BY NATHAN GUMA recently in New York
WHEN Dennis Chirinda graduated from high school, he began his first insurance apprenticeship with Zimbabwean firm Heritage, where he was inspired to study towards a CII (UK) certification.
What started as a job grew into a decade-long mission shaped by curiosity, determination, and a drive to make a lasting impact.
In June, he was selected for the 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship, a programme under the US Department of State, and placed at the University of Iowa, under the Business Track.
Armed with global ideas and local insight, Chirinda is experimenting with ways to turn an industry often seen as distant into one that feels like a neighbour.
Early journey
His 10-year journey has seen him become an insurance broker through his company, Arkvest Risk Advisory, which provides medical aid broking services.
The broking company also provides motor vehicle cover, travel, property and claims handling among others, with notable clients such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), among others.
“Immediately after high school I found myself with very good grades but without any funding to continue my education,” he says.
“I then saw an opportunity for a cadetship with Heritage, where they offered an insurance apprenticeship and encouraged us to study towards CII (UK) certification. They trained me across claims, underwriting, customer service, and sales before I joined CellMed Health as a membership clerk.”
Frequent interaction with mentors and brokers eventually inspired him to launch Arkvest, which now brokers a range of insurance products.
“I feel passionate about this profession because it puts me at the centre of helping people and businesses adopt a ‘fighting chance’ against the adversities brought by loss,” he says.
Trust, Affrodability and Barriers
Chirinda says trust and affordability remain the two biggest challenges in Zimbabwe.
“The number one challenge is trust,” he says. “The second is affordability. There are good insurance packages out there, but not many people or groups have the budget to adopt them, especially health insurance.
“Packages often don’t match how people earn, many rural families work on a ‘per job’ basis rather than monthly salaries and language barriers also sow confusion about what policies do and don’t cover.
He adds that rural uptake is also affected by weak policies. “What would be very helpful is laws that incentivise companies to pay for insurance on behalf of employees, or make it mandatory for firms to offer health insurance to permanent staff,” he says.
Digital Disruption
For Chirinda, the way forward lies in technology. He believes artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and mobile solutions can shrink costs, improve risk profiling, and make products more relevant.
“AI and digitalisation are coming in with great ways of improving the industry… this is the best time for insurance,” he says. “But entrepreneurs and companies must be early adopters and collaborators of these tools.”
Opportunities for young people
With Zimbabwe’s insurance market projected to reach US$2.51 billion in 2025, Chirinda says young people must help shape the future of insurance, as risks and solutions are always changing.
“As trade evolves and more young people get involved, it also means more young insurance and risk managers are needed to provide solutions that appeal to their own generation because they understand it better.”
Incubating insurance ideas
From his fellowship, Chirinda says Zimbabwe can learn from the US culture of structured mentorship and start-up support, which drives innovation and best practices.
In the U.S I saw programmes designed to support innovative start-ups in specific industries, insurance being one of them,” he says. “The mentorship culture is critical in building best practices, supporting brilliant concepts, and boosting the overall impact of the local industry.”
