Caava Group CEO Ayisi Makatiani, Deloitte East Africa consulting leader Urvi Patel and M-TIBA Group chief financial officer Moses Kuria during the InsurTech Forum Nairobi 2025/ HANDOUT
Africa’s insurance leaders have called for more digital connectivity and
urgent adoption of connected data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive
efficiency, cut costs and expand insurance access to cater for uninsured
customer segments across the region.
In a post-InsurTech Forum Nairobi (ITFN) 2025 update, the leaders have emphasised the need to break away from outdated legacy systems that keep
data in silos and limit innovation.
Currently, only one per cent of insurance operations in Africa leverage AI capabilities, a figure
expected to grow to 80 per cent within the next five years, according to Urvi Patel, Consulting Leader,
Deloitte East Africa.
“The biggest challenge for insurers today is reliance on legacy systems
that are expensive, inefficient and cumbersome,” M-TIBA group chief financial officer, Moses Kuria, said.
“The industry will greatly transform by leveraging connected end-to-end
digital systems that improve efficiency, simplify products and allow for more personalised, customer-friendly services.”
He added that the future of health insurance will be defined by
interconnected systems, member-centric solutions, ecosystem partnerships and
predictive analytics that shift the industry from reactive claims management to
proactive health management.
The Nairobi
forum was themed “From Legacy to AI: Actionable Next Steps”.
Curated in partnership with the Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI), the
Insurance Institute of Kenya (IIK) and Caava Group, alongside partners
including M-TIBA, Deloitte, NCBA Bancassurance, Old Mutual, Redian Software,
and NCBA-IG, ITFN 2025 positioned itself as Africa’s leading platform for
charting a practical roadmap for digital transformation.
Ayisi Makatiani, CEO of Caava Group and convener of ITFN, said: “The dialogue around AI in insurance has moved from asking ‘why’ to
focusing squarely on ‘how.”
The forum featured keynote addresses, interactive panel discussions and the Ultimate AI Innovation Challenge, where startups pitched
solutions in underwriting, claims processing, fraud prevention and customer engagement.
According to Urvi Patel, East Africa Consulting Services Market Leader
at Deloitte, insurers must overcome low margins, slow growth, and legacy
infrastructure to innovate effectively.
“Partnerships and ecosystem approaches are critical to ensure African
insurers remain competitive and relevant in the AI-driven future,” she said.