Hooked at Hello: My First Taste of The Insurance Apprentice

Our Marketing Officer Carly Esterhuizen recently attended the premiere of The Insurance Apprentice 2025 - a whole day before it hit national TV. Here’s her behind-the-scenes take on the night, the show, and what made it so unexpectedly gripping.

On Wednesday the 16th, I got to do something pretty special: I was one of the lucky few who watched the premiere of The Insurance Apprentice 2025 (TIA) before the rest of the country. A whole day before it aired on S3! VIP treatment, I know.

Now let me be honest - reality TV isn't usually my thing. I mean, I have a couple of guilty pleasure binge watches (which I will never, ever admit to), but generally, I don't rush to catch the latest competition show. So I wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived at the premiere. But judging by the waiting list just to attend the screening, this show clearly has a loyal fanbase.

I didn’t go alone. I had two of my EasyEquities teammates with me: Veronique, our Head of Education and fellow performing arts alum, and Mbulelo, one of the smartest people I know and the product manager for EasyProtect.

We rolled into Ster Kinekor at Rosebank Zone with popcorn in hand and zero expectations - just curiosity and the kind of open-mindedness you bring to a new playlist or a TikTok recipe hack.

From the first few minutes, I was in. Like, properly hooked. The production quality was impressive, but it was more than that. There’s something incredibly powerful about seeing South Africans on screen doing what we try to do at EasyEquities every day: make financial services more accessible and ultimately improve people’s lives.

One of my favourite moments? Seeing Temwa, a fellow EasyEquities investor, as a guest judge on the panel. I love it when our community shows up in unexpected places - whether it’s on TIA, at the Comrades finish line, trending on X with a screenshot of their kid’s TFSA, or chatting over a book or show we both love at Woordfees. It just makes me feel like we’re all part of something.

Watching the contestants put themselves out there on national TV was inspiring. As someone who’s stood on a stage a few times, I know how terrifying it can be to be that vulnerable. It takes guts - and these young insurance professionals have them in spades.

The tension? Nail-biting. The judges? Not here to sugar-coat anything. The contestants? Relatable and brilliant. The ideas? Refreshing and thought-provoking. This isn’t just another competition show; it’s a peek into an industry that often works quietly behind the scenes but has massive heart and impact.

I’m genuinely proud that we at EasyEquities are part of this. We’re sponsoring the winner with R50K in investment spend - but more than that, we’re backing a show that gives real talent a platform and tells stories that matter.

So if you haven’t watched The Insurance Apprentice yet, do yourself a favour. It airs every Thursday night at 7pm on S3. And who knows, you might end up as unexpectedly hooked as I was.