Major South African insurer set to shoot the lights out

Momentum is set to report another strong set of results for its 2025 financial year, with its earnings projected to rise by as much as 62%.

Momentum is a big player in South Africa’s life insurance and integrated financial services sectors.

It is one of South Africa’s largest life insurers and integrated financial services companies, operating through brands like Momentum, Metropolitan, Guardrisk, and Eris Properties.

On Monday, 25 August, the insurance giant released a trading statement outlining its earnings expectations for the year ended 30 June 2025.

This update showed that Momentum expects its earnings to grow significantly, with the expected ranges outlined below:

• Earnings per share – up between 52% and 62%
• Headline earnings per share – up between 45% and 55%
• Normalised headline earnings per share – up between 41% and 51%.

The insurer explained that most of its business units contributed meaningfully to this growth, with solid operational performances.

In particular, the company said its South African life businesses saw robust earnings from the in-force book, supported by the release of its contractual service margin as well as favourable experience variances.

Momentum attributed this mainly to sustained positive mortality and morbidity trends, particularly in Momentum Corporate. 

In addition, Momentum Insure’s earnings benefited from continued pricing and claims discipline in a favourable underwriting environment.

Guardrisk also achieved meaningful growth in underwriting profit and management fee income. 

Momentum said its earnings were further aided by investment market performance and favourable yield curve impacts. 

“The group maintains its capital strength, liquidity resilience and ability to generate cash earnings,” it said.

Momentum will release its full results for the year ended 30 June 2025 on Wednesday, 17 September 2025.