Actuarial Society of South Africa

Are GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic the miracle cure they are made out to be on social media, or are they simply overhyped? In this episode of the ASSA Clarity podcast, host Lucienne Fild sits down with Desigan Pillay, a member of the Actuarial Society of South Africa, to unpack the rapid rise of metabolic health advancements and what they mean for the insurance and actuarial landscapes. Desigan breaks down the three buckets of metabolic health and shares unique insights into South Africa’s distinct obesity demographics. The discussion dives deep into the realities of long-term usage - touching on drug adherence, "yo-yo" usage, muscle and bone mass loss, and the socioeconomic "haves and have-nots" of healthcare access. Finally, they explore the direct operational impacts for life, health, and disability insurers. Tune in for an insightful, data-driven conversation on whether the actuarial profession is ready for the GLP-1 revolution.

Speaker: Michael Tichareva | Executive Chairman & Senior Actuary | Claxon Actuaries International

Speaker: Sivenesan Govender | Division of Market Risk Head | Prudential Authority

Alpha returns above risk adjusted margins Speaker: Cameron Gough | Finance Head | FirstRand

Speaker: Emma Mer | Chief Risk Officer | FirstRand Group

Speaker: Pravin Burra | Founder & Director | Analytix Engine

Designing Technology Systems for Failure, Not Hope Speakers: Ian Norden | CEO and Executive Director | Intengo Market

Speaker: Kumeshen Naidoo | Head: Debt Capital Markets | Absa Corporate and Investment Bank

Speaker: Adriaan Rowan | Regional Business Head | YALA Consultants and Actuaries

How actuaries can help African banks build for informality, climate volatility, and digital rails. Speakers: Trevor Takabika | FIA | Consulting Actuary | Claxon Actuaries International Michael Tichareva | Executive Chairman & Senior Actuary | Claxon Actuaries International

Speakers: Sandra Villars | CFA, Partner, Financial Services | Oliver Wyman Kehar Narismulu | Principal, Financial Services - Digital Banking | Oliver Wyman Isa van Zyl | Senior Consultant | Oliver Wyman

Speaker: Esmerelda Oberholzer | Banking Committee

Speaker: Nicky Patchett | Chair Life Assurance Committee

Speaker: Dr Ron Richman | Founder & CEO | InsureAI

Speakers: Francois Hugo (Panel facilitator) | Actuary - Co-founder | True South Karun Varughese | Head: Actuarial | Capitec Nico Van Der Colff | Group Actuary | Old Mutual Limited

Speaker: Marguerite Fevrier | Partner | EY Insurance, Risk Consulting

Speaker: Sanisha Packirisamy | Group Economist | Momentum Group

Speaker: David Kirk | Managing Director, Milliman Africa

Speaker: Previn Pillay | Associate Director, Actuarial & Insurance Solutions | Deloitte Africa Lance Posthumus | Co-founder | ByteCat Digital Derek Schraader | Agentic AI Co-Op Leader | Deloitte Africa Francois Berry | Chief Risk Officer | FirstRand Short-term Insurance Amogelang Kgaladi | Group Chief Actuary | Guardrisk

Speakers: Nicholas Thomadaki | Consulting Actuary, Actuarial & Insurance Solutions | Deloitte Africa Previn Pillay | Associate Director, Actuarial & Insurance Solutions | Deloitte Africa

Speaker: Nicky Patchett | Chair Life Assurance Committee

Speaker: Nicky Patchett | Chair Life Assurance Committee

Speaker: TBA

Speaker: Marguerite Fevrier | Partner | EY Insurance Risk Consulting

Speaker: David Kirk | Managing Director, Milliman Africa

Speaker: Dr Ron Richman | Founder & CEO | InsureAI

Speaker: Sanisha Packirisamy | Group Economist | Momentum Group

Speakers: Francois Hugo (Panel facilitator) | Actuary - Co-founder | True South Karun Varughese | Head: Actuarial | Capitec Nico Van Der Colff | Group Actuary | Old Mutual Limited Edwin Splinter | Life Insurance Actuary | Independent Actuaries & Consultants (Pty) Ltd

Speakers: Previn Pillay | Associate Director, Actuarial & Insurance Solutions | Deloitte Africa Lance Posthumus | Co-founder of ByteCat Digital Derek Schraader | Agentic AI Co-Op Leader | Deloitte Africa Francois Berry | Chief Risk Officer | FirstRand Short-term Insurance

Speakers: Nicholas Thomadaki | Consulting Actuary, Actuarial & Insurance Solutions | Deloitte Africa Previn Pillay | Associate Director, Actuarial & Insurance Solutions | Deloitte Africa

Speaker: Nicky Patchett | Chair Life Assurance Committee

Speakers: Lara Wayburne: Chief Health Intelligence Actuary | Discovery Health, Claudia Pastellides: Healthcare Actuary | Discovery Health, Katherine Tregoning: Healthcare Actuary | Discovery Health

Speaker: Candice Wilson | Consulting Leader at Ernst & Young South Africa

RAF, RABS, CTPI and the Limits of Judicial Reform. Speaker: Greg Whittaker | Fellow of the Actuarial Society of South Africa and a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries

An Actuarial Comparison of Medical Schemes and The Road Accident Fund in Financing Healthcare in South Africa. Speaker: Shaun Burger Smal | SM: Actuarial Quantif Management & Claims Risk | Road Accident Fund

Speaker: Alex Brownlee Chair of the Healthcare Committee

Speaker: Roseanne Harris | Health Policy Actuary | Discovery Health

How do the latest medical advancements of obesity drugs. Speaker: Desigan Pillay | Client Manager | Swiss Re

Topic: Integrating Risk, Regulation, and Real World Decision Making-A Regulator’s Perspective Speaker: Phakamile Nkomo

Speaker: Paresh Prema | FASSA, FIA: Alexforbes and Healthcare Committee

Speaker: Idelia Hoberg-Patel

Speaker: Stephen Walker, RMC Chair

Speaker: Alex Brownlee

Speaker: Sias Esterhuizen

Speaker: Stephen Walker - RMC Chair

Speaker: Alex Brownlee

Speaker: Alex Brownlee

Speaker: Andrew Davison