30 Jul 2014

The Organisation of Eastern and Southern Africa Insurers (OESAI) annual conference billed for Botswana is expected to give the insurance industry an opportunity to network with other markets and share ideas.

The 37th edition of the OESAI conference is slated for August 18 to 20 in Gaborone is a regional member-based insurance organisation with its headquarters in Kenya. 

It is a leading member-based organisation, providing a platform for sharing best practice, networking, product development, learning and lobbying for the interests of insurance companies across the region

Addressing members of the media on Tuesday, July 29, OESAI Secretary General, Ms Eunice Ndathi, said the conference is expected to explore ways that technology could enhance insurance penetration and capacity, climate change in Africa and the role that insurance sector should play and how the sector could reposition itself to increase operational efficiency.

She said other topics would be the economic benefits of a vibrant life insurance industry, professional development within the sector, reinsurance regulation and providing health insurance in Africa.

On how Botswana was to benefit, Ms Ndathi said it would be an opportunity for local insurance companies to form partnerships with regional and international insurance companies that would be represented at the conference.

She added that the conference would be an opening for potential investors who sought expansion opportunities in the country with insurance executives in Botswana.

The conference, which brings together high level dignitaries from the insurance sector, will host more than 200 delegates from all over Africa and beyond, and will run under the theme: “Overcoming barriers to enhancing regional capacity in the Insurance Industry”.Objectives of the OESAI is to provide skills development opportunities by mobilizing regional training institutions to deliver relevant and best practice training and provide capacity building and collaboration opportunities through sub-sector and product-centred subcommittees.

Another object is to create an eastern and southern Africa centre of excellence for the insurance industry by providing research sponsorship and development grants. ENDS