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Santam

South African general insurer founded in 1918 and subject to Sanlam’s proposed 2026 scheme to acquire its remaining eligible shares.

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Sanlam head office in Bellville, Cape Town
Sanlam’s head office in Bellville, Cape Town. Photo: Misha Jordaan / Gallo Images · Source

Santam is a listed South African general-insurance company and a Sanlam subsidiary. [4][2]

History

Santam was registered on 28 March 1918 and started official business on 1 May. [1]

Its life-assurance operation separated as Sanlam in June 1918. [1]

Proposed scheme

Sanlam’s corrected beneficial holding was 61.9%, excluding treasury shares, on 18 September 2026. [3]

The R505-per-share proposal still required shareholder approval and other conditions on 4 November 2026. [2]

Frequently asked questions

Did Santam or Sanlam come first?

Santam was registered first. Sanlam followed as a separate life company in June 1918. [1]

Does Sanlam already control Santam?

Sanlam was the majority shareholder, with a corrected 61.9% beneficial interest excluding treasury shares. [3]

Is Santam already wholly owned by Sanlam?

No. That outcome depends on the proposed scheme becoming operative. [2]

Key milestones

  1. Santam was registered. [1]

  2. Official business began. [1]

  3. The separate Sanlam life company was registered. [1]

  4. The joint scheme circular was posted. [2]

Founded / co-founded by

  • Willie Hofmeyr — South African lawyer and business organiser who became the first chair of Santam and Sanlam in 1918.

Related people

Related articles

Related institutions

  • Sanlam Limited — JSE-listed financial-services group formed through Sanlam’s 1998 demutualisation, with institutional roots in the 1918 life insurer.
  • Sanlam Life Insurance — Regulated life-insurance company descended from the 1918 Sanlam mutual and wholly owned within the listed Sanlam group.

Sources

  1. Grietjie Verhoef, The Power of Your Life: The Sanlam Century of Insurance Empowerment, 1918–2018 (Oxford University Press), 2018. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-04. ↩
  2. Sanlam Limited and Santam Limited, Posting of the joint scheme circular and notice of the general meeting, 2026-11-03. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-04. ↩
  3. Sanlam Limited and Santam Limited, Correction to the joint firm intention announcement, 2026-10-14. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-04. ↩
  4. Santam Limited, Annual Financial Statements 2025, 2026-03-12. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-04. ↩