Insurance Sector Transformation Across African Markets 

FSD Africa | National Development Sustainable Insurance Initiative (NDSI)

Insurance markets across Africa are increasingly exposed to climate and sustainability risks, yet product structures and underwriting models often lag behind these realities.

Lybra is working with FSD Africa on the National Development Sustainable Insurance Initiative (NDSI), a regional programme that brings together 10 insurance institutions across 7 African countries.

Participating insurers include;

• Awash Insurance – Ethiopia
• CBZ Holdings | NicozDiamond Insurance Limited – Zimbabwe
• CIC Insurance | CRDB Insurance | Jubilee Holdings | Kenya Reinsurance Corporation | WAICA Re – Kenya
• Old Mutual – Ghana
• SICOM Group – Mauritius

The programme responds to a market that is changing in real time. For insurers, sustainability is no longer something to note at the end of a report. It is shaping how risk is understood, how products are built, and how capital is put to work.

That is where Lybra comes in.

Working directly with participating insurers, our role is to help move ESG from intention to action. We support institutions as they sharpen strategy, rethink product design, and make investment decisions with long-term resilience in mind.

Each institution requires a tailored approach, reflecting differences in ESG maturity, strategic priorities, and operating environments. Our support adapts to that context.

What is taking shape is not a single outcome, but a stronger, more practical way of working across the cohort. Insurers are embedding ESG more deliberately into strategy and operations. Product lines are beginning to reflect climate, agricultural, and sustainability-related risks. Investment thinking is becoming more forward-looking. Internal teams are also building the confidence and capability to carry this work beyond the programme itself.

The reach goes beyond the participating institutions. Through convenings, communication, and thought leadership, the programme is also helping shape how sustainable insurance is understood across the wider market.

This is ongoing work. Not a static deliverable, but a steady shift in how insurers across different markets think about risk, capital, and opportunity.

Related areas of work

ESG strategy, shaped by context
Supporting insurers as they move from broad commitments to practical strategies that fit their operating environment and risk exposure.

Sustainable insurance product development
Helping design products that respond to climate, agriculture, and wider sustainability realities.

ESG in investment decision-making
Embedding ESG considerations into capital allocation, portfolio construction, and long-term resilience planning.

Institutional capacity building
Strengthening internal teams so ESG is understood, applied, and sustained in day-to-day work.

Programme visibility and market engagement
Supporting the wider conversation around sustainable insurance through convenings, communication, and content.

Ongoing advisory support
Providing continuity as institutions move from design into execution, with regular engagement and practical support along the way.

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