Hippo Staff Writer · Published 4 August 2025 · 4 min read

Why you should consider Third-Party Car Insurance

There's a reason why car accidents are called accidents. They don't happen on purpose. Yet, if you're involved in a car accident and you're at fault, you may have to pay to fix the other driver's car, in addition to your own. If you have Third-Party Car Insurance, you'll be covered. If you don't, you'll be left to pay for the repair or even replacement of the other car out of your pocket, expenses that might run into hundreds of thousands of rands. Here’s why you should consider third-party insurance:

Real-Life Scenario

You’re driving a 2009 Toyota worth around R50,000 and accidentally rear-end a new VW Polo worth R300,000.

With no Insurance: You’re on the hook for the Polo’s repairs or replacement and the repair or replacement of your own car.
With Third-Party Insurance: Your insurer covers the Polo. You only deal with your own car’s repairs and any excess related to the third party claim.

Third-Party Cover protects you from serious debt when the accident is your fault.

How Third-Party Insurance Works

Third-Party Car Insurance protects you against financial liability if you cause an accident that results in the accidental loss of or damage to someone else's property. (In this situation, you are the first party, your insurer is the second and the person whose property has been damaged is the third).

That third party could be a person or a business. It'll probably be the driver of the other car involved in the accident that you caused, but it could also be a homeowner, or a business owner if you've damaged a commercial property.

What Does Each Type of Car Insurance Cover?

Cover Type	Damage to Someone Else’s Car/Property	Damage to Your Own Car (if accident is your fault)	Fire Damage to Your Car	Theft or Hijacking of Your Car
Third-Party Only	✅	❌	❌	❌
Third-Party, Fire & Theft	✅	❌	✅	✅
Comprehensive	✅	✅	✅	✅

Use this table to decide what level of cover best suits your needs.

Your Own Car Isn't Necessarily Covered

Third-Party Insurance has its limits. Importantly, while it will cover you against third-party claims if you're legally liable for the damage, it won't necessarily cover you against loss or damage to your own car.

Some Third-Party Cover options will protect you if there's an accident and someone else is driving your car, while some will protect you if you are driving someone else's car. Third-Party Cover may also protect you against liability if someone else drove your vehicle without permission, or if you drive another person's uninsured vehicle. As you do your research, make sure to read the fine print so you know exactly what cover you're getting.

Is Third-Party Insurance Right for You?

Ask yourself:

Do you drive an older or lower-value car?
Would the cost of fixing another person’s car put you in financial trouble?
Are you mainly concerned about protecting yourself from liability, not your car?
Is comprehensive cover out of your budget right now?
Do you want peace of mind when borrowing or lending vehicles?

If you ticked three or more, Third-Party Cover might be a smart fit.

Compare and Save on Third-Party Insurance

Third-Party Car Insurance is especially useful if you're on a budget. It's worth having, even if your car is so old that you don't think it's worth insuring. If you accidentally crash into another car and the collision is your fault, you'll have to cover the costs.

Now, that may be all right if your car is cheap to fix or replace, but getting the dents out of the other car (or paying for a new one) might be completely beyond your budget.

That's where Third-Party Cover comes in, and that's why it's always worth having this kind of Insurance. To make sure you're getting the best deal, use Hippo's easy-to-use comparison tool and get a Third-Party Insurance quote your budget can handle.

If Comprehensive Car Insurance is out of your budget, you can also look into getting Third-Party Fire and Theft Insurance, which is usually cheaper, and only covers the other person's car or property if you're responsible for the accident, and covers your vehicle if it is stolen or damaged in the event of a hijacking, theft or fire (What it doesn't cover is accidental damage to your vehicle).

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, medical or insurance advice. Hippo is a comparison site helping you evaluate quotes from trusted South African insurers. Always review policy details before making changes. Quotes are risk profile dependent and subject to annual review. No fees are charged for using Hippo’s comparison service. HAS (Pty) Ltd and HCS (Pty) Ltd are authorised FSPs. Terms and conditions apply.

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