Tony: Hi, this is Tony at COVER Magazine. I’m speaking to Kiiza Bichetero, the regional director at Africa Re.
We are talking about OESAI and especially the fact that this is the OESAI’s 50th anniversary, which is quite an achievement. OESAI plays an incredibly important role in networking.
From your perspective, Africa re is a big supporter of OESAI can you just tell us why you are involved with OESAI and why you as a company support OESAI?
Kiiza: Africa re, as we are Pan African institution, was established by African member countries and our mission is to foster the development of the insurance and reinsurance Industry in Africa and promote the underwriting and retention capacities both at National, Sub-regional and at continental level as well as support Africa’s economic development.
We do that by providing avenues for cooperation, collaboration, and networking. And when you look at the mission and the objectives of OESAI, you find that we rhyme a lot. And if you look at OESAI’s key interests, they also provide a forum that promotes and expands development in the insurance industry in Africa more so in our region and the eastern southern Africa. The key thing is really to enhance that collaboration and partnerships. So we rhyme strongly together.
OESAI is older than Africa Re, they were established in 1973 and Africa Re in 1976. The story that I was told is that eight companies across different countries came together to set up this forum.
In 1876 Africa re was established and in 1982 Africa re opened an office in Nairobi. So, it’s been a natural partnership and transition. It is a very perfect forum for Africa Re
If you look at it, really our success is the success of collaboration and partnerships across the African continent. It’s a general belief that for the challenges and problems in Africa, we can only overcome them through this level of partnership. And OESAI brings that forum that enhances this discussion of sharing ideas and finding solutions together.
Tony: What role do you see OESAI play? What role would you like to see them play in the African insurance industry?
Kiiza: Africa Re in on the management board as a life member, and interestingly it is a question that we have always asked ourselves, what role can we play?
I think this started in 73, then in the eighties was vibrant, then in the early 2000 it was almost collapsing, and remember saying, what role can we play? What can we bring to the table? I think that’s when there was a little bit of serious re-organization and listing of some of the key objectives. If we can achieve some of them, that would be, and one of them definitely is to enhance, especially when it comes to the issue of harmonizing, Harmonizing in terms of standards, rules and regulations in the industry.
If you go to Zambia, it’s a different environment, if you come to Kenya, it’s a different environment, you go to Malawi, etc. So, cooperation becomes really difficult and as a forum that brings together most of the senior executives to be able to discuss this, if we can be able to do it in a more practical way, and then we have a follow up on how we can enhance this level of engagement across the board.
Definitely, we have succeeded in having the annual conference where we meet and discuss some topical issues and then also improve on the networking, which has also had benefits to a number of member countries. But to me, that role of really pushing the agenda of harmonization of our, for example, regulations Standards of professional standards I think would really be key.
I know once in a while OESAI does arrange training for the industry to improve our technical skills. But I think there are so many trainings that go along and finding a way we can do more collaboration in that, in terms of enhancing those trainings, for example, Africa re will do, Zep re will do, Namib re will do, the insurers will do and if you can make it a more vibrant forum that you brings all these together and there is cohesion and consistency in the way we do that. Yes. So it would play a very vibrant role.
Tony: Then just lastly, what message would you like to give to members of OESAI and companies that are not necessarily members but those industry leaders in terms of supporting the association and the work that the association does?
Kiiza: OESAI is a very worthwhile forum to support. The key support we normally have, even as a management board, is even the members, even those who are aspiring to be members, the issue of a subscription.
It’s one of the key challenges, and really to call upon both members at least to be committed and more supportive of OESAI activities and especially in honoring their membership obligations. Because without proper financial resources, it’ll be difficult for OESAI to be effective.
For those who haven’t joined I know we are almost over 130 members right now, but the region has much, much more players than that. So I encourage them to be members. And there are very many benefits really to get from this institution that started with eight Member companies right now to a hundred.
But with a lot of space to cover is basically to call upon almost every leading institution in our region to be members and make it vibrant so that we can achieve all the intended objectives. Cause they’re quite ambitious, but also very helpful and critical for industry development.
Tony: Absolutely. I think the important thing is the bigger the membership, the better the the benefit of interacting and networking, et cetera. So it’s in everybody’s interest to grow that true that network.
Kiiza: Without also a strong membership, it’s difficult to have an effective secretariat. And without an effective secretariat then who coordinates the activities become quite difficult. Big membership helps really.
Tony: Absolutely. Kiiza, thank you very much for your time and for discussing OESAI with me. And I look forward to seeing you in Mauritius for the 45th conference.
Kiiza: Thank you to Tony. It’s a pleasure. And thank you for also creating the time to have this important discussion. And it’s a pleasure really to see you and indeed look forward to seeing you during our 50th anniversary celebrations.