The African Insurance Exchange planning Committee has unveiled an exciting and refreshed programme for the 2025 conference (AIE2025), promising two days of compelling dialogue, critical debate and high-impact learning. This year’s plenary sessions will feature keynote addresses by some of South Africa’s most respected voices, including business leader Mteto Nyati, media personality and “Good Things Guy” Brent Lindeque and award-winning journalist Mandy Wiener.

The programme reintroduces a mix of plenary sessions and breakaway sessions focused on insurance technical content, as well as company- curated breakaways, designed to offer delegates more choice and deeper engagement. Alongside the main plenary discussions, delegates will be able to select breakout sessions on key issues such as risk management, regulatory shifts, data-driven underwriting, sustainability and the future of broking in a digitally entangled world.

Thokozile Mahlangu, CEO of conference co-hosts, the Insurance Institute of South Africa (IISA), says the new approach reflects the evolving needs of the insurance community and respondes directly to feedback from delegates.

“The African Insurance Exchange is known as the place where important industry conversations happen,” she says. “This year, we wanted to create more space for focused, meaningful dialogue. The introduction of breakaway sessions allows delegates to tailor their learning journey while still coming together for the big plenary moments that connect us as an industry.”

The theme of AIE2025, “The Baobab Advantage: Multifaceted Growth and Continuous Evolution”, will be woven through the business sessions, with a strong focus on leadership, resilience, innovation, complex risk management,  and collaboration across the African insurance ecosystem.

“Insurance in Africa is at a pivotal moment,” adds Mahlangu. “We are facing complex risks and exciting opportunities. Our speakers, facilitators and panellists bring a wealth of experience and fresh thinking, which will help us explore how we can lead with purpose, adapt with agility and grow sustainably.”

With expert insights from leaders across insurance, data science, economics, healthcare and more, AIE2025 promises a rich exchange of ideas and practical takeaways for delegates across the continent.

Here is the provisional business session programme:

AFRICAN INSURANCE EXCHANGE 2025

Business Session Programme

DAY 1 – MONDAY

09:00 – 09:15  Welcome procession  

09:15 – 09:25  Welcome address and setting the scene: Ms Thokozile Mahlangu    

09:25 – 09:30  Introduction of keynote speaker and recognition award by Mr Collin Molepe    

09:30 – 10:30  Keynote address – Mr Mteto Nyati  

Topic: Leadership and resilience; sustainable growth; continuous evolution; collaboration for success  

10:30 – 11:15  Session 1: Fortifying the insurance industry  

Discussion points: New approaches to risk management in volatile environments  

Panellists: Prof. Adrian Saville (Gordon Institute of Business Science - SA), Dr Masiye Banda (Capital Consult, Lusaka)  

11:15 – 11:30  Networking and Tea Break  

PLENARY AND BREAKAWAY SESSIONS BEGIN

11:30 – 12:15  Session 2  

Plenary: The baobab ecosystem – collaboration as a growth strategy  

Discussion points: Insurer-tech partnerships; inter-industry collaboration, regional partnerships: advancing African insurance growth through continental alliances

Facilitator: Tumelo Mothotoane  

Panellists: Youssef Benabdallah, Regional Executive Business Development SanlamAllianz GI.

Breakaway: The reality of the two-pot system  

Discussion points: Key Benefits of the Two-Pot System, Challenges & Potential Risks, Implications for the Insurance & Financial Services Industry, Lessons from Global Markets.

Facilitator: Butsi Tladi (Alexforbes)  

Panellists: To be confirmed

12:15 – 13:00  Session 3  

Plenary: The South African risk landscape and collective efforts to address challenges  

Presentation: Khulekani Mathe (BUSA)  

Facilitator: Viviene Pearson (SAIA)  

Breakaway: Company-curated content by Fire Operations

Facilitator: Tumelo Mothotoane  

Panelists: De Wet Engelbrecht (CEO: Fire Ops SA), Saul Behrmann (CEO: Medi Response), Chris Gilbert (CEO: Rural Metro), Trevor Fiford (CEO: Industrial Fire & Hazard Control)  

13:00 – 13:45  Session 4  

Plenary: The water tank advantage – Leveraging data for growth  

Discussion points: Leveraging AI and predictive analytics for improved underwriting and claims. The role of data in financial & economic inclusion. Using data to drive equity, impact & growth. Ethical AI: How to ensure data-driven decisions are fair, accurate, and inclusive.)  

Facilitator: Tumelo Mothotoane  

Panellists: Dr Nthabiseng Moleko (Stellenbosch Business School), Ismail Rasool (Discovery), Prof. Vukosi Marivate (University of Pretoria)  

Breakaway: Borderless brokerage – How African brokers can compete on a global stage  

Discussion points: Leveraging regulatory reform, digital scalability, and regional partnerships to build globally agile, locally rooted brokerage firms. Building regional alliances and cross-border specialization. Building exportable skills and talent pipelines for brokers to work across regions and sectors  

Panellists and facilitator: Mr Peter Olyott, IISA Non-executive Board member and CEO of Willis South Africa  

13:45 – 14:15  Lunch  

14:15 – 15:15  Session 5

Plenary closing talk: From legacy to leadership – The insurance mindset shift  

Discussion points: Why traditional insurance mindsets must shift to embrace the future. Strategies for developing an innovation culture in large, regulated businesses. Learning from other industries that transformed successfully)  

Speaker: Abdullah Verachia (Global Strategist, CEO of The Strategists, Senior Faculty member at GIBS)

END OF DAY 1 BUSINESS SESSIONS

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DAY 2 – TUESDAY

09:00 – 10:00  Session 6

Plenary opening address: Change the narrative and make things better  

Panellists: Brent Lindeque, Mandy Wiener  

Facilitator: Tumelo Mothotoane  

10:00 – 11:00  Session 7  

Plenary: The baobab DNA – Reimagining insurance for generational impact  

Discussion points: Sustainability-driven insurance products (ESG-focused solutions). How the industry can leave a lasting impact. Insurance that supports Africa’s developmental goals. Building a skills pipeline for a new generation of insurance leaders

Facilitator: Tumelo Mothotoane  

Panellists: Thabile Nyaba, Chief Risk Officer at OMI

Breakaway: Precision underwriting – Redefining risk in a data-rich world  

Discussion points: Exploring advanced risk assessment techniques, emerging data sources, and the future of underwriting in the African insurance context. The evolution of underwriting from manual risk profiling to automated, data-driven decision-making. Parametric insurance models and their growing relevance in climate risk, agriculture, and catastrophe insurance.  

Panellists and facilitator: To be confirmed  

11:00 – 11:15  Networking and Tea Break  

11:15 – 12:15  Session 8  

Plenary: From bark to branch – The circular economy in insurance  

Discussion points: Designing products that recycle risks across industries and ecosystems. Minimising claims waste: Sustainable claims processes and eco-friendly repairs. The role of insurance in financing circular economy initiatives)  

Facilitator: Tumelo Mothotoane  

Panellists: To be confirmed  

Breakaway: Growing together: Cultivating a future-fit insurance industry through connection, innovation and continuity  

Panellists: Temwa Nyirenda, Rhein Schnetler, Mandilakhe Madikane

Facilitator: Alicia Narainsamy  

12:15 – 13:15  Session 9

Plenary: The future of healthcare in Africa – Insurance and universal health coverage’s role in equity  

Discussion points: Universal health coverage, the pros and cons, The role of insurance and private sector collaboration in making UHC work. The financial sustainability of public-private health partnerships. Lessons from Africa and global case studies on sustainable healthcare financing

Facilitator: Tumelo Mothotoane  

Panellists: Dr Nicholas Crisp (Deputy Director-General: National Health Insurance),  

Breakaway: Beyond the canopy – Reinventing the broker’s role in a digitally entangled world  

Discussion points: How brokers can evolve their value proposition in the age of digital platforms, embedded insurance, and client expectations. Adapting advisory models to suit hybrid customer journeys (digital + human touch). Redefining the broker’s role as a trusted risk partner in a fragmented ecosystem

Panellists: Cameron Cupido, Chief Executive Officer at Reinsurance Solutions  

Facilitator: To be confirmed  

13:15 – 14:00  Lunch  

14:00 – 15:00  Session 10

Plenary: Weathering global winds – Navigating political shifts and economic headwinds … lessons for the African Insurance industry  

Discussion points: What the GNU means for fiscal stability, regulatory certainty, and infrastructure development; How insurance leadership should adapt to a coalition-led governance model; Global market reaction to U.S. foreign policy shifts and interest rate impact; what African insurers should watch for in terms of capital flows and underwriting risk; the ripple effect of global tariff changes on African imports, exports, and reinsurance

Facilitator: Tumelo Mothotoane  

Panellists: François  Baird, Fellow at the Energy Policy Research Foundation (EPRINC) in Washington DC

15:00 – 16:00  Session 11  

Plenary closing talk: Lessons in adaptability and innovation from top corporate leaders  

Discussion points: How African businesses can thrive amidst global economic shifts. How African businesses can scale globally while staying rooted in local strengths. Strategic partnerships between corporates and emerging businesses.  

Presenter: Ms Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa (CEO: Naspers Limited)  

Facilitator: Tumelo Mothotoane  

END OF DAY 2 BUSINESS SESSIONS

The conference will take place at Sun City and online from 27 to 30 July 2025. For more info or to register, visit https://aie2025.co.za.  

For media enquiries, contact Colin Ford: 083 414 6140 / colin@cnandco.com.  

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