AM Best Upgrades Issuer Credit Rating of ZEP-RE (PTA Reinsurance Company)

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
AM Best has upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “bbb+” (Good) from “bbb” (Good) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) of ZEP-RE (PTA Reinsurance Company) (ZEP-RE) (Kenya). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect ZEP-RE’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

The upgrading of the Long-Term ICR reflects AM Best’s revision of ZEP-RE’s ERM assessment to appropriate from marginal, following management’s actions to strengthen its risk management capabilities. In recent years, the company has taken robust steps to improve its underwriting results, whilst also reducing its exposure to investment risk. AM Best considers ZEP-RE’s risk management framework to be appropriate given the size and complexity of its operations, as its risk management capabilities are closely aligned with its risk profile.

ZEP-RE’s balance sheet strength is underpinned by a risk-adjusted capitalisation that is comfortably at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), benefiting from a prudent asset allocation and low underwriting leverage. The ratings consider ZEP-RE’s exposure to high levels of economic, political and financial system risks, which are associated with operating in its core Eastern, Southern and West African markets. However, this is partially mitigated by ZEP-RE’s good geographic diversification by countries in Africa and a conservative asset management strategy. Investment risk reduced materially in 2022 and 2023, with the reallocation of funds from African deposits and debt instruments to U.S. government debt instruments.

ZEP-RE has a strong operating performance assessment. The company reported a five-year weighted average return-on-equity ratio (ROE) of 7.2% (2018-2022). AM Best notes that ROE should be viewed in the context of ZEP-RE’s reporting currency (USD), which somewhat limits the impact of high inflation in many African markets on the company’s reported net income, as well as its high levels of capitalisation. After having reported technical losses from 2018 to 2020, ZEP-RE reported technical profits in 2021 and 2022, with a combined ratio of 97% in both years. The company’s underwriting performance is expected to remain favourable in the short-to-medium term as a result of remedial actions taken by management.

ZEP-RE operates as a composite reinsurer across Africa, with a focus on countries of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), as well as the Conférence Interafricaine des Marchés d’Assurances (CIMA) regions. The company’s competitive position benefits from mandatory cessions in a number of sub-Saharan African countries. With good long-term growth prospects, premium revenue is expected to continue to expand in local currency terms as primary markets develop.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Naz Botea, ACA

Financial Analyst

+44 20 7397 0313

naz.botea@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Associate Director, Public Relations

+1 908 882 2310

christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Kanika Thukral
Associate Director, Analytics

+44 20 7397 0327

kanika.thukral@ambest.com

Al Slavin
Senior Public Relations Specialist

+1 908 882 2318

al.slavin@ambest.com

Source: AM Best