Cigna-Hollard partnership to revolutionise health cover in Africa

Standardised insurance will provide solutions to both locals and expatriates

Global health insurance provider Cigna Global Health Benefits and South African-based Hollard Insurance Company today announced a ground-breaking partnership, which promises to revolutionise health insurance across sub-Saharan Africa. 

The partnership represents the best of both worlds: Cigna specialises in global health plans, while Hollard is a recognised presence in Africa, with extensive local knowledge in several territories and a huge network of partner brokers. Pooling their resources and know-how, the two companies have developed a health insurance product that is perfect for the African market. 

“Hollard is very, very enthusiastic about the prospect of providing world-class health insurance solutions to the sub-Saharan African market, where we see significant opportunity,” says Hollard executive director: international Brooks Mparutsa. 

“We believe that the market is presently under-served, with current providers focusing mainly on the corporate expatriate community. Hollard Cigna Health will reinvent the health insurance value proposition for Africa, and serve not only expats but local employees of multinationals and larger corporates.” 

The development of a standardised, fully compliant product offering that will serve African markets represents an ideal, all-in-one situation for the principal target audiences: multinational corporations looking to establish a presence on the continent, as well as established, larger local companies. 

The reason for this approach, says Cigna Global Health Benefits CEO David Maltby, boils down to simplicity. “Transparency and simplicity play a vital role in our mission to support the health, wellbeing and sense of security of the people we serve. A fully admitted, all-in-one solution meets every need while taking the complications out of health insurance. 

 “It comes down to delivering high quality and affordable health care to our clients, customers and partners in Africa. This level of compliance simply hasn’t been adequately achieved before now,” Maltby says. 

Local understanding is vital to the development of this health insurance product, says Mparutsa. 

“We are currently looking at meeting health insurance needs in countries across sub-Saharan Africa. They all have their own unique legislative demands, their own histories, needs and expectations. And this is why our local knowledge and recognised presence in Africa offers tremendous added value. 

“It is the perfect supplement to Cigna’s extensive global experience in healthcare insurance and medical claims administration. We can meet all the legal requirements and the needs of locals, governmental appointees and multinational companies with a single, carefully tailored, standardised product.” 

For Mparutsa, Hollard’s partnership with Cigna signals a great stride forward in its strategy of international expansion. Hollard currently operates across the African continent, but under its own brand in South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia. 

“Hollard is an established international player already, but our partnership with Cigna – one of the biggest hitters in global health insurance – will certainly enhance our standing and reach in the global market, not least in sub-Saharan Africa, where we plan to greatly extend the number of territories in which we operate,” Mparutsa says.