Microinsurance figures across Africa surge

The figures have emerged in a new report from the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation. Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 provides analysis of the evolution of microinsurance in the African region in terms of products, delivery channels, regulations and profitability indicators to the industry. It reveals 63% premium growth, on an aggregate comparative basis, since the last landscape study in 2011, with 61.8 million people covered by at least one microinsurance policy by the end of 2014, compared to 44.4 million people in 2011. hide A total coverage ratio of 5.4% of the total population was measured across the African region, up from 4.4% in 2011. This is comparable to the coverage ratio in Asia and Oceania at 4.3% (2012), though still below that in the Latin America and Caribbean region at 7.9% (2013). “It is great to see indications of a maturing African market, with an increasingly diversified coverage,” said Michael McCord, chair of the Microinsurance Network. “While life and credit life products are still widely spread on the market, new types of bundled covers especially in health and personal accident are being developed. Looking at the subset of products for which claims, administrative expenses and commission ratios were reported, the study showed clear profitability for many products, with more than half of products with combined ratios below 75%,” he added. The total identified microinsurance written premiums in the region amount to almost $756m, up from $387m in 2011, and represent 1.1% of the total $69bn premiums generated by the insurance industry across the region. South Africa continues to dominate in terms of microinsurance premiums but several other countries, such as Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia, wrote premiums that account for a significant share of their respective insurance markets. The landscape reveals a steady growth of microinsurance markets in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, with Nigeria looking well poised to expand outreach in the coming years. The landscape indicates that mobile network operators have had an important impact on reaching high volumes of clients and creating an insurance culture in countries where it has been lacking, with improved regulations in several countries another important factor. “We were pleased to see that this data was used in the preparation of the 2015 G7 decision to provide an additional 400 million poor people with insurance against the risks of climate change by 2020. This is an unprecedented opportunity, but a lot of challenges still lie ahead,” said Dirk Reinhard, vice-chairman at the Munich Re Foundation. “This landscape study on Africa provides important new information on opportunities for, and challenges faced by, microinsurance in the region. We are convinced that reliable data on microinsurance markets is essential to the development of inclusive insurance markets and thus leads to better protection of the poor against risks,” he said.

Microinsurance figures across Africa surge

Want to read this article?

Read Next

Taiwan earthquake claims unlikely to cause capital event

Market softening could move towards rate cuts for downstream energy buyers

Q1 2024 records $20bn in nat cat losses: Gallagher Re

AM Best warns of insurers’ growing reserve risk

Litigation likely to flow from US ‘forever chemicals’ regulation

Taiwan earthquake claims unlikely to cause capital event

Market softening could move towards rate cuts for downstream energy buyers

Q1 2024 records $20bn in nat cat losses: Gallagher Re

AM Best warns of insurers’ growing reserve risk

Litigation likely to flow from US ‘forever chemicals’ regulation

Want to read this article?

Read Next

Taiwan earthquake claims unlikely to cause capital event

Market softening could move towards rate cuts for downstream energy buyers

Q1 2024 records $20bn in nat cat losses: Gallagher Re

AM Best warns of insurers’ growing reserve risk

Litigation likely to flow from US ‘forever chemicals’ regulation

Related Articles