Life Cover

Best life insurance and life cover in South Africa

Compare life cover from Sanlam, Old Mutual, Discovery Life, 1Life and Liberty — premiums, underwriting, payout record and rider benefits.

Written by

MoneyWise Editorial Team

SA Personal Finance Desk

Fact-checked

Faatimah Hendricks, CFP®

Independent reviewer

Last updated

3 August 2026

4 life cover providers

Methodology

How we review

50+ data points scored

DisclosureSome providers below are paid partners. Rankings reflect editor scoring — see how we review.

What matters most

What to look for in a life cover provider

1Editor score across price, cover and customer service.
2Independent customer-satisfaction data (SAcsi, Ombudsman).
3Transparent fees and no lock-in clauses.
4Match to your situation — best-for tags reflect real use cases.

Editor's awards

Best life cover for…

Our analysts ranked every option on price, cover, claims experience and rewards. These won their categories.

Best overall

Discovery Life

4.7

Why it winsHighest editor score (4.7/5) across cover, value and service.

Best for peace of mind

Old Mutual Greenlight

4.4

Why it winsTrusted SA name with strong claims handling and family protection focus.

Sort

ProviderRatingBest forMonthly est.Action

Editor's pick
Discovery Life
PayBack of up to 100% of premiums
4.7
Long-term value
From R395 pm (R1m cover)
Sanlam Indie / Matrix
Online application in minutes
4.5
Digital applicants
From R310 pm (R1m cover)
Old Mutual Greenlight
Life, disability and illness in one plan
4.4
Family protection
From R365 pm (R1m cover)
1Life
No-medical options
4.1
Value
From R245 pm (R1m cover)

Ready to compare life cover?

Spec sheet

Side-by-side comparison

Compare the exact life cover features that matter — prices, cover, rewards and more — column by column.

Highlight best per rowSort

Life Cover providers	D Discovery Life 4.7 Editor	S Sanlam Indie / Matrix 4.5	O Old Mutual Greenlight 4.4	1 1Life 4.1
Best for	Long-term value	Digital applicants	Family protection	Value
Premium / R1m cover	R550	R381	R532	R549
Max cover amount	R7m	R16m	R5m	R12m
No-medical option	Included	No	Included	No
Disability rider	Included	No	Included	No
Dread-disease rider	No	Included	No	Included
Claim payout time	3–5 days	48 hours	24 hours	48 hours
App rating	4.2	3.7	3.6	4.3
Apply

Discovery Life

Long-term value

4.7

Premium / R1m cover: R550
Max cover amount: R7m
No-medical option: Included
Disability rider: Included
Dread-disease rider: No
Claim payout time: 3–5 days
App rating: 4.2

Sanlam Indie / Matrix

Digital applicants

4.5

Premium / R1m cover: R381
Max cover amount: R16m
No-medical option: No
Disability rider: No
Dread-disease rider: Included
Claim payout time: 48 hours
App rating: 3.7

Old Mutual Greenlight

Family protection

4.4

Premium / R1m cover: R532
Max cover amount: R5m
No-medical option: Included
Disability rider: Included
Dread-disease rider: No
Claim payout time: 24 hours
App rating: 3.6

1Life

Value

4.1

Premium / R1m cover: R549
Max cover amount: R12m
No-medical option: No
Disability rider: No
Dread-disease rider: Included
Claim payout time: 48 hours
App rating: 4.3

Spec values are indicative and standardised for comparison. Confirm details with each provider before applying. See our methodology.

Information is indicative. Always confirm directly with the provider and read the policy schedule before purchase. MoneyWise may earn a commission when you click through.

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