Car rental in its present form, where a rented car is provided by the insurer to an insured client following an accident, was first introduced to the South African insurance market in 1972 by Colin Heath and Tom De Fontaine of the NABCO Group, later taken over by C E Heath & Company of London.
Tom De Fontaine continued providing vehicle rental benefits to clients in his own broking company established in 1976.
In 1997, he formed an underwriting agency, Chartered Auto Underwriting Agency (Pty) Ltd in support of the insurance broking industry, providing specialist vehicle rental policies at competitive premiums to brokers, presenting a win-win situation for both the industry and the consumer.
With Tom De Fontaine as a pioneer in the car rental insurance industry, CAUA evolved into a sustainable specialist company. We are proud of our distinct personal touch in delivering a service which is underscored by a rich tradition of innovation and first-rate expertise. Ultimately we are committed to mastering the fine art of consistence and patience, coupled with the ability to offer good, sound and reliable service to the broker.
Since Tom's passing in 2013, CAUA has continued to build on Tom's legacy of integrity, service excellence and product knowledge and together with our modernised image, we guarantee an unchanged continuation of our trusted values, putting our clients first.