Insurance awareness campaign gains ground in Mbeya

MBEYA: Insurance awareness is gaining momentum in Tanzania as efforts intensify to improve financial protection among households, traders and small businesses that remain vulnerable to unexpected risks.

In line with the push, Stanbic Bank Tanzania has extended its nationwide insurance awareness campaign to Mbeya, taking financial education directly to members of the public in a bid to boost understanding and uptake of insurance services.

The activation, held at the busy Kabwe Stand transport hub, brought together traders, transport operators and residents, who received practical guidance on how insurance can help protect livelihoods, businesses and family incomes.

Speaking during the event, Stanbic Bank Tanzania Bancassurance Officer, Naphtal Ntangeki, said the bank is committed to promoting greater awareness of insurance as an essential component of financial inclusion.

“At Stanbic, we see it as our responsibility to lead this conversation and bring it to communities ourselves. We are not waiting for people to come to us; we are taking insurance education to where Tanzanians live and work because we believe protection should be within everyone’s reach,” he said.

Additionally, he said the Mbeya outreach forms part of a growing nationwide campaign that has already reached Tanga and Mwanza, with plans to expand to more regions across the country.

“This is a movement we are proud to be building. From Tanga to Mwanza and now Mbeya, Stanbic is consistently showing up for communities, and we intend to keep expanding this footprint until insurance becomes a normal part of how Tanzanians plan and protect their future,” he said.

The campaign was conducted in partnership with Britam Insurance Tanzania Limited, Heritage Insurance Company Tanzania Limited, Alliance Insurance Corporation Limited and Sanlam Allianz General Insurance Tanzania Limited.

Participants were given an opportunity to engage directly with insurance experts and seek clarification on available products and services.

One of the beneficiaries, a bajaj driver identified as Benezeti, said the session had transformed his understanding of insurance.

“As a bajaj driver, I am on the road every day, and anything can happen. Before today, I thought insurance was something complicated and far from people like me. Now I understand that it is exactly people like me, who depend on this work to feed our families, who need it most,” he said.

He commended the initiative for bringing insurance education closer to ordinary citizens.

The outreach comes as stakeholders seek to address low insurance penetration in Tanzania by improving public awareness, accessibility and trust in insurance products, particularly among low- and middle-income earners.