Africa News

AXA Says Nigeria Election Process Will Benefit Overall African Economy

AXA SA, the largest foreign insurer active in Nigeria, sees the peaceful manner in which the country is handling its first transition in political power in decades as supporting economic growth in the country and beyond. “We think that political …

AXA to Acquire 7% of Africa Re to Increase Pan-African Exposure

AXA has entered into an agreement to acquire a 7.15 percent stake in African Reinsurance Corporation, the leading reinsurance company in Africa. Under the terms of the agreement, the total cash consideration payable at closing would amount to USD$61 million …

ACE Appoints Fedarb as Head of Travel Insurance for Eurasia and Africa

ACE Group today announced the appointment of David Fedarb to the new role of head of travel insurance for Eurasia and Africa, as it expands its insurance capabilities in a region experiencing rapid growth of international travel. Eurasia and Africa …

Old Mutual Spends More Than Half of Africa War Chest on UAP Stake in Kenya

Old Mutual plc, which earmarked 4.3 billion rand ($374 million) for acquisitions in Africa, increased its stake in Kenya’s UAP Holdings Ltd., meaning that the insurer has now spent more than half of that war chest. Old Mutual, which is …

World Economic Climate Continues to Decline: ICC/Ifo Survey

The health of the world’s economy continues to deteriorate as insufficient demand, unemployment and the on-going debt crisis in Europe undermine recovery efforts, according to the latest findings from the ICC-Ifo World Economic Survey (WES). The ICC said that “based …

Willis Creates New Units for Asia, Australasia, Middle East & Africa Operations

Willis International, the broker’s’ retail division, announced that in “recognition of the size, growth and strategic importance of its Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa operations, it has created three regional business units under new and expanded leadership.” Willis Asia …

Swiss Re Plays Leading Role in Private Sector Plan for African ‘Food Security’

Swiss Re announced that CEO Michel Liès has signed a letter of intent to participate in a “New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition,” which will begin work following the G-8 summit at Camp David. Those private sector companies involved …

AIG, Atradius Execs Join Micro-insurance Investor LeapFrog for Africa, Asia

LeapFrog Investments, an investment fund focused on insurance and financial services companies, announced two senior appointments as it expands its investment portfolio in Asia and Africa. David Steel, previously Managing Director of Strategic Planning for AIG, was named Director of …

Survey Finds Africa, Asia Cities Most at Risk from Global Climate Change

Countries and megacities in Africa and Asia are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change over the coming years, a global survey shows, underscoring the risks from floods, rising sea levels, droughts and storms. With populations in …

Marine Insurers Add Benin to Risk List after Attacks

London’s marine insurance market has added Benin to a list of areas deemed high risk due to an escalation of pirate attacks in the area, a senior official said. Pirates attacked two Panamanian-flagged tankers carrying oil off the coast of …