Compare travel insurance for Africa
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Key things to know about travel insurance for Africa
Travel insurance for Africa at a glance
Africa is a top destination for British travellers. With 54 countries you can do it all on this continent, from visiting the vibrant markets of Marrakech to exploring the sprawling plains of the Serengeti.
However, the travel landscape has evolved; many African nations and tour operators now require proof of comprehensive travel insurance as a mandatory condition for entry or booking.
Comparing travel insurance with PayingTooMuch can help you quickly and easily find the right policy for your specific trip. In remote regions or nature reserves, medical facilities can be limited, and the cost of an ICU-equipped air ambulance back to the UK can exceed £100,000 depending on which country you are in. Without specialist cover, these life-saving flights must be paid for upfront.
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What does travel insurance for Africa cover?
Emergency medical care | While some cities such as Cape Town and Nairobi have excellent hospitals, this isn’t always the case across the continent. The quality of the hospital care can vary significantly between individual cities and countries. |
Medical evacuation | If you were seriously injured during a safari trip, you may need to be flown to a hospital far away. This is because many remote nature reserves are unlikely to have the necessary facilities to treat you. |
Medical repatriation (returning a person to their home country) | If you need to be flown back to the UK from an African country, with a medical escort, the cost can be significant. |
Theft and loss of personal belongings | If you have expensive items such as camera lenses, binoculars and cameras that you take for a safari, make sure your policy has a high ‘Single Item Limit’ so that they’ll be covered if they’re stolen. It’s not uncommon for this to happen in urban areas. |
Trip cancellation | Some trips to some countries in Africa can be costly. Cancellation cover means that you’ll be able to get a refund if you’re unable to travel due to illness, injury or an emergency. |
Why you might need travel insurance for Africa
Out of the 54 African countries, 21 are part of the Commonwealth, but even these also have no reciprocal health agreements with the UK. This means you are completely responsible for any medical costs whilst in any African country.
Both the EHIC and GHIC cards are invalid here, as you’re outside Europe. Also, many hospitals will need you to have proof of insurance, or pay a large deposit up-front before they treat you.
Beyond medical emergencies, travel insurance provides non-medical protection cover in the form of the following:
- Trip cancellation and curtailment – If you have to cancel your Kenyan safari before you leave, or you have to end your trip to Ghana early, you can be reimbursed for non-refundable costs.
- Theft or loss of personal belongings – If your bag is stolen in a Tunisian Souk, or you forget it in your hotel, you can be compensated to get a replacement.
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Travel disruption – Cover for additional costs (food, accommodation etc.) if your flight, or flights, is/are delayed or cancelled.
What is not covered by travel insurance for Africa?
High-risk activities | Standard insurance policies often don’t cover many of the reasons why people visit Africa. For example, things like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or a hot air balloon flight in Tanzania. You might need to get activity-specific add-ons to make sure you’re covered. |
Flight cancellations | If your flight is cancelled, your airline is usually responsible for reimbursing you for any costs, e.g., food, hotels, etc. But if the airline doesn’t cover it, you may be able to make a claim on your travel insurance policy. |
Alcohol/drug-related injuries | If you lose any items or have a medical emergency due to intoxication, it’s very unlikely you will be covered. |
Undeclared pre-existing conditions | It’s important to declare any pre-existing conditions, as not doing so can invalidate your insurance policy. This means that if you made a claim related to an undeclared condition, your insurer is very unlikely to pay out, leaving you liable to pay for the entire bill. |
Travelling against FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office) advice | If the UK government advises against travelling to a country (or countries) in Africa due to a potential danger to UK citizens, and you were to still travel, you wouldn’t be covered. |
How much does travel insurance for Africa cost?
Most destinations in Africa fall under the 'Worldwide excluding North America’ classification. This makes it more expensive than Europe, but generally cheaper than most policies that include North America.
Other factors that affect travel insurance costs for Africa include:
- Length of your trip – Longer trips can mean higher travel insurance costs, as you are statistically more likely to claim the longer you are abroad.
- The planned activities during your trip – As we’ve mentioned before, the riskier activities such as safaris, climbing mountains and hot air balloon trips will increase your premium, as you’ll need activity-specific add-ons to make sure you’re covered. This is because these activities are more dangerous and increase the likelihood of you having to claim for an injury.
- Age - Your age can affect the price of your cover. Costs will increase at certain age milestones, such as 65 and 75.
- Medical history - Most pre-existing conditions can raise the price of travel insurance. This is because if you have one, insurers will see you as a higher-risk customer, as you’re more likely to make a medical claim.
How to find affordable travel insurance for Africa
When searching for your travel insurance for Africa, make sure you consider the following tips to get better value for money:
- Tailoring cover to your specific trip, or trips – For example, if you intend to take it easy and not do any high-risk activities such as mountain climbing or kayaking, you won't need any activity-specific add-ons, which will save you money.
- Find group policies – If there are a group of you visiting Africa together, a family or group policy may work out to be cheaper.
- Declare all pre-existing medical conditions – If you got injured or sick in Africa and didn’t declare your pre-existing condition, your insurer can invalidate your policy. To guarantee you’ll be treated when you’re in Africa, you must declare any pre-existing conditions.
- Find the right altitude limit – If you plan to go hiking, or climb a mountain, find a policy with the right Altitude Limit. For example, if you only plan to climb 2,000m, try to get one for 2,000m or 2,500m.
- Consider an annual multi-trip (AMT) policy – If you’re planning to travel to Africa more than once in a year, an AMT policy may work out cheaper.
- Check the "territory" definition – Make sure you can select ‘Worldwide, not including North America’ to make your policy better value for money.
- Check the excess – Sometimes, taking out a policy with a higher excess can lower your premium; if you’re younger and healthy, this could be a particularly good option.
- Buy as soon as you book – For Single Trip policies, this activates your cancellation cover immediately, protecting you from unforeseen circumstances that can stop you travelling. For AMT policies, though, your cover will start on the same date of the AMT policy.
Do your own research and make sure you find the right travel insurance policy for you by comparing quotes now.