OSTI report | Increased complaints related to power surges, KZN floods

JOHANNESBURG - Despite an increase in complaints made to the Ombudsman for Short-term Insurance (OSTI) last year, the office says it is satisfied with its dispute resolution processes for financial complaints.

The office ended the year with over 11,500 registered complaints compared to the 9,797 reports the previous year.

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In a joint annual report, the Ombudsman for Short-term Insurance and Ombudsman for Long-term Insurance jointly placed more than R330-million in the hands of complainants.

OSTI paid over R109-million to consumers who approached the office for assistance.

Of the complaints submitted to the OSTI, 39 were Covid-19-related, 57 were SASRIA-related complaints arising from the civil unrest in July 2021, 202 were related to power surge complaints and 647 were related to the KwaZulu-Natal floods of April and May 2022.