Frequently asked questions for insurance, compliance, and claims.

SimplyCovered helps businesses compare and arrange cover such as public liability, professional indemnity, employers' liability, contractors all risk, cyber liability, and other specialist business insurance types depending on the trade or profession.

The right cover depends on what your business does, where you operate, what assets or equipment you use, and what liabilities you could face. A contractor may need public liability and contractors all risk, while a consultant may need professional indemnity. If you are unsure, start with a quote so the risk profile can be matched to suitable cover options.

Yes. If you already have cover in place and need proof for a contract or procurement process, you can request a certificate of insurance. This is commonly used for tenders, lease requirements, and onboarding with larger clients.

Not every business needs every policy on day one, but many businesses should arrange cover before signing contracts, hiring staff, renting premises, or starting higher-risk work. Requirements can also come from landlords, clients, or industry bodies.

Yes. The site includes specialist pages for industries and professions, but the insurance team can also help where the business falls outside a simple standard category. The important part is describing the work accurately so the insurer can assess the exposure properly.

Compliance support includes services such as VAT registration, PAYE and UIF registration, CIDB registration, CSD registration, tax clearance, annual returns, company amendments, and other common business administration tasks.

VAT registration usually depends on taxable turnover thresholds and the structure of the business. If your revenue is approaching the compulsory threshold or you need VAT registration for commercial reasons, it is best to act before it becomes urgent.

Yes. Businesses often need registrations and records aligned before applying for tenders or onboarding with corporate customers. That can include CSD registration, tax clearance, CIDB registration, and up-to-date company records.

Company and close corporation details can usually be amended through the appropriate compliance process. This includes member changes, company amendments, name changes, beneficial ownership updates, and re-instatement support where relevant.

Turnaround time depends on the service, the documents available, and how quickly third-party authorities process submissions. Some services can move quickly once documents are complete, while statutory or regulator-driven steps may take longer.

Start by notifying the claims team as soon as possible after the incident. You should gather the key facts, dates, contact details, photos, and any supporting records so the claim can be logged accurately from the outset.

Most claims need a clear description of what happened, when it happened, who was involved, and what loss or damage occurred. Supporting documents can include invoices, photos, police case numbers, witness details, contracts, or correspondence depending on the claim type.

You should report it as soon as reasonably possible. Delays can create avoidable problems, especially where insurers need to investigate events early, preserve evidence, or respond to third-party allegations.

No. A claim still needs to be assessed against the policy wording, facts of the incident, available evidence, excesses, exclusions, and any conditions that apply. Early and accurate reporting improves the process, but it does not replace assessment.

Yes. If you are unsure whether an incident should be notified, it is still sensible to contact the claims team early. That helps you understand the process, preserve deadlines, and avoid missing steps that matter later.