Good morning, Thabo

45, self-employed. Runs a physiotherapy practice with four staff.

She has no life cover at all. But her real question was about the practice — what happens to the business and to her four staff if something happens to her.

A recent health scare in her family. She asked by name about business assurance and key person cover — this is a bigger opportunity than the life cover we called about.

• Key person cover options
• Underwriting process explainer

52, senior manager at a logistics firm. Retiring in three years.

He has group life cover through work and knows it falls away when he retires. He wants to understand exactly what he can port and what he will have to replace.

Three years out, and he is planning properly. He is highly numbers-focused — he asked for specific figures twice on the call and was mildly frustrated that the AI could not give them.

• Exact quotes for two scenarios
• Portability rules

34, recently promoted. Pretoria. Expect two people — she asked to bring her wife on the call.

This is the first time she has thought seriously about retirement. She asked what a retirement annuity even is, so start from the beginning.

The promotion. There is more money coming in and she wants to do something sensible with it. Low base knowledge but genuinely willing.

• Plain-language RA basics
• Starter contribution scenarios

41, IT contractor. His income varies month to month, sometimes considerably.

He already contributes to an RA, but irregularly. He wants a structure that tolerates a variable income instead of fighting it.

He asked specifically whether he can pause contributions without a penalty. That is the question the meeting has to answer.

• Flexible contribution options
• Penalty-free pause terms

29, single, no dependants. Recently bought a flat in Randburg with a bond of R1 200 000.

Cover that settles the bond if she dies. That is the whole trigger — the bond, not family protection, so do not pitch it as family protection.

She signed for the flat recently. She is financially literate and had already done her own research before the call, referring to two competitor product types by category.

• Bond-linked cover comparison
• Why-not-cheapest rationale