Discovery Life's response to misinformation campaign by Mr Ben Lombaard

27 August 2025

We are aware of the recent posts by Mr Ben Lombaard and the emotionally charged claims they contain. While we respect the right of any individual to share their personal experiences, we must respond to the serious allegations and misinformation being circulated. To clarify, Mr Lombaard's dispute with Discovery is connected to a claim that was declined on his life insurance policy 20 years ago.

Discovery Life has a long-standing commitment to fairness, transparency, and integrity in how we assess and pay claims. Since our inception in 2000, we have paid out over R60 billion in claims and benefits, with a 99% claim payout rate. This is not just a statistic, it reflects thousands of families supported during times of crisis, and lives changed through responsible insurance practices.

The allegations made by Mr Lombaard against Discovery Life are misleading and harmful. They are not supported by facts, and they undermine the trust that so many South Africans place in the financial services industry.

We would like to address the specific case that Mr Lombaard has made public, and provide clarity on the facts.

The background of Mr Lombaard's claim

Mr Lombaard's dispute dates back to a 2005 claim under the Severe Illness Benefit of his life insurance policy. The claim was for a heart attack. According to medical records provided by his treating cardiologist, Mr Lombaard had suffered a silent myocardial infarction. This is a type of heart attack that occurs without the typical symptoms such as chest pain, pressure, nausea, or radiating pain.

Silent heart attacks are notoriously difficult to assess. They often leave behind a scar on the heart wall, but determining when the event occurred or what caused it is medically challenging. This is a critical issue in insurance, where the timing of an event must be proven to ensure it occurred while the policy was active.

Discovery Life conducted a thorough review of all available medical evidence. Unfortunately, the timing of the heart attack could not be established with certainty. As a result, the claim was declined, not arbitrarily, but based on objective criteria and medical evidence.

It's important to note that silent myocardial infarctions are not covered by life insurers under the industry-wide definitions provided by the Standardised Critical Illness Definition Project (SCIDEP). These definitions are used across the industry to ensure consistency and fairness in how claims are assessed. SCIDEP excludes silent heart attacks because they lack the objective criteria needed to validate a claim.

In 2016, Mr Lombaard approached the Office of the Ombudsman for Long-Term Insurance, an independent body that exists to protect consumers. The independent doctor who the Ombudsman consulted explicitly concluded that he supported Discovery Life's decision to repudiate the claim.

This was not a unilateral decision by Discovery Life, it was validated by independent experts.

On the matter of Ms Smit

Mr Lombaard has also published an interview with Ms Smit, whose disability claim was declined. This case involved clear evidence of dishonesty in the claims submission, which was brought to our attention via an anonymous tip-off. Discovery Life takes fraud and misrepresentation seriously, and we have a zero-tolerance policy in this regard.

Ms Smit did approach the Ombudsman, but chose to withdraw the matter after receiving an initial response. She has since requested that the matter be reopened, which we welcome. We remain confident in our position and will cooperate fully with any further investigation.

Our commitment to fairness and transparency

Discovery Life's claims process is built on clinical rigour and fairness. Our benefit guide definitions are designed to be clear, objective, and medically sound, so that every valid claim can be assessed consistently.

Heart attacks are a case in point. Over the past ten years, Discovery Life has paid out more than R4.5 billion in heart attack-related claims to 3,700 individual policyholders. These are real people, with real stories, who received support when they needed it most.

We understand that declined claims can be deeply upsetting. That's why we encourage policyholders to use the independent avenues available to them, including the Ombudsman. South Africa has a robust regulatory framework that protects consumers and ensures accountability.

Addressing the tone and impact of the campaign

We are deeply concerned by the tone and language used in Mr Lombaard's posts. Many of the phrases used are not only inflammatory, they risk causing unnecessary distress to vulnerable individuals.

Sensationalism does not serve the public interest, it undermines it.

Looking ahead

Discovery Life will continue to uphold the highest standards in claims assessment. We will always pay valid claims, and we will always defend our decisions when they are based on sound evidence and fair process.

We remain open to dialogue, and we welcome scrutiny. But that scrutiny must be based on facts - not fear and not misinformation.

To those who may feel uncertain or concerned after reading Mr Lombaard's posts, we invite you to reach out directly.

We are here to listen, to explain, and to support.

We also encourage anyone with a dispute to engage with the National Financial Services Ombud Scheme, which provides an independent and objective avenue for resolution.

Final note

Discovery Life is proud of its track record. We are proud of the thousands of lives we've supported, and the trust we've earned over two decades. We will not allow misinformation to erode that trust.

Discovery as a whole stands by the values of integrity, transparency, fairness, and client-centricity. And we will continue to serve all of our clients with empathy, professionalism, and care.