Photo: Malcolm Manners, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0Insurance companies in Malawi
The Registrar's list (June 2026)
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Get the free PDFHow to check an insurer before you buy
- Find the insurer named on your policy schedule or certificate in the list below or on the Registrar's list.
- Check the broker, agent or bank that sells it on the same list: since 2010 an unlicensed broker risks a fine of K5,000,000 and four years' imprisonment (Insurance Act, section 27).
- Ask for the key facts statement and compare at least two licensed insurers. In doubt, call the Registrar on 80 008 444.
Step by step, with the 32 licensed brokers: check an insurer, agent or broker.
General, life, inclusive: what the lists mean
- General insurers may sell motor, fire (home and commercial), liability, engineering, marine, personal accident, medical, agriculture and miscellaneous cover, within the classes on their licence (Classes Directive 2017).
- Life insurers sell term, whole life, endowment, group life and funeral, annuities, income protection, critical illness and business assurance (same Directive, Second Schedule).
- Inclusive insurance is insurance designed for low-income people; the Registrar lists Microinsurance Services Limited as the inclusive insurance company.
- Insurance in Malawi is in two categories, life and general (Insurance Act, section 6), and an insurer may only underwrite the classes it is licensed for.
The NICO group holds one general and one life licence; Old Mutual holds a life licence. Profiles built from the Registrar's list: Old Mutual · NICO · Prime Insurance.
The list: 16 licensed insurers in Malawi
As published by the Registrar of Financial Institutions (Reserve Bank of Malawi) — List of licensed, registered and supervised financial institutions as at 30 June 2026 (Registrar of Financial Institutions' list as at 30 June 2026). Names are reproduced as the regulator lists them. Being on this list means a company is licensed; it is not a rating or a recommendation.
General insurance companies 8
- Britam Insurance Company Malawi Limited
- Co-operatives General Insurance Limited
- General Alliance Insurance Limited
- Libertas General Insurance Company Limited
- NICO General Insurance Company Limited
- Prime Insurance Company Limited
- Reunion Insurance Company Limited
- United General Insurance Company Limited
Life insurance companies 6
- Co-operatives Life Assurance Limited
- LifeCo Life Limited
- NICO Life Insurance Company Limited
- Old Mutual Life Assurance Company (Malawi) Limited
- Smile Life Insurance Company Limited
- Vanguard Life Assurance Company Limited
Inclusive insurance company 1
Licensed for inclusive (micro) insurance, listed separately by the Registrar.
- Microinsurance Services Limited
Reinsurer 1
Reinsurers insure insurers; they do not sell to the public.
- Emeritus Reinsurance Company Limited
Insurer profiles in Malawi
The main insurance groups, with every licensed company behind the brand and where else it is licensed.
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Frequently asked questions
How many insurance companies are there in Malawi?
On the Registrar's list as at 30 June 2026: 8 general insurers, 6 life insurers, 1 inclusive insurance company and 1 reinsurer.
Is Old Mutual licensed in Malawi?
Yes. Old Mutual Life Assurance Company (Malawi) Limited is on the Registrar's list of licensed life insurers as at 30 June 2026.
Is NICO an insurance company?
Two NICO companies are licensed: NICO General Insurance Company Limited (general insurance) and NICO Life Insurance Company Limited (life insurance), both on the Registrar's list as at 30 June 2026.
Is MASM an insurance company?
MASM, the Medical Aid Society of Malawi, describes itself as a medical aid society. It is not on the Registrar's list of licensed insurers as at 30 June 2026. See MASM.
Which insurer is the best in Malawi?
Tulinde does not rank insurers. Compare the key facts statements, the exclusions and the excess of at least two licensed insurers, and check how they handle claims.
Sources
- Registrar of Financial Institutions — Press release: list of licensed, registered and supervised financial institutions as at 30 June 2026 (published 28 October 2026)
- Insurance Act, Cap. 47:01 (Act 9 of 2010, in force 1 October 2010) — MalawiLII consolidated text, Web Archive copy
- Insurance (Classes of Insurance Business) Directive, 2017 — Government Notice No. 43, Gazette of 11 August 2017
- Reserve Bank of Malawi — Consumer protection: complaints handling (how to lodge a complaint, hotline 80 008 444)