprises across Southern Africa exclusively through broker intermediaries, on behalf of principal insurer Guardrisk Insurance Company Ltd.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Insurance Underwriting

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Lines Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Risk Management Consulting (Enterprise & Operational Risk) (FSAEADAG)

Keywords

• Underwriting management agency
• Commercial property insurance
• Specialist underwriting
• Risk management solutions
• Multi-peril insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Underwriting Management Services: PARTNER RISK provides underwriting management services to commercial clients on behalf of Guardrisk Insurance Company Ltd. The company earns revenue through the underwriting margin generated on commercial property insurance policies underwritten through its portfolio. A portion of underwriting profit is distributed back to qualifying clients via the PayBack mechanism, with the total PayBack pool capped at 5% of PayBack portfolio GWP.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Partner Risk Solutions is a specialist underwriting management agency providing commercial property insurance and risk management solutions to medium-sized and large private-sector entities across Southern Africa. It underwrites on behalf of principal insurer Guardrisk Insurance Company Ltd and offers an exclusive PayBack low-claims-bonus mechanism, distributing products solely through insurance brokers.

Product overview

PARTNER RISK is a specialist underwriting management agency offering a suite of commercial insurance products primarily for medium-sized enterprises and large entities in the private sector across Southern Africa. The core portfolio includes Property Insurance, Multi-Peril Insurance, SASRIA Insurance, and Assets All Risks (AAR) Insurance, all available exclusively through insurance intermediaries. The company's flagship differentiator is the exclusive PayBack Undertaking – a unique low-claims-bonus mechanism that rewards qualifying clients by funding risk management expenditure. Supporting the core products is the proprietary Risk Appetite Indicator App, a web-based tool enabling brokers to quickly assess risk acceptance and capacity within 24 hours. PARTNER RISK operates underwritten by Guardrisk Insurance Company Ltd and provides underwriting management services as a licensed financial services provider (FSP 48214).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Property Insurance Comprehensive property protection solutions exclusively available through intermediaries, designed to safeguard commercial clients' property and profits with highly customisable policies.
• Multi-Peril Insurance Comprehensive insurance policies for clients who prefer a multi-peril approach to coverage, often recommended by trusted brokers, providing protection against multiple risk categories.
• SASRIA Insurance Special risk insurance covering civil commotion, public disorder, and related perils, automatically extended to clients when PARTNER RISK serves as lead or sole insurer.
• PayBack Undertaking A unique low-claims-bonus programme exclusive to PARTNER RISK in South Africa, rewarding eligible clients by funding investments in risk management improvements. The pool is funded with a maximum of 5% of PayBack portfolio GWP, split into Long-term PayBack (LPB), Short-term PayBack (SPB), and Discretionary PayBack (DPB).
• Risk Appetite Indicator App An in-house web application providing brokers with quick access to PARTNER RISK's risk appetite, enabling pre-qualification of risks and determination of capacity within a 24-hour turnaround.
• Asset Insurance Insurance coverage for commercial assets, listed as one of the core services offered by PARTNER RISK.
• Assets All Risks (AAR) Insurance Wide-ranging commercial property insurance covering buildings, contents, theft, and malicious damage, with various sub-covers including goods in transit, professional fees, and debris removal.

Quantifiable outcome

• PayBack pool capped at 5% of PayBack portfolio GWP, split into up to 2.5% Long-term PayBack and up to 2.5% Short-term PayBack, returned to qualifying clients for risk management expenditure.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Guardrisk Insurance Company LtdcoreOthersPrincipal insurer for PARTNER RISK's underwriting activities. Guardrisk is a licensed South African insurer (FSP 75) on whose behalf PARTNER RISK provides underwriting management services. Guardrisk has received credit ratings from Moody's: Baa3 (global scale IFS) for Guardrisk Insurance and Guardrisk Life, plus Aaa.za on national scale IFS. Guardrisk International holds Baa3 on global scale.
• MMI HoldingscoreOthersMMI Holdings is the parent/group company through which PARTNER RISK achieves its Level 1 B-BBEE status under the revised Financial Sector Code. This B-BBEE rating extends to all group companies including principal insurer Guardrisk Insurance Company Ltd.
• RiskonetminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRiskonet South Africa (Director: Ruben Els) provides specialist operational risk and fire safety consulting services. Riskonet contributes expert content to PARTNER RISK's thought leadership on fire risk management topics including fire team readiness, fire risk assessment, and regulatory compliance under National Building Regulations and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• ForensureminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerForensure is a forensic accounting and loss adjustment firm (founded by Jolene Visser CA(SA), Licentiate member of the Institute of Loss Adjusters of Southern Africa). Provides specialist content on business interruption insurance topics including standard turnover calculations, savings in BI claims, and loss quantification for PARTNER RISK's broker education content.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hollard Insurance Company: Large South African short-term insurer offering commercial property, multi-peril, and specialty products through broker channels. Comparable as a directly competing commercial property underwriter; notably several PARTNER RISK team members previously worked at Hollard (Lazaros Sibanda, Alicia Arjunan).
• Risk Benefit Solutions (RBS): South African specialist underwriting manager and broker focused on commercial and corporate short-term insurance distributed through intermediaries. Most directly comparable to PARTNER RISK as a competing boutique UMA structure serving medium-to-large commercial property risks.
• Bryte Insurance Company: South African commercial insurer focused on commercial property, casualty and specialty risks distributed through broker intermediaries. Comparable as a directly competing specialist commercial property carrier with similar broker-led distribution and medium-to-large enterprise customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Aon South Africa: Global commercial insurance broker with a substantial South African presence offering commercial property, multi-peril and risk management services through intermediary channels. Directly comparable as a competing broker-to-carrier distribution channel for medium-to-large commercial property placements.
• Santam: Largest general insurer in South Africa offering commercial property, multi-peril, SASRIA-related coverage, and specialty lines through intermediaries. Comparable as a broad-incumbent competitor with overlapping broker distribution and underwriting of similar commercial property risks.
• Old Mutual Insure: South African short-term insurer within Old Mutual Limited offering commercial and personal lines through broker networks. Comparable as a broad commercial property underwriter with shared intermediary distribution and an overlapping customer segment of medium-sized enterprises.
• Guardrisk Insurance Company Ltd: Principal insurer for PARTNER RISK's underwriting activities and a licensed South African insurer (FSP 75) with Baa3/Aaa.za Moody's IFS ratings. Operates a broad insurance and reinsurance platform across multiple lines and is directly comparable as the capacity provider that defines PARTNER RISK's go-to-market.
• Marsh Africa: Major global insurance broker and risk advisor operating in South Africa across commercial property, casualty, and specialty lines. Comparable to PARTNER RISK as a competing intermediary channel for medium-to-large commercial property placements in Southern Africa.

Emerging players

• Itoa Special Risks: South African underwriting manager arranging specialty and commercial risks through brokers. Comparable as a smaller, emerging UMA operating in a similar niche with overlap on commercial property placement through the broker channel.

Others

• Riskonet South Africa: Operational risk and fire safety consultancy working with PARTNER RISK on thought-leadership content for fire risk management. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem partner rather than competitor — relevant because its services complement PARTNER RISK's risk-management funding model and could be substituted by competing brokers offering similar bundled services.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/partnerrisksolutions
• Instagraminstagram.com/partner_risk
• Xx.com/Partner_Risk
• Facebookfacebook.com/partnerrisk

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Partner Risk Solutions