SACAA Drone Insurance Requirements for Commercial Operators

By Dianne Silva Published September 6, 2026 9 min read

South African commercial drone operators are regulated by the SACAA (not the UK CAA) under Part 101 of the Civil Aviation Regulations. Insurance is a mandatory component of the ROC application. Here is exactly what is required and why your standard liability policy will not satisfy it.

If you are searching for “CAA drone insurance requirements” in a South African context, a quick clarification first: the relevant authority in South Africa is the SACAA (the South African Civil Aviation Authority), not the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority. The regulations differ significantly, and the SACAA’s framework under Part 101 of the Civil Aviation Regulations is what governs commercial drone operations in this country.

This article covers the insurance requirements under the SACAA’s Part 101 framework, why standard commercial liability policies do not satisfy them, and what a compliant policy must include.

Who Part 101 applies to

Part 101 of the Civil Aviation Regulations governs all remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS, the formal term for what most people call drones) operating in South African airspace.

The regulations draw a clear distinction between recreational (non-commercial) operators and commercial operators. The commercial framework is significantly more demanding:

Non-commercial hobbyist operations: Drones under 7kg flown in uncontrolled airspace, away from people and restricted areas, for purely recreational purposes. These operators are exempt from the ROC and RPL requirements but must still comply with general RPAS operating rules (line of sight, daylight only, maximum altitude, no-fly zones).
Commercial operations: Any flight conducted for commercial purpose (including aerial photography for pay, surveying, agricultural spraying, infrastructure inspection, security monitoring, or any flight where the operator receives payment or other commercial benefit). The full Part 101 commercial framework applies from the first paid flight.

The commercial trigger: “Commercial” is interpreted broadly. Accepting payment for aerial photographs, using a drone as part of a paid service, or conducting flights that contribute to a revenue-generating business activity all constitute commercial use. Flying commercially without the required certifications is an offence under the Civil Aviation Act.

The three certification requirements

Commercial operators must hold three certifications before they can legally operate. Insurance intersects with all three.

Certification	What it is	Insurance relevance
Remote Pilot Licence (RPL)	Individual pilot licence issued by SACAA. Requires theoretical exam, practical competency assessment, and medical fitness certification. Each pilot operating commercially must hold their own RPL.	Underwriters require proof of RPL for all pilots who will fly under the commercial drone policy. Operating without an RPL will void cover.
UAV Certificate of Registration (CoR)	Individual aircraft registration with SACAA. Each drone used for commercial purposes must be registered and have its own CoR. The CoR ties the specific aircraft serial number to the operator.	Each drone on the policy must have its own CoR. A drone without a CoR cannot legally fly commercially and cannot be insured for commercial operations.
Remote Operator Certificate (ROC)	The company-level certificate that authorises commercial RPAS operations. Requires proof of third-party liability insurance, operations manuals, and safety management system documentation.	Proof of third-party liability insurance must be submitted with the ROC application. The insurance must be in place before the ROC is issued, and must remain in force at all times during commercial operations.

The insurance requirement under Part 101

Part 101 requires that all commercial operators “shall at all times be adequately insured for third party liability.” Proof of this insurance is a mandatory submission requirement for the ROC application; no insurance certificate, no ROC.

The minimum third-party liability cover required is R500,000 per drone per incident. However, specialist underwriters typically recommend and place cover significantly above this minimum for commercial operations, as a single incident involving injury to a person or damage to critical infrastructure can generate claims well in excess of R500,000.

The insurance must be specific to aviation and RPAS operations. A standard commercial general liability policy will not satisfy this requirement, and in most cases will not respond to a drone-related claim at all.

Why your standard liability policy does not cover drones

This is the issue that catches most commercial drone operators off guard. Standard commercial general liability (CGL) policies contain an aircraft exclusion clause. Under South African law, drones are classified as aircraft under the Civil Aviation Act. When a drone causes damage or injury, the insurer reviews the claim, identifies the aircraft exclusion, and declines it.

The exclusion applies regardless of:

The size of the drone
Whether the flight was authorised and compliant with Part 101
Whether the damage was minor
How many years you have been paying premiums on the CGL policy

The SACAA’s insurance requirement for the ROC application specifically requires aviation liability insurance, not commercial general liability. This is not interchangeable. Submitting a CGL policy certificate with an ROC application will result in the application being returned.

What a compliant commercial drone policy covers

A specialist commercial RPAS policy provides three categories of protection:

Third-party liability (mandatory for ROC)

Covers your legal liability for accidental bodily injury or property damage caused to a third party by the drone or its operations. This includes ground operations, not just in-flight events. The policy must be in force at all times during commercial operations.

Hull and airframe (own damage)

Covers accidental loss of or damage to the drone airframe itself (in flight, during landing, on the ground, in storage, or in transit). Covers theft and disappearance. Payouts are on a full replacement value basis, not depreciated value, for commercial operators.

Payload and spares

Covers specialist equipment mounted on the drone (cameras, LiDAR sensors, multispectral sensors, thermal imaging units) as well as spare components. For many operators, the payload is more valuable than the aircraft itself. This must be separately declared and valued to avoid underinsurance.

Fleet policies for multiple aircraft: Operators with more than one registered drone can arrange a fleet policy covering all declared aircraft under a single policy schedule. Each aircraft must be individually listed by CoR number, weight, and insured value. Fleet policies typically cost less per aircraft than insuring each drone individually, and they produce a single insurance certificate for ROC documentation purposes.

Common compliance mistakes

These are the situations that cause ROC applications to be rejected or commercial drone insurance claims to be declined:

Submitting a CGL policy certificate: Standard business liability does not satisfy Part 101. The policy must be aviation-specific.
Insuring one drone and flying others: Every aircraft used in commercial operations must be listed on the policy by its CoR number. A drone that is not on the policy is not covered.
Pilots without an RPL flying under the policy: An underwriter will decline a claim if the aircraft was being operated by a pilot who did not hold a valid RPL at the time of the incident.
Allowing the policy to lapse between renewals: Part 101 requires insurance to be in force at all times during commercial operations. A lapsed policy does not just void the insurance; it also puts the ROC at risk of suspension.
Not declaring operational categories correctly: The policy scope must match the ROC scope. Operating in categories not declared to the underwriter (night operations, flights beyond visual line of sight, specific industries) may void cover for those activities.

Frequently asked questions

I only fly occasionally for clients. Do I still need an ROC and insurance?

Yes. If you receive any commercial benefit from a flight (money, goods, services, or a contribution to a revenue-generating activity), the flight is commercial under Part 101 regardless of frequency. Even occasional paid aerial photography, a single paid surveying job, or a flight as part of a consulting service all trigger the commercial framework. There is no minimum frequency or revenue threshold below which the requirements do not apply. Flying commercially without an ROC and compliant insurance is an offence under the Civil Aviation Act.

What is the minimum liability limit required by the SACAA?

Part 101 requires that operators be “adequately insured” and specifies a minimum of R500,000 third-party liability per drone. In practice, specialist underwriters and experienced drone brokers typically recommend cover well above this minimum (R2 million to R5 million per occurrence is common for commercial operators), because a single incident involving personal injury or infrastructure damage can generate claims significantly higher than R500,000. The minimum satisfies the regulatory requirement; a higher limit provides real financial protection.

Can I get drone insurance without a completed ROC application?

Yes. It is possible to obtain a commercial drone insurance policy while the ROC application is in progress. In fact, you need the insurance certificate to submit the ROC application, so the insurance must be in place before the ROC is approved. Underwriters who specialise in South African commercial RPAS insurance are familiar with this sequencing and can issue cover and a certificate for ROC application purposes before the ROC itself is issued.

Does SACAA Part 101 apply to drones that are used in remote or rural areas away from people?

Part 101 applies to all commercial drone operations in South African airspace, regardless of location or remoteness. The commercial nature of the operation is the trigger, not the location. Drones used for agricultural surveying over remote farmland, pipeline inspection in uninhabited areas, or wildlife monitoring in game reserves are all subject to Part 101 if the operations are commercial. Each drone must be registered (CoR), each pilot must hold an RPL, and the operator must hold a valid ROC with appropriate insurance in place.

Need ROC-compliant drone insurance?

We arrange commercial RPAS insurance with the documentation format required by SACAA for ROC applications. Get in touch and we will structure cover that matches your operational scope and licence categories.

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