Business Talk – Standard Bank’s Schalk Malan discusses the evolution and future of insurance in South Africa
In this Business Talk with Michael Avery interview, Standard Bank Group’s Schalk Malan discusses the future of insurance in South Africa.
Malan is the Head of Insurance for Standard Bank’s Insurance and Asset Management Business (IAM) Unit, a role he was appointed to in late 2025.
In this position, he oversees Liberty’s Retail Life and Savings and Corporate Benefits offerings, a Standard Bank subsidiary.
In addition, he manages Standard Bank Standard Insurance Limited (SIL).
Malan rose to prominence when he co-founded the life insurance company BrightRock in 2011, serving as its CEO for nearly eight years and as its Director for over 14 years.
Under his leadership, BrightRock became one of South Africa’s most innovative risk insurers, helping him build a reputation for his actuarial expertise and entrepreneurial drive.
Malan boasts a Bachelor of Science Honours in Actuarial Science from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Bachelor of Science from Rand Afrikaans University.
The interview
In this Business Talk interview, Malan outlines the defining moments over the last year that have changed the insurance industry, and highlights where he sees new growth.
Malan unpacks what it means to move from a limited, case-by-case approach to customer interaction to a long-term, financial-journey-focused method, and how they support their customers with automated services.
He also highlights the differences between creating innovative solutions in a large organisation compared to a start-up.
Malan concludes the interview by sharing what it takes to be a leader in a constantly evolving modern marketplace.
Watch the interview with Schalk Malan below.
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