Miway has achieved a 5% overturn ratio, its lowest result to date, according to the National Financial Ombud Scheme South Africa (NFO) 2025 Annual Report.
The latest figure improves on the insurer’s 6% ratio recorded in 2024 and reinforces Miway’s standing among South Africa’s leading short-term insurers.
The company says the result reflects a broader commitment across the business to making decisions that are fair, consistent and defensible from the customer’s perspective.
Independent scrutiny provides key benchmark
The NFO provides an independent mechanism for resolving disputes between financial service providers and their customers.
Its assessments are based on fairness, transparency and the circumstances of each individual case.
An overturn ratio indicates how frequently an insurer’s decision is changed in the customer’s favour following independent review.
A lower ratio therefore suggests that fewer decisions are found to have been incorrect or unreasonable.
For Miway, the latest figure is being viewed as evidence that its internal claims and complaints processes can withstand external scrutiny.
Getting decisions right the first time
Miway CEO Burton Naicker says the significance of the result lies less in comparisons with competitors and more in the insurer’s ability to reach appropriate outcomes before disputes escalate.
“A low resolved ratio isn’t about avoiding complaints but about getting decisions right the first time,” Naicker says.
He adds that independent reviews provide an important test of whether the company’s decisions remain sound when examined externally.
“It shows that when our claims and complaints are reviewed independently, they stand up to scrutiny.
It’s not about competing with the other insurers, it’s about putting the customer at the centre,” he says.
Multiple reviews underpin decisions
According to Miway, decisions are subject to several levels of review before being finalised.
The insurer says this process is designed to ensure that outcomes are consistent with the relevant facts, legislation and policy conditions.
Naicker attributes the company’s performance to strong governance and an emphasis on treating customers fairly.
The insurer also says customer feedback plays an important role in identifying areas where processes can be improved, with complaints viewed as opportunities to refine decision-making and service delivery.
Service providers remain part of the customer journey
Miway says accountability does not end once a claim has been assessed.
Customers can also judge an insurer based on their interactions with external service providers, particularly when repairs, workmanship and communication are involved.
The company therefore places emphasis on monitoring the performance of its service-provider network and responding when expected standards are not met.
“Our customers don’t see a service provider, they see Miway. That’s why we take full accountability for the end-to-end experience,” Naicker says.
He says Miway monitors service performance, considers customer feedback and intervenes when necessary to maintain the expected level of service.
Complaints treated as a source of improvement
Miway says the latest NFO result should not be viewed as the end of the process.
Instead, the insurer considers complaints and independent findings valuable sources of information for strengthening its operations.
The company credits both employees and customers for contributing to this process, with internal expertise and candid customer feedback helping identify where policies and procedures can be refined.
“As an insurer, complaints are always a learning ground.
What matters is how you handle them,” Naicker says.
He adds that accountability throughout the claims and complaints process is essential to making decisions the insurer can confidently stand behind.
A result that reinforces customer focus
Miway’s 5% overturn ratio marks an improvement from the previous year’s 6% and represents the insurer’s lowest recorded figure.
The company says the result provides an independent indication that its decision-making processes are producing outcomes that are both technically sound and fair, while reinforcing its ongoing focus on transparency, accountability and customer experience.
