InsureTalk52: tech, trauma and transformation

InsureTalk52 took place on Thursday, 22 May 2025, drawing over 4 300 registrations. The event was headline sponsored by Old Mutual Insure, with SHA coming on board as an event partner.

The dark side of the digital world

First up was Tabitha Lage, who delivered a powerful and emotionally charged talk on the realities of online child grooming and trafficking – a growing crisis that has intensified since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are actually very oblivious to what is going on out there,” she said.

Tabitha, who has been working to bring about an end to human trafficking for 17 years and is the founder of the Hope Risen Foundation, described the significant increase in online child sexual exploitation during lockdowns and stressed the urgent need for awareness and action.

She explained that human trafficking is fundamentally about exploitation, and online grooming plays a central role.

“Nobody can abuse a child, whether virtually or in person, without grooming them first,” she said. Grooming involves building trust and influence over a child in order to engage in sexual interaction, either online or in person.

Tabitha outlined the five key stages predators follow: victim selection, access and isolation, trust development, desensitisation, and post-abuse maintenance – often resulting in the child developing a form of emotional dependence similar to Stockholm syndrome. She also cited alarming statistics, including a rise from 450 000 files in 2004 to 70 million files of child sexual abuse material by 2019.

Tabitha concluded with a practical guide for those who may find themselves facing this issue: stay calm, make the moment emotionally safe, take possession of the child’s phone without deleting anything, and avoid contacting the perpetrator.

“The phone becomes our biggest valuable tool,” she said, “as it can contain crucial evidence.”

She stressed the importance of immediate action and contacting organisations like Hope Risen for support.

“You may choose to look the other way, but you cannot say you did not know,” she said in closing.

D&O risk in turbulent times

Mike Tafatawona, senior underwriter for financial lines at SHA (a division of Santam), delivered a comprehensive and engaging presentation on Directors and Officers (D&O) liability insurance in the context of corporate transactions. He opened by acknowledging the technical nature of the topic and positioned his talk as an insurer’s perspective on a subject that often raises questions from brokers and clients alike.

“D&O liability cover goes beyond protection,” he said. “It’s more about understanding the complexity directors face daily.”

He highlighted the varied legal, financial and stakeholder obligations directors must manage, especially during major corporate events like mergers, acquisitions or listings.

Mike explained that corporate transactions can significantly amplify D&O risk.

“These transactions – ranging from IPOs and takeovers to private equity investments and reorganisations – often bring new exposures such as regulatory scrutiny, shareholder lawsuits and breaches of fiduciary duty,” he said.

“It’s not business as usual after a transaction. New parties mean new liabilities, and even the best-run companies can find themselves facing unexpected claims.”

He noted the importance of rigorous due diligence and highlighted typical sources of disputes, such as valuation disagreements, disclosure failures and misrepresentation during IPOs or acquisitions.

To manage these risks effectively, Mike said it was important to tailor D&O cover. SHA considers a full timeline of exposure – before, during and after the transaction – when structuring policies. He explained the need for “run-off cover” to protect outgoing directors and “go-forward cover” for the new leadership. And, in complex transactions, he said, it’s important to offer a blended policy.

“One size does not fit all. Each deal requires careful underwriting, collaboration with brokers and early client engagement to ensure adequate protection is in place.”

Looking ahead, Mike outlined several emerging risks that could shape the future of D&O insurance, including ESG-related claims, increased regulatory activism, litigation funding and the evolving impact of AI and cyber threats. He called on brokers and clients to work closely with insurers, particularly in the early stages of any planned transaction.

In closing, he emphasised the need for transparency and bespoke underwriting, stating, “We sign NDAs for a reason – so we can provide the right cover without compromise.”

When it comes to corporate transactions, he said, proactive planning and open dialogue are critical in managing D&O exposure.

Building tomorrow’s professionals

Next up was IISA CEO Thokozile Mahlangu, who delivered her traditional institute catch-up. IISA is the CPD provider for InsureTalk, which earns attendees 2.5 hours per session.

Thokozile opened with a reminder of the value of professional accreditation.

“It is important to make sure that you elevate your standing as a professional,” she said, urging attendees to take steps to become accredited through the IISA, a SAQA-recognised professional body.

She explained the three levels of professional designation – Licentiate, Associate and Fellow – each with specific academic and industry experience requirements.

“If you know someone in your teams who isn’t yet an accredited professional, encourage them to separate themselves from the rest,” she said.

With just weeks to go before the African Insurance Exchange, Thokozile spotlighted the event’s role in shaping the next generation of insurance professionals.

“One of our transformation focus areas is to create a pipeline that can take over from the current generation,” she said. “To that end, this year’s conference will feature the top three Insurance Apprentice finalists on a panel titled Cultivating a future-fit insurance industry.”

She also shared a touching story of social impact: Two learners from schools adopted by the IISA in the North West province have joined the Youth Accelerator Programme and are now building careers in insurance.

Thokozile wrapped up with practical reminders and a look ahead. With the CPD cycle closing soon, she encouraged members to update their records, emphasising the value of IISA’s centralised platform for tracking professional development.

Looking forward, she announced the IISA’s first Corporate Partner Engagement in June, a forum for strategic dialogue between the Institute and its key stakeholders.

“Our responsibility is skills development,” she said, “and our aim is to respond to your challenges with solutions that are future focused.”

Industry insights and scam alerts

Rianet Whitehead, of FAnews and The Insurance Apprentice fame, returned with her ever-popular round-up of short-term insurance news, insights from a major global event and an urgent scam warning.

She started with an update on several industry concerns, including the worsening state of infrastructure in Gauteng – with water cuts lasting up to 86 hours! – which is putting pressure on both residents and insurers. She also flagged the growing threat of AI-driven insurance fraud through deep fakes and the sharp rise in weather-related claims, with Santam alone reporting R607 million in climate-related losses for the first half of 2024.

Rianet also highlighted the imbalance in insurance coverage in South Africa, where 4% of the population accounts for the vast majority of insured assets.

She then reflected on her attendance at the International Forum of Terrorism Risk (Re)Insurance Pools (IFTRIP) Global Resilience Conference, hosted for the first time on African soil by Sasria in Cape Town.

“It was a truly special event,” she said, noting the global conversations around terrorism, political violence and the growing role of climate risk and cyber threats. “It’s about more than claims. It’s about protecting people and economies.”

She was particularly intrigued by how other countries are structuring flood cover and hinted that South Africa could draw inspiration from those models.

On a more urgent note, she alerted the audience to a scam targeting brokers, where individuals posing as intermediaries were fraudulently selling access to non-existent books of business.

“Please be vigilant,” she urged. “If something feels off, it probably is.”

As always, Rianet closed with some updates from The Insurance Apprentice, revealing that the latest season will debut on 17 July on SABC3. With new tasks covering small business insurance and riot models, and headlined by Sasria as the main sponsor, this season promises to be “fresh, engaging and very, very real.” She encouraged viewers to spread the word and watch across social media, even if they miss the broadcast date.

A final reminder came for the looming CPD deadline on 31 May.

“There’s content out there, but patience is key,” she said. “The system may be slow, but it’s available.”

Accomplished singer songwriter, Giuliette Price, entertained attendees courtesy of Business and Arts South Africa.

Next up was the Old Mutual Insure team – Soul Abraham (CE: Retail), Natasha Williams (COO) and Nicholas Dempsey (On Platform Business Solutions).

Soul delivered a compelling and urgent call for action on the use of generative AI (GenAI) in the intermediated insurance industry.

“Everyone’s talking about GenAI right now,” he said, “and while I’m no expert, I work with some brilliant minds who are helping us prepare for the changes it brings.”

Soul opened by tracing the impact of past industrial revolutions on the insurance sector, especially how digital transformation led to the rise of direct insurers and the steady erosion of intermediated market share.

“We’ve seen how the digital era shifted personal lines dramatically – from 80% intermediated in 2007 to almost 50/50 today,” he noted, warning that commercial lines are heading in the same direction. “We can’t let it drift without putting up a fight.”

Reflecting on how the insurance industry has historically been slow to adapt, Soul outlined the competitive threat of ignoring GenAI. He contrasted traditional AI, used for classification and analysis, with GenAI’s ability to generate human-like content based on massive datasets. Using a real-world example, he asked Google’s Gemini to explain how to underwrite restaurant risks in South Africa.

“I gave it 20 words. What it returned was six pages of structured, practical and localised underwriting logic – good enough that my senior underwriters only corrected grammar.”

This demonstration, he said, should put to rest the notion that insurance is too complex for AI. “If we feed these models our underwriting IP securely, the potential is enormous.”

He pointed out that failing to embrace GenAI could lead to reduced competitiveness, strained client relationships and missed opportunities in both underwriting and customer service.

“Our clients are already experiencing AI in everyday tools. If we don’t partner and evolve, they’ll drift further towards direct models that do.”

Soul pointed to practical applications – from hyper-personalised products and predictive risk modelling to automated underwriting and always-on digital assistants – as critical ways to empower brokers and improve the client experience.

“Imagine doubling the number of clients a broker can serve! That’s what GenAI makes possible.”

Soul warned against complacency: “If we adopt in 10 years, the gap will be too big to close. We’ve been notoriously slow to adopt tech as an industry. We can’t afford that now.”

He painted a picture of what winning could look like: lower costs, stronger ecosystems, better customer experience and a reversal of market-share losses.

“Let’s not just keep up. Let’s lead. With GenAI and real broker-insurer collaboration, we can build an intermediated model that’s not only competitive, but unbeatable.”

Operational transformation with a human touch

Natasha delivered an energising, practical session on the transformative role of GenAI in insurance operations. With over three decades of industry experience, she brought a grounded, people-first perspective to the conversation.

“This isn’t just about being faster or more efficient,” she said, “it’s about making every interaction feel easier and more connected.”

Her talk centred on how Old Mutual Insure is integrating GenAI to modernise broker interactions, automate operational processes and improve service delivery without losing the human touch.

Natasha explained that GenAI’s real power lies in its ability to work with unstructured data such as emails, PDFs, scanned forms, etc., and turn them into actionable insights.

“We deal with a mountain of documents every day,” she said. “With Document AI, machines can now read and write. This capability is already delivering real value: classifying documents, extracting key information and generating responses.

“It’s not about replacing people. It’s about empowering them. With AI managing repetitive tasks, brokers and service teams can refocus on relationship-building and strategic advice.

She shared a powerful example: last year, her team had to generate 7,000 quotes in a short time – in addition to their regular workload. Using large language models, they not only met the deadline but did so without overburdening staff.

“What used to take 45 minutes now takes two,” she said. This breakthrough in quote automation is only the beginning. Natasha painted a future where AI extracts key data from documents in real time, generates accurate quotes across insurers, supports underwriters with contextual insights and enhances the claims process with intelligent concierge bots.

“It’s like having a 24/7 assistant that ensures claims are clean, complete and ready to move.”

But for Natasha, technology is only part of the story.

“GenAI is a catalyst for change,” she said. “True transformation requires deliberate change management led by people, not just systems. It’s not about top-down mandates, it’s about creating a movement.”

She championed the role of embedded change champions who can bridge the gap between technical developers and day-to-day users.

In closing, Natasha invited brokers to be part of the journey: “We’re excited about what’s ahead, but we want to hear from you. What excites you? What challenges can we solve together?”

Her message was clear: transformation isn’t something done to the business—it’s something done with it.

From chaos to clarity

Nicholas offered a hands-on exploration of how GenAI can be leveraged by brokers and intermediaries to create real operational efficiency and business growth. Framing his session through the lens of “moving from cluttered to clear,” Nicholas used a visual analogy of two desks – one chaotic, one streamlined – to symbolise the shift from manual-heavy processes to AI-enhanced productivity.

“The desk on the right is empty because that broker is out seeing clients,” he said. “They’ve freed up time using tools that simplify their admin.”

Nicholas shared several live demos to show just how accessible and impactful GenAI can be in a brokerage setting. Using tools like ChatGPT, Claude AI and Microsoft’s Copilot, he demonstrated how AI can instantly compare insurer quotes, simplify complex policy wording, draft client emails and even generate training manuals from 140-page policy documents.

“The entire process – manual, quiz, and slide deck – took six minutes,” he said, highlighting the dramatic time savings. “This isn’t about replacing people. It’s about amplifying what we’re already good at by automating the repetitive and time-consuming.”

He also offered a broad look at the GenAI ecosystem, what he called the “wagon wheel” of tools available to brokers today. From Jasper for marketing content, to Zapier for workflow automation, Notion AI for productivity and Canva for design, he encouraged intermediaries to start small but to start now.

“It’s like having a 24/7 colleague who’s always on and ready to help,” he said. “The return on investment? Double, triple, maybe even quadruple, depending on how deep you go.”

He advised that clarity in prompting, validation of AI outputs and consistent usage are key to ensuring both effectiveness and control.

“You’re always in charge,” he reminded the audience.

In closing, Nicholas referenced a favourite quote from JFK: “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” He reinforced the urgency of embracing GenAI now to avoid falling behind.

“Let’s not just adapt, let’s lead,” he said.

A quick Mentimeter poll with the audience showed overwhelming support for GenAI adoption, with 97% saying it was relevant to their operations and most planning to integrate it within six months.

“This is where the opportunity lies,” Nicholas concluded. “The future is not waiting. It’s already here.”

If you missed the live broadcast of InsureTalk52, you can watch the YouTube recording here: