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The past 3 years have seen many unpredictable and unforeseen events. From the Covid19 pandemic to the KwaZulu Natal rain and floods in the first half of the year that left over 43 people dead, thousands without homes and many without livelihoods. The need for risk management has become more crucial than ever before. With the ongoing power outages, South African business and the domestic fraternity are increasingly facing more risks that include loss of production capacity, damage to electrical appliances and heightened criminal activities in our communities.
And whilst we don’t have much control over the power outages, we can certainly take proactive measures to combat the unpredictability of the times we are living in through harnessing alternative energies like solar or wind power. However, the risk of having damaged appliances as a result of the rolling load shedding remains imminent and real, as is the risk of losing belongings through theft as alarm systems at times go longer without power. One way of mitigating these risks is by ensuring that your assets are insured.
Kabelo Paile, the technical manager at the South African Insurance Association (SAIA) and new board member at the Plumbing Industry Registration Board (PIRB) explains it perfectly on her interview about the need for insurance and risk management. Insurance is necessary to transfer some of the risk, to protect you and your family and for peace of mind. These are similar benefits of using PIRB-registered plumbers, and the added risk-management strategy is Auditing.
Auditing is a process by which trained and experienced plumbers/auditors inspect the work done by a plumber to confirm compliance with national standards and regulations. Much like insurance, auditing is a proactive safety measure. So, it is important that the general public is made aware of the benefits of these proactive measures, and Kabelo brings that unique voice to the PIRB Board. Much like the goal of the PIRB, her aim is to create consumer awareness to ensure that people know, understand and utilise the myriad of risk-mitigating resources available to them.
While Kabelo has a vast and rich knowledge in the insurance space, sitting as a board member is new for her. “It’s actually a huge learning curve, there’s a lot of learning. I never thought I could become a board member, I believed it was for veterans in the industry, but I have to admire PIRB for opening the doors and trusting me with this great opportunity,” she said cheerfully.
Her eagerness to nurture her curiosity is what makes her a great representative for the South African plumbing Board. Kabelo has a passion for learning and adding value into the spaces she occupies, and despite her shy nature, she possesses a high form of quiet intelligence, which lead her to win the 2017 Insurance apprentice. Since then, the passion for insurance and creating awareness has only grown.
“My aim is to ensure that people stop thinking of insurance as an afterthought, after the damage. It should be a priority. I believe the same for using a licenced plumber. Homeowners should not think of using them as an afterthought, or once the damage has been done, it should be their first resort. Hence my passion for consumer awareness, we need to make sure that the relevant information is disseminated,” she said expressing her excitement in learning more about this ever-growing industry.
Kabelo is also great at making insurance jargon simple for the next person, which makes her knowledge and skills evermore impactful. Her ever-growing knowledge of the insurance industry and the newly occupied Board position in the PIRB makes her a great voice for anyone who is open to learning.
Written by Naomi Bango and Kwanele Sibanda