Key Takeaways
- • South Africa's investment sector achieved a 65.7% conversion rate and surpassed the global customer experience benchmark, scoring 76.7 out of 100 against an international benchmark of 75, demonstrating competitive performance in customer engagement and service delivery.
- • Allan Gray emerged as the overall winner in the inaugural University of Pretoria Customer Experience Index with a score of 80 out of 100, followed by Discovery Invest and Old Mutual in second place, while Liberty Invest, Momentum Wealth, and Sanlam Wealth shared third position.
- • The investment industry recorded a quality of experience score of 81.9, substantially exceeding the international benchmark of 75, indicating strong customer engagement, effective service delivery, and superior front-end interaction across the sector.
- • The new CE Index measures holistic customer experience beyond financial returns, evaluating service quality, perceived value, loyalty, problem resolution, satisfaction, emotional response, and overall brand perception—addressing subscriber demand for deeper insight into customer relationships.
- • Life insurance and investment industries are prioritizing trust and value as core differentiators amid evolving customer expectations and ongoing global economic uncertainty, positioning the South African insurance sector as resilient and forward-focused.
Summary
South Africa's investment and life insurance sectors have demonstrated strong competitive positioning in the latest University of Pretoria Customer Experience Index, with the investment category surpassing international benchmarks and signaling robust sector health. The investment industry recorded a conversion rate of 65.7%, with the sector achieving an overall benchmark score of 76.7 out of 100 against the international standard of 75. This performance reflects both customer acquisition efficiency and effective engagement across major market participants.
The inaugural investment sector benchmark, introduced in response to subscriber demand and the substantial operational overlap between investment and life insurance providers, offers a differentiated lens on customer relationships beyond traditional financial performance metrics. Allan Gray achieved the highest individual brand rating at 80 out of 100, securing first place in the index, with Discovery Invest at 75% conversion and Allan Gray at 72.9% leading sectoral performance. Discovery Invest and Old Mutual shared second place, while Liberty Invest, Momentum Wealth, and Sanlam Wealth occupied third position collectively.
The CE Index evaluation extends beyond satisfaction surveys to measure the full end-to-end customer experience, assessing quality of experience, perceived value, problem resolution, satisfaction levels, loyalty indicators, expectation alignment, and emotional response to brand interactions. The investment industry excelled particularly in quality of experience, scoring 81.9—notably above the international benchmark of 75—demonstrating strong customer engagement, effective service delivery mechanisms, and superior front-end interaction capabilities.
Industry participants are increasingly emphasizing trust and value as strategic differentiators, reflecting broader shifts in customer expectations regarding convenience, transparency, and relationship quality. The South African insurance sector is positioned as resilient amid geopolitical, economic, and climate-related uncertainty, with institutional focus on maintaining robust risk management and stable performance. This competitive positioning suggests the sector is well-positioned to navigate ongoing market volatility while capturing customer preference through relationship quality and perceived value delivery.
The inaugural investment sector benchmark, introduced in response to subscriber demand and the substantial operational overlap between investment and life insurance providers, offers a differentiated lens on customer relationships beyond traditional financial performance metrics. Allan Gray achieved the highest individual brand rating at 80 out of 100, securing first place in the index, with Discovery Invest at 75% conversion and Allan Gray at 72.9% leading sectoral performance. Discovery Invest and Old Mutual shared second place, while Liberty Invest, Momentum Wealth, and Sanlam Wealth occupied third position collectively.
The CE Index evaluation extends beyond satisfaction surveys to measure the full end-to-end customer experience, assessing quality of experience, perceived value, problem resolution, satisfaction levels, loyalty indicators, expectation alignment, and emotional response to brand interactions. The investment industry excelled particularly in quality of experience, scoring 81.9—notably above the international benchmark of 75—demonstrating strong customer engagement, effective service delivery mechanisms, and superior front-end interaction capabilities.
Industry participants are increasingly emphasizing trust and value as strategic differentiators, reflecting broader shifts in customer expectations regarding convenience, transparency, and relationship quality. The South African insurance sector is positioned as resilient amid geopolitical, economic, and climate-related uncertainty, with institutional focus on maintaining robust risk management and stable performance. This competitive positioning suggests the sector is well-positioned to navigate ongoing market volatility while capturing customer preference through relationship quality and perceived value delivery.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.