After more than eight months of legal wrangling, Santam clients received a glimmer of hope as the insurer announced it would start processing business interruption insurance claims. However, as brokers received letters outlining the claims process, and the requirements to validate claims, it became clear there was a catch.

From the beginning, it seemed insurers were playing a waiting game by delaying the claims process to exert financial pressure on desperate tourism businesses and get them to accept lower settlements. Play this strategy out long enough, and many businesses could fail altogether, defaulting on premiums or liquidating, negating any possible payouts...