Absa publishes a different claims number for every insurance product it sells, and there is no single claims line that covers them all. Ringing the wrong one does not get you transferred to the right team; it gets you told which number to ring instead, which costs a call at a point when you are usually already dealing with a loss. So the first job is to identify the product on your policy schedule — short-term, idirect, Absa Life, Instant Life, Activate — and then match it to the number below. Two further things are worth knowing before you start. Claims lines run on weekdays only, from 08:00 to 16:30, so a weekend loss cannot be lodged by phone until Monday. And for car, buildings and home contents claims, Absa lets you skip the call centre entirely and submit online.
Official task and support route
Claims telephone numbers, by product, as published by Absa:
- Absa short-term insurance: 0860 100 876
- Absa idirect: 0860 20 21 22
- Glasfit: 0860 123 423 — for glass claims
- Instant Life: 0860 000 072
- Absa Life: 0860 227 253
- Activate Assist: 0800 046 637
- Absa Activate: 0860 222 762
- Travel and legal insurance claims: the Bryte Centre on 011 370 9205
- To register a new claim, follow up an existing one, or speak to an agent: 0860 227 257
Claims email addresses, which are the better route when you need to send documents:
- Absa Insurance: [email protected]
- Absa idirect: [email protected]
- Absa Life: [email protected]
- Activate assistance: [email protected]
What you need before contacting
- Your policy schedule, which names both the product and the insurer — this is what tells you which number applies.
- The policy number and your identification.
- The date, time and circumstances of the loss, described in the order they happened.
- A case number, where one applies. Theft, hijacking and burglary claims generally require a police case number, so report to the police first.
- For an emergency assistance call, Absa asks for your current location, the number it can reach you on, the nature of the emergency and what assistance you need.
Step-by-step contact process
- Identify the product from your policy schedule and select the matching number above.
- For car, buildings or home contents, consider claiming online instead. In Absa Online or the Absa Banking App, open the Insurance hub on the home screen, select the product, tap Claim and follow the prompts.
- Ring within the published hours — weekdays, 08:00 to 16:30.
- Send supporting documents to the claims mailbox that matches your product rather than a general address.
- Record the claim number. Every follow-up depends on it, and 0860 227 257 is the line for following up an existing claim.
Escalation route
Keep a rejected or delayed claim inside the claims process before taking it further: quote the claim number, ask for the decision and its reasons in writing, and use the product’s claims mailbox so there is a written trail. Absa Insurance Company Limited is an insurer licensed to conduct non-life insurance business and an Authorised Financial Services Provider, which means that once its internal process is exhausted, an unresolved claim can be referred to the relevant financial services ombud scheme. Suspected fraud involving a policy or a claim goes to Absa’s fraud hotline on 0860 557 557 rather than through claims support.
Sources
The claims telephone numbers, email addresses, operating hours and online claim process on this page were read from Absa’s own insurance self-service and claims pages at absa.co.za on 30 August 2026. Nothing has been inferred or taken from a directory. Claims numbers differ by product and change over time, so check your policy schedule and absa.co.za before lodging.