MEDIA RELEASE: Zimnat launches Zimbabwe’s first insurer-led Health & Claims Barometer
ISSUED BY ZIMNAT GROUP | SEPTEMBER 2026 | HARARE, ZIMBABWE
We are pleased to announce the launch of the Inaugural Zimnat LifeCheck Health & Claims Barometer, making Zimnat the first insurer in Zimbabwe to publish a dedicated Barometer based on its own claims experience.
The launch forms part of our 80th-anniversary programme and reflects the kind of organisation we are becoming: more open, more insight-led and more useful to the people we serve.
Covering April 2025 to March 2026, the inaugural Barometer analyses 1,103 paid Employee Benefits and Individual Life claims, valued at USD 3.20 million and ZWG 18.26 million. It also records 2,709 cashback benefit payments and 2,154 refunds.
But LifeCheck is not simply a report on what we paid.
It is about what the claims are telling us and what Zimbabweans can do with those lessons.
| “For 80 years, Zimnat has been present when life changed unexpectedly. LifeCheck allows us to use that experience differently: by opening the evidence, sharing what the claims have taught us and encouraging people to act before illness or loss becomes urgent.”
Workmore Chimweta – Zimnat Life Assurance Managing Director |
Health signals that demand earlier attention
The Barometer identifies cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes or metabolic conditions as prominent health signals within the leading condition groups highlighted in the report.
Cardiovascular disease appeared most frequently, with 310 claims and approximately USD 868,900 paid. Cancer appeared in 176 claims but carried approximately USD 915,400 in the USD portfolio. The figures demonstrate that the condition appearing most often is not always the one carrying the greatest financial severity.
Together, cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes or metabolic conditions accounted for 550 of the 748 claims across the five leading condition groups highlighted. The figure describes Zimnat’s insured portfolio and must not be interpreted as national disease prevalence.
We are using these findings to encourage screening, earlier professional attention, treatment continuity and stronger workplace wellness support. The campaign does not suggest that every illness is preventable or that individuals should be blamed for becoming ill.
A life is priceless. The financial gap left behind is not
The Barometer also shows that serious illness and death can create a financial shock that extends far beyond the person named on a policy.
High-value claim payments should not be read as prices placed on individual lives. No payout can replace a person. The value paid reflects the protection arranged around that person’s insured benefit, income and responsibilities.
The more important question is what may happen to a household when income or care disappears and no insurance is available. School fees, housing costs, debt, healthcare, food, transport, support for parents and business commitments do not stop simply because the person funding them is no longer able to do so.
Insurance cannot remove grief. It can help prevent grief from being followed immediately by interrupted education, the loss of a home, distress borrowing or the forced sale of productive assets.
| “A claim may sit in one name, but the responsibilities behind it are often shared by an entire family. The question every breadwinner should ask is whether the people who depend on them would inherit protection or financial pressure.”
Tatenda Marongwe- Zimnat Group Marketing Executive |
A new transparency benchmark
The LifeCheck Barometer is intended to make insurance value easier to see and understand. It shows insurance moving from promise to outcome while clearly explaining the scope and limits of the data whilst also preserving the confidentiality and anonymity of the parties involved.
As we celebrate 80 years, we believe longevity must be matched by relevance.
For us, that means becoming clearer, more transparent and more useful to our customers, families, employers and communities. We also hope LifeCheck encourages a wider culture of openness and evidence-led discussion across Zimbabwe’s insurance industry.
Download the LifeCheck Barometer by clicking here
Complete Your LifeCheck
We are encouraging Zimbabweans to take three simple steps:
Know your health
Understand when your key health checks were last completed and seek professional guidance where needed.
Know who depends on you
Identify the people and responsibilities that would be affected if your income or care stopped.
Know your protection
Understand your benefits, confirm your beneficiaries and keep important policy information accessible.
The full LifeCheck Health & Claims Barometer 2025 will be available through the Zimnat website, supported by health, financial-wellness and insurance-education content throughout the campaign.
Media Enquiries Can be directed in writing to the following contact
Zimnat Group Communications Office
Email: marketing@zimnat.co.zw
Health note: Campaign information is for general education and does not replace assessment, diagnosis or treatment by a qualified healthcare professional.
