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TL;DR: Sasria is South Africa’s state-owned insurer for riot, strike, civil commotion, public disorder and terrorism, risks that ordinary business insurance excludes. Businesses buy it through their insurer or broker, attached to an underlying policy. Material damage cover is limited to R500 million a year per insured, with up to a further R500 million available as excess of loss cover. It does not cover loss without physical damage, theft outside an unrest event, cyber attacks, land invasions or events already under way when cover starts, so it needs to be in place before unrest begins.
Most South African business owners know Sasria as a line on their insurance schedule. Fewer know exactly what it covers, where it stops, or what happens when a claim is bigger than its limits. The July 2021 unrest showed what is at stake: Sasria paid out more than R32 billion in claims.
With local government elections on 4 November 2026, this guide explains what Sasria is, what it covers and excludes for businesses, how it works with your commercial insurance, how to claim, and when a private political violence policy is needed on top. It is general information based on Sasria’s published 2026 policy wordings, not advice on a specific policy.
In this article
What is Sasria?
Sasria SOC Ltd is a state-owned insurer and the only insurer in South Africa that covers damage caused by riots, strikes, civil commotion, public disorder and terrorism. The name comes from its original title, the South African Special Risks Insurance Association. It was founded in 1979, when private insurers stopped covering politically motivated damage, and today it covers individuals, businesses, municipalities and tertiary institutions.
Because ordinary property and business policies exclude these “special risks”, a business without Sasria cover has no protection against them, however comprehensive the rest of its insurance is.
What does Sasria cover?
Sasria covers loss or damage directly caused by what its policy calls Defined Events, while the event is active. In plain terms, these are:
Riots, strikes and public disorder, including civil commotion, labour disturbances and lockouts.
Politically motivated acts, such as acts intended to overthrow or influence government by force, fear or violence, and acts of protest against any level of government.
Terrorism, where it has been declared or reported as terrorism by a lawful authority in South Africa or an international body such as the United Nations.
Action by the authorities in controlling or suppressing any of these events.
Looting, but only when it happens as part of one of these events.
For businesses, Sasria cover is available across the main classes of commercial insurance:
Commercial property: buildings, contents, stock and equipment.
Business interruption: gross profit, net profit, standing charges and working expenses, following insured damage.
Money: cash on the premises and in transit.
Transit: goods in transit, marine cargo and marine hulls.
Construction: contract works and owned or hired plant.
Motor: commercial vehicles, taxis and buses as well as private vehicles.
Agriculture: crops, livestock, farm buildings and equipment.
Sasria also offers optional extensions for a further premium. One worth knowing about covers reasonable security costs to protect a property when damage from an active event is imminent, as well as during or after the damage.
What Sasria does not cover
The exclusions are where most business claims go wrong. Sasria’s 2026 material damage wording excludes, among other things:
Loss without physical damage. Losing trade because customers or staff cannot reach your premises is not covered unless your insured property is damaged. Prevention of access is specifically excluded.
Consequential loss. Loss caused only indirectly by an event.
Theft, vandalism or malicious damage that is not part of an event. Ordinary crime is a matter for your normal policy, not Sasria.
Cyber attacks, including cyber attacks that would count as terrorism, and loss of or damage to data and computer systems.
Land invasions, and property in hijacked or abandoned buildings.
War, civil war, military rising and similar events.
Liability to third parties. Sasria covers your own property, not claims against you.
Events already under way or reasonably foreseeable when cover starts, or when a new property is added to the policy.
Property outside South Africa, apart from limited cover in Namibia for up to 60 consecutive days.
The foreseeability exclusion is the one to act on now. If you wait until unrest is under way near your site, it is too late to add Sasria cover for that event.
How Sasria works with your business insurance
You buy it through your insurer or broker. Sasria works through authorised agents, which are licensed insurers and financial services providers. You do not deal with Sasria directly to buy cover.
It needs an underlying policy. Sasria cover attaches to an existing policy, such as your commercial property or business interruption policy. If you want only Sasria cover, a pro forma underlying policy must be issued for it to attach to.
It follows the basic cover only. Sasria covers the basic cover of the underlying policy, not its optional extensions. Sasria has its own list of extensions, bought separately.
Business interruption depends on damage. Sasria business interruption cover only responds after damage to property insured under a Sasria material damage or contract works policy.
Underinsurance is penalised. If your sums insured are lower than the true value at risk, Sasria can apply average and reduce your claim in proportion.
Sasria limits for businesses
Under the 2026 material damage wording, the limit of indemnity is R500 million per insured, as an annual aggregate. Three details matter for larger businesses:
The limit is shared across the material damage classes (fire, goods in transit and marine, money and business interruption), not applied separately to each.
It reduces with each claim paid and does not automatically reinstate during the year.
A holding company and its subsidiaries insured together share one limit.
Businesses can buy up to a further R500 million of excess of loss cover from Sasria for material damage and standing charges, which gives total capacity of up to R1 billion. Values above that need cover from the private market.
How much does Sasria cover cost?
Sasria sets its own premium rates, which it publishes in its rates schedule and online rates calculator. The premium depends on the class of cover and the sum insured, and is collected by your insurer or broker along with your other premiums. Sasria premiums are VAT inclusive.
For most businesses, Sasria is a small part of the total insurance cost compared with the size of the risk it covers. The bigger financial risk is usually being underinsured, or leaving out a class such as business interruption or goods in transit.
Is Sasria cover compulsory?
No law requires a business to buy Sasria cover. In practice, though, your ordinary policy will not pay for riot, strike or public disorder damage, so going without Sasria means carrying that risk yourself. Banks, landlords and other financiers with an interest in your property may also require it as a condition of finance or a lease.
How to claim from Sasria
Sasria claims are made through the insurer or broker that arranged your cover. The 2026 wording sets out strict time limits:
Within 48 hours: report the event to the police.
Within 30 days: give written notice to your insurer or broker, with details of any other insurance that may apply.
Within 60 days: submit full claim details, including documents, quotations and assessment reports.
After 24 months: no claim is payable unless legal proceedings are pending.
Sasria says claims up to R500,000 are usually finalised within 25 days, and larger claims can take up to 50 days. Keep photographs, invoices, stock records and security footage, and take reasonable steps to protect your property, as the policy requires.
Sasria or political violence insurance?
For most South African businesses, Sasria is the foundation of unrest cover. A private political violence and terrorism policy, often placed with international insurers, becomes relevant when:
Your values exceed Sasria’s capacity. Large property portfolios, factories, warehouses and infrastructure can be worth more than the R1 billion Sasria can provide.
You have assets outside South Africa. Sasria covers South Africa, with only short-term cover in Namibia. Operations elsewhere in Africa need political risk or political violence cover in those countries.
You need cover that Sasria excludes. Depending on the wording, private policies can extend to loss of income without physical damage, such as denial of access, and to war and civil war risks.
Several entities share one limit. Groups insured together share Sasria’s R500 million aggregate, which can be used up quickly across many sites.
Private cover sits alongside Sasria, not in place of it, and the wordings vary widely. Our page on political risk insurance covers cross-border operations, and our article on anti-migrant violence and business risk looks at how social tension affects South African businesses.
A checklist before the elections
The local government elections take place on 4 November 2026. Elections do not cause unrest, but periods of political and social tension are when businesses find out whether their cover is in order. Before then, check that:
Sasria cover is on every property schedule, including new sites, and on business interruption, money, goods in transit and contract works where relevant.
Sums insured reflect current replacement values, so average does not reduce a claim.
Your business interruption indemnity period is long enough to rebuild and restock.
Your group’s total values fit within Sasria’s limits, or excess of loss or private cover is in place for the balance.
Security measures and emergency contacts are up to date, as the policy requires reasonable precautions.
You know who to call and what to record if an incident happens.
Sasria originally stood for the South African Special Risks Insurance Association. It is now Sasria SOC Ltd, a state-owned company and the only insurer in South Africa that covers riot, strike, civil commotion, public disorder and terrorism.
What does Sasria cover for businesses?
Loss or damage directly caused by riots, strikes, public disorder, civil commotion, politically motivated acts and declared terrorism, including looting during those events. Businesses can cover property, business interruption, money, goods in transit, contract works, plant and vehicles.
Does Sasria cover looting?
Only when the looting happens as part of a riot, strike, civil commotion or public disorder covered by the policy. Theft or looting that is not linked to such an event is excluded and falls under your ordinary policy, if it is covered at all.
Does Sasria cover loss of income?
Yes, if you have Sasria business interruption cover and the loss follows damage to property insured under a Sasria material damage or contract works policy. Loss of income without physical damage, for example when access to your premises is blocked, is not covered.
What is the Sasria limit for businesses?
R500 million per insured as an annual aggregate, shared across material damage classes and not reinstated after a claim. A further R500 million of excess of loss cover can be bought for material damage and standing charges, giving up to R1 billion in total.
Is Sasria compulsory in South Africa?
No, it is not a legal requirement. But ordinary business insurance excludes riot, strike and public disorder, so without Sasria a business carries those risks itself, and financiers or landlords may require it.
Can I add Sasria cover when unrest has already started?
Not for that event. Sasria excludes loss from events that were already active or reasonably foreseeable when cover started or when a property was added to the policy, so cover needs to be arranged in advance.
How long do I have to claim from Sasria?
Report the event to the police within 48 hours, give written notice to your insurer or broker within 30 days, and submit full claim details within 60 days. No claim is payable more than 24 months after the event unless legal proceedings are pending.
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