Jubilee Insurance tops AI challenge as firms race to transform Africa’s insurance industry

Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from experimentation to real-world deployment in Africa’s insurance sector, with industry players increasingly focusing on solutions that can withstand regulatory scrutiny while delivering measurable business outcomes.

That shift was on display during the 2026 Execution Advantage AI Challenge, where insurers and technology firms showcased AI-powered tools designed to tackle some of the industry's most pressing challenges, from risk assessment and policy management to claims processing and governance.

The competition, held during the InsurTech Forum Nairobi (ITFN) 2026, brought together insurers, underwriters, claims specialists, compliance professionals and technology innovators from across the region.

Jubilee Insurance emerged as the overall winner of the challenge, ahead of Baza Analytics and The Monarch Insurance, whose solutions were recognised for demonstrating how AI can be deployed responsibly within insurance operations.

Participants competed across four key areas: AI governance and oversight, adaptive policy management, continuous underwriting and risk monitoring, and end-to-end claims automation.

Unlike many technology competitions that focus on proof-of-concept demonstrations, the challenge required participants to develop solutions capable of operating in live insurance environments while meeting growing demands for transparency, explainability and accountability.

According to organisers, the challenge reflected the industry's growing focus on implementing AI systems that can be audited and trusted by regulators, insurers and customers alike.

Ayisi Makatiani, CEO and Co-Founder of Caava Group, said the quality of solutions presented highlighted Africa's growing ability to develop responsible AI technologies.

“The insurance industry is entering a new era where competitive advantage will increasingly depend on how effectively organisations deploy AI. Success will not be determined simply by access to technology, but by the ability to implement it in a way that is trusted, explainable and accountable,” he said.

Participants were tasked with developing AI agents capable of identifying bias and errors, adapting insurance coverage to changing customer needs, monitoring emerging risks and automating claims while providing clear explanations for decisions made.

Shadrack Kiratu, Director of Operations at M-TIBA, said the competition demonstrated how AI could help insurers improve efficiency and strengthen risk management.

“AI is creating significant opportunities for insurers to improve efficiency, strengthen risk management and deliver better customer experiences. As adoption accelerates, the industry must focus on deploying it responsibly and at scale,” he said.

The challenge formed part of the two-day InsurTech Forum Nairobi 2026, which brought together insurance executives, regulators and technology leaders to discuss the future of innovation in Africa's insurance and financial services sectors.

Speaking during the event, Boston Consulting Group Managing Director Henok Eyob said organisations would only realise the full benefits of artificial intelligence if they approached it as a business transformation tool rather than a technology project.

“The single most reliable predictor of transformation success is whether businesses treat AI as a business priority and not a tech program and use it to track outcomes,” he said.

As insurers across Africa accelerate digital transformation efforts, industry leaders say the next phase of AI adoption will depend not only on innovation but also on the ability to deploy solutions that are practical, accountable and capable of operating at scale.