Around the world: South African viral marketing

South Africa has consistently been at the forefront of product innovation, with many of their innovations reaching British shores. Great examples include critical illness and innovations such as Vitality. This hotbed of ideas is partly in response to an ­environment where the insurance industry has evolved to meet the needs of the middle classes who rely on private medical provision and non-state-based safety nets. Add to this a diversity of customers, with segments ranging from the globe-trotting ultra-high net worth to the financially illiterate living on the breadline, who often re...