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How Insurance Companies in South Africa Can Generate Leads That Actually Convert

  • Writer: Ntende Kenneth
    Ntende Kenneth
  • 3 days ago
  • 3 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

Insurance in South Africa is competitive, regulated, and crowded. Customers have options. A lot of them.

That means one thing. Insurance is no longer won by pricing alone. It is won by distribution, trust, and speed of follow up.

When you strip everything down, there are only three ways any insurance company in South Africa generates sales leads:

Every tactic, channel, or platform fits into one of these three. There is no fourth option.



Way 1: Outbound Lead Generation

You go to the market and create demand.

Outbound is still one of the fastest ways for insurers in South Africa to build pipeline, especially in commercial and SME insurance.

a) Manual field sales

This is still very relevant.

Advisors and agents visit:

  • Businesses and offices

  • Industrial parks

  • Homes and gated communities

Face to face works because:

  • Insurance products are complex

  • Trust is built faster in person

  • Objections are handled immediately

The limitation is scale. Growth is tied directly to headcount.


b) LinkedIn outreach

This works extremely well in South Africa for B2B insurance.

Employee benefits

Group risk

Fleet and liability cover

Strong teams:

  • Target CFOs, HR leaders, founders, and procurement heads

  • Personalize messages

  • Follow up more than once

Most outbound fails because people give up too early.


c) Bids and tenders

A major opportunity many insurers underutilize.

Insurance opportunities are regularly published by:

  • Corporates

  • Universities and schools

  • SOEs and municipalities

  • NGOs and large projects

Platforms like Trembi Bids help teams:

  • Identify relevant insurance bids

  • Centralise tender opportunities

  • Track submissions and outcomes

This turns bidding into a predictable outbound channel instead of a last minute scramble.


d) Automated outbound using AI

This is where sales efficiency changes completely.

Instead of agents manually searching for contacts, tools like Trembi Sales AI:

  • Source verified emails and phone numbers

  • Identify real decision makers

  • Reach out via email, SMS, and WhatsApp

  • Follow up automatically

Advisors spend less time prospecting. More time advising and closing.



e) Events and activations

South Africa has a strong events culture.

Industry conferences, Business breakfasts or Trade expos

Events work, but only if:

  • Contacts are captured properly

  • Follow up happens immediately

  • Conversations are tracked

Most value is lost after the event, not during it.

Why outbound breaks down for many insurers

  • Leads live in spreadsheets and inboxes

  • No visibility into advisor activity

  • Follow ups depend on memory

  • No clear data on what actually converts

Outbound needs systems, not hero effort.


Way 2: Inbound Lead Generation

Customers come to you already educated or curious.

Inbound is slower than outbound, but it compounds over time and reduces acquisition costs.

a) SEO and educational content

South African consumers research before buying.

They search when:

  • Comparing policies

  • Experiencing a claim issue

  • Facing regulatory or compliance changes

Blogs, guides, and explainers build authority and long term trust.

SEO takes time. But once it works, leads arrive consistently.

b) Social media content

Social platforms are powerful for education.

What works:

  • Explaining insurance in plain language

  • Real claim stories

  • Short educational videos

What does not:

  • Constant promotions

  • Overly technical jargon

Trust always comes first.

c) Online advertising

Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads

These deliver fast results. They are also expensive in South Africa.

Without fast response and good qualification, costs spiral quickly.

d) Traditional media

Radio, TV or Billboards

These build awareness and credibility.

They work best when:

  • Combined with digital capture

  • Supported by outbound follow up

On their own, they rarely close deals.

How Trembi supports inbound

Trembi helps insurance companies:

  • Run ads across Google, Meta, and LinkedIn

  • Capture inbound leads centrally

  • Track which channels drive real conversions

  • Respond instantly via SMS, email, or WhatsApp

Speed of response often matters more than budget.



Way 3: Referrals

The highest quality leads in insurance.

Insurance decisions are emotional and risk driven.

People trust people they know.

a) Manual referrals

Satisfied customers refer:

  • Family

  • Friends

  • Colleagues

These leads convert well but are inconsistent if unmanaged.

Many insurers rely on goodwill instead of structure.

b) Referral platforms

Platforms like Trembi Referrals turn referrals into a growth channel.

They:

  • Incentivise customers and partners

  • Activate communities of influencers and connectors

  • Push offers to warm, trusted audiences

This allows insurers to scale referrals beyond their existing book.

The Real Issue Facing Insurance Companies in South Africa

It is not lack of opportunity. It is lack of integration.

Outbound is disconnected. Inbound is slow to follow up. Referrals are informal.

The insurers that win:

  • Combine outbound, inbound, and referrals

  • Track everything in one system

  • Measure what converts

  • Fix what does not

Outbound gives speed. Inbound builds long term demand. Referrals create trust.

The leaders do all three. Deliberately. Consistently.

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