Cape Town-based startups Simply and SweepSouth have announced a partnership to provide accidental death and disability cover at no cost to all SweepSouth’s domestic cleaners.

Insurtech startup Simply and on-demand home services app SweepSouth said the partnership was a “win-win”, deepening Simply’s commitment to provide cover to individuals among lower income groups and building loyalty among the 7,000 “SweepStars” on the books of SweepSouth.

The partnership also helps serve a profound need in the domestic worker space, with the recent SweepSouth Report on Pay and Living Conditions for Domestic Work finding 78 per cent of domestic workers lack any form of savings or pension.

“In many ways, this sector had remained unchanged in practice and attitude for decades,” said SweepSouth founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Aisha Pandor.

“We wanted to provide dignified, flexible work opportunities at decent levels of pay, to domestic cleaners. The SweepSouth partnership with Simply extends dignity to the SweepStars and their families by providing accidental death and disability cover at no cost to the cleaner.”

Simply, which provides life, disability and funeral cover online, has sold over 8,000 policies since its launch in late 2016, with most of its retail policies sold via mobile. The initiative with SweepSouth is a good strategic fit for the startup, as serving South Africa’s one million strong domestic worker force is already a key focus for the company.

“When a domestic worker dies or becomes disabled through an accident, his or her dependants are often left destitute. Working with SweepSouth, who share our passion for social impact, we can now extend our benefits to thousands who would otherwise not have had any life or disability cover. And this at no cost to the SweepStars,” Anthony Miller, CEO of Simply, said.

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