Progress is rarely accidental. It is built in the small improvements that customers may not always see but certainly feel. It is found in the effort to make a client interaction easier, a process clearer, a faster response, and a difficult moment a little less stressful.

For Old Mutual Insure, being recognised among the top three short-term insurers for customer experience in the 2026 ASK AFRICA Orange Index™ represents exactly that kind of progress.

Having moved from 10th place in 2025 into the top three in 2026, recognition is an important milestone for Old Mutual Insure. More importantly, it reflects a journey of continuous improvement and a deepening focus on the experience of customers who place their trust in the business.

According to Sonja Tune, Executive: Controls Improvements at Old Mutual Insure, the recognition is particularly meaningful because customer experience cannot be claimed by a brand. It must be earned through every interaction and every conversation, especially in insurance, during those moments when a customer needs certainty, support and a clear path forward.

The ASK AFRICA Orange Index™ is Africa's longest-running independent customer experience benchmark. Established in 2001, it measures the experiences of thousands of South African consumers across more than 200 brands and multiple industries, providing an independent view of how organisations perform against customer expectations and their competitors.

Tune adds that the recognition belongs not to one team or one initiative, but to the collective effort across the organisation to make every customer interaction count.

Moving from 10th place in 2025 into the top three in 2026 is a tremendous achievement and an encouraging indication that the work we are doing to improve our customers' experience is making a difference. More importantly, it reflects something we can never take for granted: the trust that our customers place in us. In insurance, we are often called upon during moments of uncertainty and stress, and our responsibility is to show up with care, clarity and consistency when it matters most.

In a world where customers increasingly compare every interaction with the best experience they have received from any organisation, customer expectations continue to rise. Customer experience is shaped not only by how well organisations perform, but by how meaningfully they connect with the people they serve.

Tune says that for Old Mutual Insure, this means recognising that customer experience is not the responsibility of a single department. It is shaped by every part of the business.

"It is present in the ease of doing business with us, the clarity of our communication, the responsiveness of our people and the consistency with which we deliver on our promises," she says.

This is why recognition such as this should never signal that the work is done. If anything, moving into the top three provides further motivation to keep improving.

"Recognition is important because it allows us to pause and acknowledge the progress we have made, but our customers' expectations will continue to evolve, and so must we," says Tune.

"Our focus remains on listening, learning, and finding new ways to improve. This recognition is something to celebrate, but remaining worthy of our customers' trust is the work that continues every day".

Ultimately, the most meaningful measure of success is not simply where a company ranks.

It is whether, when a customer needs help, they feel heard. Whether they understand what happens next and feel that someone is taking ownership. And ultimately, whether the organisation delivers on its promise.

For Old Mutual Insure, moving from 10th place in 2025 into the top three in 2026 is an important milestone.

"But the real ambition remains unchanged," Tune says.

"It is to keep earning the right to be there for customers, especially when it matters most".