Safety is no longer simply a response to crime or a consideration for a long journey. It influences when South Africans leave home, how they travel, what they carry and the technology they rely on when something goes wrong.
Statistics from South Africa's latest victim-of-crime survey found that only 36.1% of people aged 16 and older felt safe walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark in 2024/25. The proportion of people taking steps to protect themselves against crime rose to 43.3%, from 39.9% a year earlier. Of those who acted, 79.9% said the measures made them feel safer.
Safety is not only limited to your neighborhood or home, it extends to your everyday commute. The Road Traffic Management Corporation recorded 11,485 road fatalities in 2025 and estimated the economic cost of crashes at R198.3bn. Pedestrians accounted for 45% of road-user deaths, underlining that road safety is not only a motorist issue.
These figures provide insight into the scale and nature of road-safety risks in South Africa, highlighting where and when road users remain most vulnerable, which helps South Africans understand the broader risk environment and inform decisions around risk mitigation, consumer education, preventative interventions.
"What these figures reveal is that safety has become a form of daily decision-making," said Shweshwe Tlhapane, chief marketing officer at Momentum Insure. "People are adjusting their movements, their routines and their use of technology because they do not want to wait until an incident has happened before they feel supported. That is an important change for every organisation involved in keeping people safe."
Stats SA's findings suggest that safety behaviour is becoming embedded in ordinary routines. Walking only during safer hours was the most common precaution reported in 2024/25, followed by physical measures such as installing burglar doors. This pattern matters because it shows that people are seeking agencies: actions they can take before an emergency, not only services they can access afterwards.
For the insurance industry, these changes redirect the question from what happens after a loss to what support is available across the full risk journey. That can include feedback that encourages safer driving, app-based access to emergency responders, automatic detection of a possible collision and practical assistance at home or on the road.
"The most useful innovation is not always the most visible one," Tlhapane said. "It may be the alert that brings help when a driver cannot make a call, the decision to travel at a safer time, or the reminder that changes behaviour before a crash. The real test is whether it improves a person's options in the moment they need them."
Momentum Insure is using this shift as the basis for Safety Designed Different, its recent brand positioning campaign launched in March this year. The campaign continues to draw attention to the changing role of insurers in prevention, emphasising that effective safety is helping you feel safe before the incident, not just after it’s happened.
Momentum Insure's existing services include Safety Alert, which connects eligible policyholders and a nominated user to a national emergency responder network; Accident Alert, which uses the phone’s sensor data to detect harsh impact ; Safe Dayz, which provides feedback on, and scores, driving behaviour; and Momentum Assist for roadside, home, medical and legal assistance. Eligibility, activation requirements, terms and benefit limits apply.
The campaign elevates creator-led stories and radio discussions examining the practical choices South Africans make to feel safer. The planned Safe Day Challenge will invite people to share one change they have made in their routine, from reducing distractions while driving to planning how they would call for help in an emergency.
“There is a danger that constant exposure to crime and road-death figures makes people feel powerless," Tlhapane added. "A more constructive conversation starts with what people can control, what institutions can improve and how technology can shorten the distance between an emergency and meaningful help."
For more information about Momentum Insure's safety benefits, visit momentum.co.za.
Momentum Insure is an authorised non-life insurer and financial services provider. FSP 22789. T’s and Cs apply.
