As financial institutions across Africa grapple with climate risks, changing consumer expectations and growing demands for corporate accountability, Britam is positioning sustainability not as a compliance requirement but as a core business strategy.
The insurer and asset manager’s 2025 Sustainability Report reveals a company seeking to differentiate itself through environmental stewardship, healthcare innovation, inclusive growth and governance excellence. While the report covers a broad range of initiatives across its seven African markets, the clearest picture of Britam’s strategic direction emerges from its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) highlights, which showcase how the company is attempting to translate sustainability commitments into measurable business outcomes.
For Britam, sustainability has become central to its growth ambitions as it transitions from its OneBritam strategy to the new ASCEND 2026-2030 plan, where sustainability and governance form one of the six strategic pillars guiding expansion across the continent.
Turning ESG Into Business Value
Unlike many corporate sustainability reports that focus heavily on commitments and aspirations, Britam’s latest report emphasizes measurable outcomes.
The company commissioned a large-scale solar energy project at Britam Tower capable of generating 390,000 kilowatt-hours annually, enough to supply more than half of the building’s energy requirements. The project is expected to offset approximately 198 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions annually, a reduction the company says is comparable to planting 10,800 trees.
The investment demonstrates how sustainability initiatives are increasingly being linked to operational efficiency. Rising energy costs and growing pressure on companies to reduce emissions mean renewable energy projects can simultaneously lower costs and strengthen environmental credentials.
The company also expanded carbon emissions tracking beyond Kenya, recording total Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions of 221.96 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent across a wider operational footprint. This broader measurement creates the foundation for a group-wide emissions reduction roadmap.
Water conservation efforts yielded equally notable results. Group water consumption fell to 71,626 cubic metres in 2025 from 88,120 cubic metres in 2024, reflecting improved resource efficiency across operations.
Beyond internal operations, Britam extended its environmental impact through ecosystem restoration programmes. The company restored more than 444 acres of tree cover, planted 86,000 trees around the Mt Elgon Water Tower, supported the planting of 10,000 trees in Rwanda and facilitated the planting of more than 5,700 trees in public schools. According to the report, these activities generated 1,358 green jobs within host communities.
The report highlights the growth of the Lea Mama maternal health programme, which enrolled more than 3,300 mothers and supported over 300 deliveries across 32 healthcare facilities in Nairobi. The programme reported a 50 per cent reduction in miscarriage rates and a 73 per cent reduction in post-delivery admissions among participating mothers. Customer satisfaction remained exceptionally high, with a Net Promoter Score of 9.4 out of 10.
For an insurer, these outcomes carry strategic significance. Rather than focusing solely on paying claims, Britam is increasingly investing in preventative and outcome-based healthcare solutions that improve customer well-being while potentially lowering long-term healthcare costs.
The company also expanded its Pharmacy First telehealth service from 13 to 23 pharmacies across 14 counties and partnered with nine digital health platforms, including MYDAWA, AAR Healthcare, Zuri, SasaDoc and HealthX. The partnerships are designed to improve access to affordable healthcare, particularly in underserved areas.
Meanwhile, Britam’s Chronic Disease Management Programme recorded a 12 per cent increase in enrolment during 2025. New benefits included free medicine delivery and group mental health services, reflecting the growing role of insurers in addressing long-term health challenges beyond conventional coverage.
These initiatives align with Britam’s broader sustainability objective of expanding access to affordable healthcare and improving community well-being across its markets.
The report suggests Britam increasingly views customer experience as a competitive advantage.
Kenya’s Net Promoter Score rose from 42 in 2024 to 49 in 2025, indicating improved customer satisfaction and loyalty. Mozambique emerged as the group’s best-performing market with an NPS of 77, reflecting the success of omnichannel and customer-centric improvements.
People Strategy as Corporate Strategy
Britam’s sustainability agenda also places considerable emphasis on workforce development and inclusion.
Female representation across the workforce remained at 47 per cent, while women accounted for 42 per cent of executive leadership positions. More than half of the company’s succession pipeline is composed of women, signalling a deliberate effort to build gender diversity into future leadership structures.
The company hired 229 employees during the year and maintained a retention rate of 93.6 per cent across a workforce of 1,331 employees.
These efforts have contributed to Britam earning Top Employer certification across multiple African markets. The company was recognised as a Top Employer in Africa in both 2025 and 2026, with Kenya achieving certification for three consecutive years and Uganda, Rwanda and Mozambique receiving recognition for two straight years.
In a sector where attracting and retaining skilled talent is increasingly important, Britam appears to be using workplace culture and employee experience as strategic differentiators.
Governance
Governance remains one of the strongest pillars of Britam’s sustainability narrative.
The company received the Corporate Governance Excellence Award at the Kenya ESG Awards and was named first runners-up in ESG Reporting under the Global Reporting Initiative category at the Financial Reporting Awards.
Internally, 95 per cent of employees completed anti-corruption training during the year, while 78 per cent of directors underwent training on anti-money laundering and data protection. The company reported zero corruption incidents and revised its Code of Business Conduct in 2025.
The governance emphasis extends to board oversight. ESG responsibilities are embedded within board committees, with sustainability matters reviewed regularly through the Investments and Strategy Committee as well as the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee.
This structure reflects a growing recognition across financial services that environmental and social risks are increasingly material business risks rather than standalone corporate responsibility issues.
Economic Impact
One of the more overlooked aspects of the report is Britam’s contribution to local economic development.
The company engaged 169 local suppliers and spent more than KSh3.1 billion within local economies, significantly exceeding expenditure on non-local suppliers. It also introduced 50 per cent fee discounts for women-owned and youth-owned businesses participating in its procurement ecosystem.
Such initiatives support broader economic inclusion while strengthening relationships with local communities and businesses.
The report also highlights Britam’s commitment to tax transparency, disclosing tax contributions across its seven markets of operation, with Kenya accounting for the largest share.
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