Everything about managing your policy — waiting periods, missed payments, lapsing, reinstatement, upgrades, moving countries, and cancellation.
All new Mutual Life Africa Life Cover policies have a 12-month waiting period from the date of inception. During this period, no death benefit claims will be paid — with one exception.
The exception is accidental death caused by an unforeseeable event that is entirely unrelated to any pre-existing condition. If you die in a road accident in month 3 of your policy, your family can claim. If you die from a condition that existed before you took out the policy, the claim will be declined.
The waiting period reapplies from the date of reinstatement if your policy lapses and is reinstated. This is one of the most important reasons to keep your policy active and payments up to date.
Important: Purchasing a policy knowing that the insured is terminally ill or clinically near end of life renders the policy void from inception. All premiums paid will be forfeited.
Missing a payment triggers a strict escalation timeline. Understanding this timeline is critical — once a policy is cancelled, it cannot be reinstated under any circumstances.
Your premium is due. Policy is fully active. Cover is in force.
You have not paid. A 7-day grace period activates. Cover remains active. You will be notified.
Cover is paused. No new claims accepted from this point. You can still reinstate by paying in full.
Cover ceases entirely. Reinstatement is still possible by paying all outstanding premiums in full through the app.
The policy is permanently cancelled. All linked family members are deactivated. This cannot be reversed under any circumstances.
Failure to receive notifications — SMS, email, or in-app — does not alter this timeline. Keep your contact details updated in the app.
These four terms describe different stages of a policy in payment default. Each has a different meaning and different consequences.
A grace period is the window after a missed payment during which your cover remains active. It exists to protect you from an accidental short-term payment failure. During this period, claims are still accepted.
Suspension means your cover is paused. No new claims will be accepted for events that occur during suspension. Your policy still exists and can be reinstated, but you are not covered.
A lapsed policy has ceased to provide cover. You can still reinstate a lapsed policy by paying all outstanding premiums through the app. However, the 12-month waiting period reapplies from the reinstatement date, and no claims are accepted for events during the lapse period.
Cancellation is permanent. Once cancelled, a policy cannot be reinstated. A new application is required, which means a new waiting period, and potentially a higher premium if you are now in a higher age band.
If your policy has lapsed — but not yet been cancelled — you can reinstate it by paying all outstanding premiums in full through the app.
Important: No claims are accepted for events that occurred during the lapse period. Reinstatement also affects your internal credit score and Mutual Life Africa may limit reinstatements where repeated lapsing indicates persistent payment instability.
You can change your cover amount at any time by contacting support or through the app. Cover changes take effect from the next billing cycle — not immediately.
Your cover amount does not increase automatically. If your financial situation changes — new mortgage, new child, business growth — you need to proactively request an upgrade to ensure your cover reflects your actual needs.
When you upgrade, your premium will change to reflect the new cover amount at your current age band. Your original age-band rate lock applies to the new amount as well — you will not be re-rated to a higher age band.
Your Mutual Life Africa policy remains active when you move countries. Cover does not lapse or cancel because you have relocated. This is one of the core advantages of a product designed for mobile, international African families.
What you need to do when you move is update your contact details, address, and country of residence in the app. If you want to change your policy currency — for example, switching from USD to GBP after relocating to the UK — contact support@mutuallifeafrica.com. Currency and plan changes are handled on a case-by-case basis.
Yes. You may hold multiple Mutual Life Africa policies simultaneously. Each policy is managed independently — separate premiums, separate cover amounts, separate beneficiaries, and separate claims processes.
Many customers hold both a Life Cover policy and a Funeral Cover policy at the same time. This is the recommended approach for complete family protection — Funeral Cover for immediate costs and Life Cover for long-term financial security.
You may cancel your policy at any time through the app or by contacting support@mutuallifeafrica.com. There is no cancellation fee.
If you cancel within 30 days of your policy's issue date and have not submitted or made any claims, you are entitled to a full premium refund. After 30 days, premiums are non-refundable under any circumstances — they are payment for cover already provided during that period.
Once cancelled, a policy cannot be reinstated. If you want cover again, you must apply for a new policy, which means a new waiting period and potentially a higher premium if you are in a higher age band.
Every Mutual Life Africa policy comes with a 30-day cooling-off period from the date of issue. During this period, you can cancel your policy and receive a full refund of all premiums paid — provided you have not submitted a claim or have a claim pending.
After 30 days, the cooling-off period expires and premiums are no longer refundable. This is not a unique restriction — it is standard insurance practice globally. Premiums are not savings. They are payment for the cover you have had during that period.
Questions about your policy? Our support team is here to help.
Email supportMutual Life Africa offers life and funeral cover to expats, locals, diasporas, and foreign nationals living and working in foreign countries and across Africa.
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