Lesley Ndlovu

Lesley Ndlovu is bolstering Africa's climate resilience by providing fast insurance payouts to victims of climate change across the continent.

Ndlovu’s African Risk Capacity Group (ARC), an insurer to African Union Member States, has pioneered the use of what’s known as parametric insurance to combat weather-related disasters. The insurance provides smallholder farmers payouts based on pre-agreed triggers in rainfall deviation during droughts, floods, or cyclones. The trigger calculations allow the money to get into the hands of victims fast, without the need for boots on the ground to assess damage, Ndlovu told TIME in an email.  

“Africa is the most climate vulnerable continent in the world, despite contributing the least to carbon emissions that are the leading cause of climate change. We are witnessing an unprecedented increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters, droughts, and floods that used to happen every 10 years are now happening every three years,” he says. “These events have a devastating impact on local communities, often resulting in the loss of lives and livelihoods. Insurance plays a critical role in disaster risk financing, helping to pay for the damage caused by catastrophic climate events.” 

Over the last ten years, the company has paid over $170 million in claims. It now covers 50 million people, according to Ndlovu, with plans to expand climate and health insurance coverage to all 55 African Union member states by 2034. In February, ARC entered into an $11.7 million partnership with the U.S. government to enhance food security and strengthen African climate resilience over the next three years using parametric insurance.After a record-breaking drought in Malawi this year, the company delivered $11.2 million in direct relief payments to hundreds of thousands of households. Upon receiving the payout, Malawi President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera said: “The insurance payout we receive today is not just a financial transaction; it is a lifeline for our vulnerable populations. It is a testament to the power of foresight and planning, allowing us to respond swiftly and effectively to the needs of our people.”