Old Mutual Malawi deepens client ties with couples-focused engagement drive

Old Mutual Malawi hosted an event for policyholders and their spouses in Blantyre , part of a broader push by the insurer to position itself as a household financial partner amid a challenging economic environment for consumers.

The dinner, held at the Amaryllis Hotel under the theme “Thriving Together: Partners for Life”, was structured to include clients’ partners directly in discussions on financial planning — a departure from the company’s traditional approach of engaging only the named policyholder.

Lauren Mlenga, Old Mutual Malawi’s strategy, digital and data executive, said the format was designed in response to an internal observation that client events had historically excluded spouses from conversations about family finances, despite their shared stake in long-term financial outcomes.

“We shared with them some tips on how they can manage in this environment,” Mlenga said. “We stressed that as Old Mutual, although we are operating in a challenging environment, we help our couples navigate and still grow, build and protect their financial futures.”

The initiative comes as Malawian households continue to contend with elevated inflation and currency pressures that have squeezed disposable incomes and complicated long-term savings and investment decisions.

Among the attendees were Foster and Wezzie Harawa, longstanding Old Mutual clients who described the insurer’s role in their investment planning over several years. Foster Harawa, a chartered accountant, said professional financial expertise did not eliminate the need for external advisory input.

“I am a certified chartered accountant and one can assume that I am able to make all the decisions around financial environment that I am in, but I still need an advisor,” he said.

His wife, Wezzie Harawa, said the couple’s engagement with Old Mutual was oriented primarily around retirement planning. “We involve Old Mutual when we think of making an investment so that we can get a greater benefit when we retire,” she said.

The Blantyre event forms part of a wider client-retention strategy by Old Mutual Malawi, as insurers in the market look to differentiate themselves through deeper engagement with policyholders’ broader financial circumstances, rather than transactional, product-led interactions alone.