Higher yields and bond allocations lifted net investment income to R18.5 billion (£842 million/$1.127 billion) in 2025 in South Africa, according to a new report.
"Investment income continued to be a significant contributor to the 2025 financial results of the non-life insurance industry," said The South African Insurance Industry Survey 2026, published by KPMG South Africa.
The paper examined non-life insurers’ 2025 investment performance and recorded a shift in asset allocations and the challenge of sustaining returns as interest rates eased.
"While South Africa entered an interest rate easing cycle in 2025, interest rates remained elevated for most of the year,” said the report.
South Africa’s central bank raised its key interest rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 7.25% in September. The country’s headline inflation increased from 3.2% in the first quarter of this year to 4.5% in the second and is projected to remain elevated above 5% until the second quarter of 2027, before easing back to target from the fourth quarter.
As Africa’s largest economy by nominal GDP, South Africa offers a significant lens on insurance investment trends across one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.
Its market’s challenges and opportunities matter beyond its borders due to its insurers’ role in financing businesses and government, supporting trade, and connecting domestic risks with international capital and reinsurance markets.
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