Sanlam posts Sh413.6 million loss before tax as it pushes accelerated organic growth

Listed non-bank financial services company Sanlam Kenya has posted a Sh413.6 million loss before tax in its full-year financial results released on Friday.

Topline Group reported a Gross Premium Income of Sh12 billion accounting for a 38 per cent improvement over the previous year’s Sh8.7 billion.

But the earnings represented a loss after tax of Sh542 million compared a loss after-tax of Sh628 million in 2020.

Sanlam has been implementing strategies to grow its revenue for both its Life and General insurance subsidiaries and has attributed its performance to a challenging market.

Speaking when he confirmed the release of the results', Sanlam Group CEO Dr Patrick Tumbo noted that the life insurance subsidiary had performed significantly well and helped sustain the Group's resilient performance.

“After the successful implementation of revenue growth strategies in both short- and long-term insurance business, management’s efforts have been redirected at ringfencing Sanlam Life successes to date while improving future results. Sanlam General will translate its notable revenue growth into a profitable result going forward,” he said.

The firm's net written premium also registered a 34% growth to close at Kshs 9.2 billion, up from Kshs 6.8 billion, while total assets improved by 12% to KShs 34.7 billion. The Group's total earnings closed at a Kes 542 million after-tax loss (restated 2020: loss after-tax of KShs 628 million).

Sanlam Life Insurance recorded a Gross Premium Income of KShs 7.4 billion which is a 41% growth over the prior year and posted an after-tax profit of KShs 642 million (2020: Kshs 498 million) represents a 29% growth over the previous year.

As part of a recovery strategy, Sanlam Kenya, Dr Tumbo assured, will continue emphasizing innovation to improve the Group's insurance offering to the market with a positive return to profitability prospects.

Sanlam General Insurance’s performance, he said, had been impacted by the application of more prudent provisioning of claims reserves and insurance counterparty balances in its general insurance subsidiary. He disclosed that a restatement of prior year accounts was also undertaken to align the additional provisioning to the relevant accounting period.

Sanlam General Insurance reported a Gross Premium Income of KShs 4.9 billion representing a 19% growth over prior year.

However, the business reported an after-tax loss of KShs 501 million on account of prudent provisioning of claims reserves and insurance counterparty balances.

A restatement was undertaken by the business to align the provisioning to the relevant accounting period (restated 2020: after-tax loss of KShs 412 million).

At the group level, Sanlam Kenya's net paid out benefits and claims increased to Kshs 8.6 billion within the year under review, up from Kshs 5.7 billion.

Despite slower business growth and higher claims lodged, Sanlam has maintained sufficient reserves to facilitate the timely settlement of claims.

The company continued to maintain a solid trading foundation as its total assets grew 11% to close at Kshs 34.6 billion, up from Kshs 31 billion recorded the previous year.

The firm, he said, will continue focusing on accelerated organic business growth while pursuing a market leadership position through high quality and differentiated service provision.

Sanlam Kenya subsidiaries, he added, will also leverage emerging market opportunities advanced by its continental equity partners, such as the recent Sanlam-Alliance joint venture.

Last year, Sanlam Life's total revenues increased 30% to Kshs 8.8 billion, up from Kshs 6.8 billion posted the previous year.

The subsidiary's revenue growth lifted its profit before tax to Kshs 931 million, up from Kshs 599 million registered in the prior year.

"At Sanlam Kenya and through our Sanlam Life Insurance Limited and Sanlam General Insurance Limited, we are resilient and remain well positioned to continue meeting the unique client needs in the General and Life Insurance space as we embark on an accelerated business recovery journey," Dr Tumbo said.

He added that "The recent global and local developments, including the Covid Pandemic, have negatively affected the insurance industry. It now requires us to build back better by banking on information technology systems and market-driven products' that are efficient and cost-effectively delivered."

As part of the build back better agenda by Sanlam Kenya, Dr Tumbo confirmed that the firm had aligned its growth plans to the new continental business plan envisioned in the recently announced joint venture between Sanlam and Allianz.

While welcoming and celebrating the joint venture announced by Sanlam and Allianz to create the largest Pan-African non-banking financial services entity on the continent, Dr Tumbo confirmed that the firm's local operations would be actively optimized to provide value for the clients in Kenya.

Sanlam Kenya, he said, would continue providing life insurance and non-medical general insurance services.

"In Kenya, like the rest of Africa, Sanlam and Allianz will leverage each other's strengths to unlock synergies and provide customers with best-in-class, innovative insurance solutions and technical excellence," Dr Tumbo said while celebrating the joint venture.

The partnership aims to increase life and general insurance penetration, accelerate product innovation and drive financial inclusion in high-growth African markets.