The biggest shift in recent years has been a quiet one. Not a technology platform. Not a product redesign. Just a deepening recognition of what motor insurance really is, and what it has to deliver to remain viable. Spend enough time in this space and you quickly realise: it is one of the hardest classes in which to consistently make money. Margins are thin, claims are frequent, and external factors from road conditions to vehicle crime are largely outside anyone's control.

In his conversation with COVER magazine, Grant Cross, founder and director of Motor Acceptances, brought this into sharp focus. After 26 years in the business, he carries no illusions about the challenges. But he also carries a quiet confidence about what still works, and what ultimately determines long-term success.

At the heart of it all is a deceptively simple truth: in motor insurance, the claims experience is the product. Not just a touchpoint, not just a KPI, but the entire value proposition.

A Market Under Pressure

The operating environment for motor fleets in South Africa is, by most accounts, becoming increasingly difficult. Road conditions continue to deteriorate across many areas, directly impacting accident frequency and severity. Add the ongoing challenges of theft and hijacking, and you have a class of business under sustained, compounding pressure.

The industry response has been predictable but necessary: increased underwriting discipline, more stringent requirements, and in some cases, tougher conditions for cover. One telling example is the growing insistence on multiple tracking devices in high-risk vehicles. A single visible tracker is no longer sufficient. Criminals have adapted. They know where to look and how to disable it. The introduction of secondary, often hidden or wireless tracking solutions is a direct response to this evolving threat landscape.

This is not just risk mitigation, it is survival. Without these interventions, loss ratios become unsustainable and portfolio economics quickly unravel.

Technology Is Not Enough

It is easy to assume that technology is the answer. And to a large extent, it is part of the solution. From telematics to automated claims processing, the industry has invested heavily in digital tools designed to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Yet, as Grant Cross points out, technology on its own is not enough. Every insurer today offers roadside assistance. Many have apps that allow clients to log claims, request assistance, and track progress in real time. These are valuable tools, particularly for younger, digitally inclined clients.

But what happens when a client actually has a claim? In that moment, often stressful, unfamiliar and urgent, many clients do not want an app. They want a person. Someone to guide them through the process, to explain what happens next, to provide reassurance. This is where the real gap often lies, and where Motor Acceptances has deliberately drawn its line.