Objectives

The primary objective is to appoint a qualified consultant to manage, broker, and benchmark a holistic employee benefits portfolio for approximately 200 permanent SANSA staff over a five-year period. The engagement aims to optimize value for money, ensure seamless administration, resolve employee disputes, and provide strategic advisory services across medical, retirement, risk, and funeral benefit programs.

Scope of Work

• Medical Aid & Health Schemes: Review open/closed schemes, assess legislative impacts and industry trends, assist with claims, pre-authorizations, and chronic medicine applications, interpret scheme rules, and facilitate wellness day workshops.
• Retirement & Pension Funds: Benchmark fund performance, track regulatory changes, model default investment strategies, provide retirement counseling, and assist with transfers, withdrawals, and claims.
• Group Risk Benefits: Evaluate death, disability, income protection, and dread disease cover; negotiate group life policies without individual underwriting; and track medical evidence for claims.
• Corporate Funeral Cover: Benchmark providers, ensure rapid claim payouts (24–48 hours), and arrange voluntary payroll-deducted coverage for employees' families.
• Administration & Reporting: Manage strategy placement, handle employee queries/disputes, deliver regular performance reports, and recommend provider/product adjustments based on cost-benefit analysis.

Technical Requirements

• Valid Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration with active tax compliance status.
• Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) licensing for applicable corporate entities.
• Professional indemnity insurance, fidelity insurance, and relevant professional certifications.
• Detailed methodology outlining implementation timelines, stakeholder liaison, handover processes, communication protocols, and turnaround times for employee queries.
• Transparent pricing schedule clearly distinguishing between broker commissions received from providers and any direct fees charged to employees or SANSA.
• Proven capability to service all three current operational sites and two planned future expansion locations within the contract period.
• Minimum of three verifiable reference letters from clients served within the past twelve to eighteen months.

Skills Requirements

• Project Team Composition: At least one dedicated Project Lead, one Registered Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and two Consultants/Administrators.
• Experience: The bidding company must demonstrate a minimum of three years’ experience in employee benefits consulting. Individual team members should possess extensive relevant experience (typically three to five years or more).
• Core Competencies: Expertise in benefits brokering, actuarial/benchmarking analysis, retirement counseling, default investment strategy modeling, risk product structuring, legislative compliance tracking, and dispute resolution.
• Communication: All assigned personnel must be proficient in at least one official language commonly spoken in the Gauteng Province.

Notes on Unusual or Complicated Requirements

• 80/20 Preference Point System: Due to the estimated contract value falling below R50 million, evaluation allocates 80 points to price and 20 points to Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) goals. Points are awarded for 51% black ownership, 40% black women ownership, and 51% black youth ownership, requiring strict documentary proof.
• FSCA Licensing: The Financial Sector Conduct Authority regulates financial services providers in South Africa. Mandatory licensing ensures the consultant operates legally when advising on pension, medical, and risk products.
• Multi-Site Service Mandate: The contract requires seamless service delivery across current hubs and two upcoming remote expansion sites, demanding robust logistical and operational planning from the bidder.