South African Accident Council

The first meeting of insurance offices interested in the tariff situation in South Africa was held at the offices of the Railway Passengers Assurance Company at 64 Cornhill, London on 11 February 1915. At that time the tariff associations in Johannesburgand Cape Town had practically ceased to function, and the 15 companies represented at the meeting had been called together by Arthur Worley of the "Railway Passengers" to consider improving the situation for the future, and the resuscitation of the local associations to control the writing of workmen's compensation insurance. As a result the South African Accident Council was formed. The local associations in South Africa, in particular the Cape Province Accident Offices Association (later known as the Cape Accident Offices Association) and the Transvaal Accident Offices Association, remained independent of each other, but were controlled by the London-based South African Accident Council. These two associations ceased to function in 1935 when the Workmen's Compensation Insurers' Association of South Africa was formed.

In 1925, the South African Accident Council set up a council in South Africa called the Accident Insurance Council of South Africa. On 1 January 1944 this body relinquished its control of workmen's compensation to a new organisation, the Accident Offices Association of Southern Africa which replaced the Workmen's Compensation Insurers' Association of South Africa; it also absorbed the Southern Rhodesian Workmen's Compensation Insurers' Association. The Accident Insurance Council of South Africa continued to exist, but dealt mainly with motor insurance. The meetings of the South African Accident Council were held originally at 64 Cornhill, London, in the offices of the Railway Passengers Assurance Company, whose manager Arthur Worley had founded the Council. From 1922, its meetings were held at the offices of the Accident Offices Association which also provided executive and secretarial services.