PwC report shows huge potential for insurance growth in Africa
The opportunities for growth in Africa’s insurance industry are huge despite recent economic and political uncertainty. The insurance industry has done well to adapt to continuous disruption, with technological advances now considered the most important global trend disrupting the industry. Despite the additional pressures of unrelenting regulatory and insurance accounting changes, and the huge costs associated with the changes, there are also some positive developments and opportunities for growth.
These are some of the key highlights from a report issued by PwC on Africa’s insurance industry. PwC’s report – ‘Ready and Willing: African insurance industry poised for growth’ – comes at a time when economies on the African continent are starting to show signs of real growth on the back of recovering global commodity prices.
Victor Muguto, long-term Insurance Leader for PwC Africa says: “The insurance industry across Africa continues to be one of the most disrupted, but at the same time the industry continues to innovate and adapt to take advantage of the many opportunities for growth that are also emerging.
“In the years following the global financial crisis, economic and political uncertainty across the continent slowed down economic and insurance sector growth. Despite this, Africa’s insurance market remains one of the least penetrated in the world and the opportunities for growth are tremendous.”
Africa’s insurance industry is facing more disruption than any other industry, posing challenges for some while opening up business opportunities for others. The pace of change in the insurance industry has taken place more rapidly than originally anticipated and will accelerate further.
“Leading insurers are already implementing key strategies to focus on new customer behaviours and demographic shifts. The need to be agile in the face of a rapidly changing technological environment has never been more vital,” says Pieter Crafford, financial services advisory leader for PwC South Africa.
The survey identifies four main themes that are transforming the African insurance industry: Technology and data ‘revolution’; Regulatory and accounting changes; Convergence, the new “Scramble” for Africa’s customers and Talent shortages – workforce of the future.
While the African insurance industry is going through significant change and client expectations are changing the rise of the new middle class and digital natives offers new opportunities for insurers, using technology, to better understand their customers and use customer data for more relevant product design and better pricing for risk. Insurers need to ensure that they can do so while navigating increasing regulatory compliance issues, overhauling legacy IT systems, and investing in a workforce of the future. Operational procedures and business structures will also need to be updated to become more efficient.
“Insurers across Africa face exciting new opportunities for growth on the back of a rising middle class and increased demand for new and innovative solutions. Most insurers know what to do – the winners will be those that are best at execution,” Crafford says.
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