Event Liability Insurance

Event Liability Insurance for Event Organisers in South Africa

Event liability insurance protects event organisers against claims from attendees, suppliers and members of the public for injury or property damage arising from an event. Whether you are hosting a corporate year-end function, a festival, a market, a sports event or a conference, Berkley Risk arranges cover structured around the event, the venue and the requirements you need to meet.

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What event liability insurance covers

Event liability insurance is public liability cover structured for a specific event or series of events. It responds to third-party claims for bodily injury or property damage arising from the event and, depending on the wording, extends to exposures that are specific to events. Cover typically includes:

Injury to attendees and the public

Third-party claims for injury or death arising from the event, from slips and trips to incidents involving crowds, stages or equipment.

Damage to third-party property

Claims for damage to other people's property caused by the event, including neighbouring properties and property belonging to attendees.

Legal defence costs

The cost of defending covered claims, alongside any settlements or damages awarded, within the limit of indemnity.

Damage to the hired venue

Liability for damage to a venue or premises hired for the event, where this extension is included in the wording.

Food and products supplied

Claims arising from food, drink or products supplied at the event, such as food poisoning, where products liability is included.

Temporary structures

Liability arising from stages, marquees, seating and other temporary structures erected for the event, subject to the policy wording.

Who typically arranges event liability cover

Event liability cover is arranged by the person or organisation responsible for the event, and often by the suppliers working at it. In South Africa it is commonly arranged for:

Corporate and year-end functions. Staff functions, client events, product launches and award ceremonies hosted by businesses.
Conferences, exhibitions and expos. Organisers, exhibitors and sponsors, particularly where the venue’s conditions of hire require cover.
Festivals, concerts and live entertainment. Promoters and organisers managing crowds, stages, sound, lighting and temporary structures.
Markets and fairs. Market organisers and, in many cases, the stallholders and food vendors trading at them.
Sports and recreational events. Races, tournaments, fun runs and matches, including events held along a route.
Weddings and private functions. Hosts and planners using venues that ask for proof of liability cover.
Event suppliers. Caterers, décor and equipment hire companies, staging and audiovisual suppliers asked to show their own cover.

What Berkley Risk reviews for an event

Every event is different. Before arranging cover, Berkley Risk reviews the areas insurers focus on for event liability:

Event type and activities

The nature of the event and any higher-risk activities, such as fireworks, amusement rides, water activities or motorsport.

Attendance and venue

Expected attendance, venue capacity, whether the event is indoors, outdoors or along a route, and how crowds are managed.

Permit, venue and contract requirements

The limits, wording and noted interests that the municipality, venue, sponsors or landowner require on the policy.

Suppliers, vendors and exhibitors

Which caterers, stallholders, exhibitors and contractors hold their own cover, and whether they need to be included under the event policy.

Liquor, food and safety planning

Liquor service, food handling, security, medical and emergency arrangements, which insurers assess as part of the risk.

Dates, limits and certificates

The event dates including set-up and breakdown, the limit of indemnity, and when the venue or permit office needs proof of cover.

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Make an Appointment

Planning an event? Fill out the form below and one of our specialists will contact you to discuss the event, the venue and permit requirements, and the cover it needs.

Which business insurance do you actually need?

A plain guide to the main types of business insurance in South Africa, what is compulsory and what drives the cost.

Public liability insurance

Ongoing third-party injury and property damage cover for businesses, alongside cover for individual events.

Commercial property insurance

Cover for venues, buildings, contents and equipment, including business interruption.

Frequently asked questions

Is event liability insurance compulsory in South Africa?

For events covered by the Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act (SASREA), meaning events at a stadium or venue certified for at least 2,000 spectators or along a route, section 25 requires public liability insurance to be in place. For other events there is no general legal requirement, but municipal event permits, venues and contracts commonly require it.

What is the difference between event liability insurance and public liability insurance?

Event liability insurance is public liability cover structured around a specific event or series of events, including event-specific exposures such as temporary structures, crowds and hired venues. A business’s ongoing public liability policy is built around its normal activities and premises, and may not extend to an event it organises.

Does event liability insurance cover cancellation of the event?

No. Event liability insurance responds to third-party claims for injury and property damage. Cover for financial loss when an event is cancelled, postponed or abandoned is a separate type of insurance, known as event cancellation or abandonment cover.

Are injuries to my own staff covered?

Generally not. Work-related injuries to employees fall under the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA). Employer’s liability cover is a separate section that some event policies can include.

Do stallholders, caterers and exhibitors need their own cover?

Often, yes. Organisers and venues commonly require suppliers, vendors and exhibitors to hold their own public liability cover. Some event policies can extend cover to vendors, so it is worth confirming who is covered before the event.

How far in advance should event liability cover be arranged?

Cover should be in place before permit and venue deadlines. For example, the City of Cape Town requires applications at least 15 working days before a small event of 200 to 2,000 people and longer for larger events, and the CTICC asks hirers for confirmation of cover at least 30 days before the event.

What information is needed to arrange event liability cover?

Insurers typically ask for the type of event and its activities, the dates including set-up and breakdown, the venue or route, expected attendance, whether liquor or food will be served, any temporary structures, the suppliers and vendors involved, security and medical arrangements, and the limit required by the venue or permit office.

Can cover be arranged for a series of events?

Organisers who run events regularly can often arrange cover for a series of events or an annual programme rather than insuring each event separately. The right structure depends on the number, type and size of the events.

Event liability insurance across South Africa

Berkley Risk arranges event liability insurance for event organisers across South Africa, including events in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban. Contact us to discuss your event.

Berkley Risk (Pty) Limited (Registration Number 2017/412000/07) is an authorised Financial Services Provider under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act No 37 of 2002 – FSP#54407

Berkley Risk (Pty) Limited (Registration Number 2017/412000/07)

Authorised Financial Services Provider under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act No 37 of 2002 – FSP#54407