Old Mutual Group chief executive Jurie Strydom received the African Insurer award at the AFIS Awards 2026 ceremony in Luanda, Angola, as the South African financial services group announced stronger first‑half results.

The award recognises insurers that demonstrate solid financial performance, regional growth, innovation and community impact, according to the AFIS assessment framework.

Strydom, an actuary who took over as CEO in June 2025 after leading Sanlam Life and Savings and other firms, has placed group equity value and cash generation at the core of Old Mutual’s strategy.

Old Mutual’s first‑half 2026 figures show sales up 21% and earnings per share rising 11%, prompting the board to lift the interim dividend by 8% and approve a further R1 billion share buy‑back.

The Mass and Foundation cluster, which serves lower‑income customers, posted a 19% increase in results from operations, underscoring the group’s focus on expanding access to insurance and savings products.

Old Mutual’s retail banking arm, OM Bank, is nearing one million customers and held R1.6 billion in deposits at the end of August 2026, illustrating the scale of its entry into banking.

The banking expansion complements the group’s insurance, savings and investment businesses across 12 African countries, providing an additional channel for serving mass‑market clients.

Industry observers note that Old Mutual’s move mirrors broader trends among South African banks, such as Nedbank’s acquisition of Kenya’s NCBA Group and digital product roll‑outs by Absa and Safaricom.