What this life looks like
You decide who gets covered and at what price. Insurance Underwriters assess risk applications from individuals and businesses seeking insurance, determine whether to provide cover, set the price (premium), and define the terms and conditions of the policy. It is a role that combines analytical rigour with commercial judgement — and every insurance company needs skilled underwriters.
What she actually does
You review insurance applications, gather information about the risk being insured (a person's health, a business's operations, a property's location), apply actuarial pricing guidelines, negotiate terms with brokers, make accept/decline decisions, monitor the performance of your portfolio of risks, and ensure your pricing delivers profitability for the insurer.
Where you can work
| Sector | Places in Africa |
|---|---|
| Life & Health Insurers | Old Mutual (Pan-Africa), AXA Mansard (Nigeria), Jubilee Life (EA), Sanlam Life, Liberty Africa |
| Property & Casualty | Allianz Africa, AIG Africa, Hollard (SA), UAP Insurance (EA), NEM Insurance (Nigeria) |
| Agricultural Insurance | Kenya Crop Insurance, Ethiopian Crop Insurance, Agricultural Insurance Company (Nigeria) |
| Reinsurance | Munich Re Africa, Swiss Re Africa, African Re — reinsurance underwriters price large wholesale risks |
Why it matters in Africa
Africa is severely underinsured — insurance penetration is below 3% in most Sub-Saharan African countries compared to 10--15% in developed markets. As middle-class growth drives more Africans to seek protection for their assets and lives, and as climate risk raises awareness of the need for agricultural and property insurance, the demand for skilled underwriters is growing rapidly.
Your pathway in
- Study Business, Finance, Statistics, or Risk Management at university
- Pursue the CII (Chartered Insurance Institute) qualification — the most recognised credential in African insurance markets
- Begin in a junior underwriter or underwriting assistant role to learn the practical application of underwriting guidelines
- Develop deep expertise in a line of business: life, health, property, liability, marine, or agricultural insurance
- Learn actuarial pricing principles even without becoming a full actuary — it deepens your underwriting judgement
Skills you will need
- Risk assessment
- Actuarial pricing knowledge
- Analytical judgement
- Negotiation with brokers
- Policy drafting
- Regulatory compliance
A woman in this field
Adaeze Iheme
Nigeria
Adaeze is a senior underwriter at a leading pan-African insurer who has specialised in developing innovative agricultural insurance products designed to protect smallholder farmers from weather and crop failure risk. She is a CII-qualified professional who has spent her career working on one of Africa's most socially important insurance challenges — bringing financial protection to the millions of Africans whose livelihoods depend on agriculture.
Take your first step
- Research what agricultural index insurance is — it is one of the most innovative insurance products being developed specifically for Africa
- Visit the Chartered Insurance Institute website at cii.co.uk to understand the IF1 and other introductory insurance qualifications
- Speak to someone who has insurance — ask them what they are covered for and how they decided which policy to buy
- Research the insurance penetration data for your country — how insured is the population, and what opportunity does that gap represent?