Riaan Van Wyk, Managing Director of ASI BestSure

It’s mid-January. The festive season is over, school WhatsApp groups are active again, and your phone lights up with notifications: medical aid, short-term insurance, levies, and life cover reminders of all the ways you’re trying to protect what matters most.

You scroll, sigh, and think: If I cancel just one of these, maybe I could finally start saving properly this year. The tug-of-war between protection and progress feels endless.

For many South Africans, that moment captures a much bigger dilemma: Do you protect what you already have, or try to grow something for the future? In 2026, with household budgets still stretched and uncertainty never far away, it often feels like you must choose. But what if these goals are not in conflict but actually strengthen each other.

But as Riaan Van Wyk, Managing Director of ASI BestSure, highlights: “It’s a choice people feel forced to make, but it really is a false one.”

A behavioural perspective

Why do so many of us put off insurance or saving? Behavioural economists call it 'present bias', we focus on today’s needs and discount tomorrow’s risks. That’s why cutting insurance or delaying saving feels easier than dealing with an invisible future problem. As Van Wyk observes, “It’s natural to focus on what hurts now, but real security is about protecting your future self.”

Insurance doesn’t feel as rewarding as saving does. You don’t see it grow. There’s no balance to admire. It only proves its value when something goes wrong, and by then, it’s often too late to fix. Riaan Van Wyk adds, “Insurance is that silent protector you only appreciate when it’s missing.”

Saving, on the other hand, feels hopeful and empowering. Watching your balance grow promises freedom and a little more breathing room each month. This often leads people to choose saving over insurance. But cutting back on cover, even temporarily, can have lasting consequences, especially when life throws a curveball.

Van Wyk sees this too often: “People realise too late that their savings were never meant to be a safety net for disasters.”

“Savings are meant to help you move forward. Insurance exists to stop you from moving backwards.” Van Wyk reminds us: these tools are partners, not opponents. When they work together, they create a foundation for both resilience and progress, supporting you through every stage of life.

The role of community and family: connecting your safety net

For many, resilience isn’t just about personal savings; it’s also about family and community. Stokvels or lending can help in a pinch, but sometimes the burden is too great for even the most caring network to bear. Community, like insurance and savings, is part of an interconnected safety net that helps you weather life’s storms.

Technology and financial innovation:

New digital tools make it easier to automate savings, compare options, and buy cover, weaving technology into your financial safety net. “Tech is closing the gap for those who struggled to access advice or products in the past,” says Van Wyk.

How your life stage shapes the risk you carry

Early in your career, your income is your biggest asset. As families grow, one uninsured event can affect everyone. Later in life, you have more to lose, making insurance even more important. “The more you have, the more you have to lose,” says Van Wyk.

The common mistake is treating insurance as something you “set and forget.” In reality, it needs to evolve as your life does, just like your savings strategy. Each part of your financial plan insurance, savings, community, and technology must adapt together, reinforcing your resilience at every stage. Van Wyk adds, “Reviewing your insurance isn’t just admin; it’s part of your financial growth.”

The sectional title blind spot that any homeowner misses

Many assume the body corporate’s insurance handles everything. But, as Van Wyk notes, “We regularly see the real cost of this misunderstanding when claims are rejected or only partially paid.” Owners assume internal fixtures and contents are insured when they’re not. Trustees sometimes reduce insurance cover to keep levies low, or neglect to insure requirements, such as maintenance plans, engineer reports or up to date valuations are in place. This could have a major impact on insurance cover and leave complexes in financial difficulty. When a major claim arises, the gap becomes clear. Owners dip into future savings for repairs. “It’s a lesson no one wants to learn the hard way,” says Van Wyk.

A simple framework helps:

• Protect what would be hardest to replace and insure what could undo years of hard work.

• Know what is and isn’t covered, especially in sectional title schemes.

• Build a small, realistic buffer. Even modest savings can prevent panic-cancelling cover or taking on debt.

• Let savings grow once protection is in place. With insurance as your safety net, your savings can confidently work toward your goals, knowing setbacks are covered.

“The goal isn’t to choose between protection and growth. It’s to make sure they support each other so that every rand you save is protected, and every premium you pay helps you move forward with confidence.”

Procrastination is expensive. Waiting to review cover or start saving narrows your safety net. The sooner you take one step, the stronger your resilience becomes.

Insurance protects your progress. Savings build momentum. When you see them as partners, you stop choosing between fear and hope; instead, you build a future anchored in both security and possibility. Each supports the other: insurance preserves your gains, while savings let you reach for more.

So, this January, when those debit orders come through, ask not “What can I cancel?” but “What am I protecting so I can keep moving forward?”