Business Talk – Deon de Klerk explains how Standard Bank is shaping the African insurance market

In this Business Talk with Michael Avery interview, Deon de Klerk discusses how Standard Bank is shaping the evolution of financial services in Africa.

Deon de Klerk is the Head of Africa Regions, Insurance and Asset Management at Standard Bank.

He is a prominent figure in the finance industry with over 30 years of experience.

De Klerk entered the industry as a chartered accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and later joined AGM Finance.

There, he was responsible for all finance functions, including financial reporting and finance systems.

De Klerk would go on to hold multiple key leadership roles at influential companies, including acting as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive for Strategic Ventures at Liberty.

After joining Standard Bank, de Klerk worked as the CEO of Wealth Africa Regions in 2017 and Head of Insurance for Standard Bank Group.

In his current role, which he began in 2023, he oversees the integration of Liberty’s and Standard Bank’s insurance businesses across African jurisdictions while driving great growth and customer satisfaction.

De Klerk studied at the University of Johannesburg and boasts a BCom in Accounting, a BCom Honours, and a CA(SA).

The interview

In this Business Talk interview, de Klerk outlines the role of insurance in enabling African economic development.

He discusses the practical steps that must be taken to improve trust in digital consumer tools and some of Standard Bank’s solutions in this area.

De Klerk also shares what he believes the future holds for insurance in Africa.

He concludes by noting how Standard Bank navigates the unique challenges posed by the country’s youthful demographic and their growing reliance on mobile technology for financial services in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Watch the full interview with Deon de Klerk below.