Fire Prevention Week:
What South African Businesses Need to Know About Compliance
Every October, Fire Prevention Week is observed globally. While the official themes differ from country to country, the underlying principle is universal: prevention is better than loss.
For South African businesses, this annual reminder couldn’t come at a more critical time. Insurance companies are tightening their stance on fire cover, exclusions are increasing, and non-compliance with fire protection standards can leave businesses dangerously exposed.
In regions like Gauteng, home to Johannesburg, Pretoria, Centurion, and the high-density industrial hubs of Isando, North Riding, and Maraisburg, the risks are particularly acute. These areas host warehouses, manufacturing plants, and logistics facilities where a single fire can wipe out stock, interrupt supply chains, and jeopardise livelihoods.
Why Insurers Are Taking a Harder Line
Historically, insurers in South Africa often absorbed fire-related claims, even where fire protection systems were poorly maintained by increasing premiums, but this is changing rapidly to no cover.
There are three major reasons behind insurers tightening fire cover:
1. Escalating Fire Losses
Recent warehouse, retail, and industrial fires across Gauteng have resulted in catastrophic claims. Insurers have absorbed billions in losses over the past decade, and many are no longer willing to cover risks that are avoidable through proper compliance and maintenance.
2. Compliance Gaps
Too many facilities either install systems that don’t fully meet the South African National Standards (SANS) or fail to maintain them once installed. For example, several industrial zones in Isando and Maraisburg have seen insurers demand immediate system upgrades before cover is renewed.
3. Risk-Based Premiums and Exclusions
Risk-based premiums and exclusions are not closing the financial gap for insurance companies. Higher risk-based premiums and exclusions are slowing coming to an end.
The South African Reality is Prevention = Compliance
In South Africa, fire prevention isn’t only about good practice, it’s written into law and enforced through national standards. The two key pieces of legislation are:
- SANS 10400-T – The application of the National Building Regulations Part T: Fire Protection. This sets out the minimum requirements for fire safety in buildings, including escape routes, fire detection, and suppression.
- SANS 10287 – Specifically covering automatic sprinkler installations, outlining how systems must be designed, installed, and maintained.
Together, these standards make one thing clear, prevention is compliance. Having a sprinkler system is not enough. It must be designed correctly, installed according to code, and maintained by competent professionals to remain effective and insurable.
Local Case Study Demonstrating Compliance in Action
At Elite Fire Protection, we’ve seen first-hand how compliance protects both people and insurance cover.
In 2025, we completed a fire sprinkler installation at a livestock feed manufacturing plant in Mpumalanga. The client was upgrading its transformers, and our team designed, supplied, and installed a fully compliant sprinkler system aligned with each project phase. This not only safeguarded critical infrastructure but also ensured the client’s insurance obligations were met.
It’s a prime example of how investment in compliance translates directly into risk reduction and insurer confidence.
The Cost of Non-Compliance
A fire is devastating in itself, but a non-compliant fire protection system multiplies the damage in three ways:
1. Insurance Rejection
If your sprinkler system is found to be non-compliant, insurers have the right to reject your fire claim in full or in part. This has already happened to facilities in Centurion and Ekurhuleni, where claims were disputed due to incomplete maintenance records.
2. Legal and Financial Penalties
South African law empowers local authorities to issue fines, halt operations, or even close down facilities that fail to comply with fire safety regulations. In industrial zones like Isando, such shutdowns can cripple supply chains for weeks.
3. Business Continuity Risks
Even if insurers and authorities don’t intervene, the operational impact of a fire is immense. Without a functioning sprinkler system, a small fire can escalate into a total loss event, destroying stock, damaging machinery, and forcing long shutdowns that customers may not wait out.
Why Fire Prevention Week Matters for South African Businesses
Globally, Fire Prevention Week emphasises proactive safety. For South Africa, it’s a chance to recognise that prevention goes beyond awareness campaigns, it’s about meeting compliance obligations and protecting your insurance position.
Awareness: Fire risks exist in every business, whether in Johannesburg’s CBD high-rises, Pretoria’s office parks, or Centurion’s logistics hubs.
Action: Awareness must translate into practical steps by doing system testing, compliance audits, and scheduled maintenance.
Accountability: Business leaders must understand that the cost of cutting corners is far greater than the cost of compliance.
What Businesses Should Be Doing Right Now
With insurers scrutinising policies more closely than ever, here’s what South African businesses should prioritise:
Conduct a Compliance Audit
Review your fire protection systems against SANS 10400-T and SANS 10287. If gaps exist, address them immediately.
Schedule Regular Maintenance
Sprinkler systems are not “fit-and-forget.” Regular inspection and testing by accredited professionals ensures reliability and keeps insurance valid.
Keep Proper Records
Insurers will ask for evidence of compliance. Maintain detailed records of all inspections, testing, and corrective actions taken.
Engage with Your Insurer Proactively
Don’t wait for renewal time. Engage your insurer now, provide evidence of compliance, and negotiate from a position of strength.
Invest in Training and Preparedness
Compliance is about systems, but also people. Train staff in fire response protocols, evacuation, and equipment use.
The Bottom Line is Compliance Protects More Than Just Insurance
Fire Prevention Week is a reminder that every business has a duty of care to its people, its clients, and its future. But in South Africa’s tightening insurance environment, it’s also a reminder that compliance is not optional.
A non-compliant system isn’t just a safety risk. It’s a direct threat to insurance and business continuity. The message from insurers is clear: prove your systems are compliant and maintained, or risk carrying the financial burden yourself.
Final Thought
As insurers demand higher accountability, South African businesses have a choice: cut corners and face exclusions or embrace compliance and secure both safety and continuity.
This Fire Prevention Week, don’t just raise awareness, take action. Prevention through compliance isn’t just the safer path, it’s the only path to a sustainable, insurable future.
