Botswana is set to host the 37th Edition of the Organisation of Eastern and Southern Africa Insurance annual conference in Gaborone, at the Gaborone International Conference Centre from the 18th to the 20th August.

OESAI is a regional member based insurance organisation with its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

OESAI was formed 41 years ago by a number of insurance companies in the region, to foster best practice, promote regional capacity and create profitable pools amongst insurance companies in the region.

Since its inception, the OESAI membership has grown close to 90 members drawn from across the African continent. The organisation has been a key player in the development of the insurance industry across eastern and southern Africa.

The 37th OESAI annual conference will be held for the first time in Botswana, Gaborone. The conference which brings together high level dignitaries from the insurance sector will be hosting more than 200 delegates from all over Africa and beyond and will be running under the theme, “Overcoming barriers to enhancing regional capacity in the Insurance Industry’ Topics and discussions will centre on the challenges the industry is facing in eastern and southern Africa and the enabling environments that stakeholders can create to overcome these challenges.

The conference is expected to explore ways that technology can enhance insurance penetration and capacity, climate change in Africa and the role that the insurance sector should play and how the sector can repositioning itself to increase operational efficiency. Other discussion topics will include the economic benefits of a vibrant life insurance industry, professional development within the sector, reinsurance regulation and providing health insurance in Africa.

Commenting about the conference, Lawrence Nazare, Chairman of OESAI said that the organisation was delighted to be holding the conference in Botswana this year. “We are grateful to the Botswana insurance community for taking up this task to organise this international conference. We have seen an increase in the number of delegates to our annual conferences and we anticipate that this year, more insurance executives will see the value in coming to Botswana. The insurance industry is faced with a number of challenges and these forums provide fertile ground for resolving many of our challenges through learning from experts, dialogue and networking”, Nazare said.

This conference is an opening for potential investors who are seeking expansion opportunities in the country to network with insurance executives in Botswana. It is also an opportunity for local insurance companies to form partnerships with regional and International insurance companies that will be represented at the conference. The event therefore opens doors for Botswana based companies who have a keen interest in tapping into emerging markets.

Botswana has gained a solid reputation within the insurance sector in the region and there is potential for further growth, within and outside Botswana through smart partnerships, joint ventures and Greenfield projects in the region. The 37th OESAI Annual conference provides stakeholders in the industry with these opportunities. This conference also supports the country’s diversification plans through the opportunities that the business networking will provide.

Commenting on the conference, the Managing Director of Botswana Insurance Company and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Dziki Nganunu said “It’s a great honour for the Botswana insurance community to be able to host this conference. The business networking opportunities that this conference offers as well as the informative presentations will create real value for all the delegates who will attend. I therefore want to encourage insurance companies across the region and beyond to attend the conference. I also wish to appeal to non- insurance companies in Botswana who want to partner with us in hosting this conference to join us. The conference is an opportunity for Botswana companies to market themselves within and outside Botswana.”