15 July 2009
To all valued Clients and Suppliers
ANNOUNCEMENT: SALE
AND STRUCTURE OF CARDIF PINNACLE INSURANCE HOLDINGS, PINNAFRICA
LIFE
LIMITED AND PINNAFRICA INSURANCE LIMITED
As you may know, during the past few months
Cardif Pinnacle Insurance Holdings (Pty) Ltd and its subsidiaries
PinnAfrica Life Limited and PinnAfrica Insurance Limited have been
the subjects of a sale transaction between French based bank, BNP
Paribas and the local insurer, Lombard Insurance Company Limited.
I am pleased to inform you that, effective 1 April 2009, the sale
transaction has been successfully completed and Lombard Insurance
Company Limited has now become the new shareholder of Cardif Pinnacle
Insurance Holdings (Pty) Ltd and its subsidiaries PinnAfrica Life
Limited and PinnAfrica Insurance Limited.
Following the conclusion of the sale process,
the Board of Directors and Management have approved some structural
changes to ensure efficient utilisation of capital and resources,
whilst ensuring that PinnAfrica’s market position is strengthened.
It is therefore now my duty and pleasure to inform you of the following:
- The brand name Cardif Pinnacle will
be discontinued. The company will return to its original name
– PinnAfrica. PinnAfrica was the name of the company since inception
in 1997 until 2004 when the international group of companies re-branded.
- The business of PinnAfrica shall continue
uninterrupted subject to the following group reorganisation:
a. The Life and Insurance licenses will be held centrally by Lombard
Insurance. PinnAfrica shall now trade as an underwriting manager,
through a Binder Agreement with Lombard, as PinnAfrica Insurance
Underwriting Managers (Pty) Ltd.
b. As a result of the acquisition, Lombard now owns the PinnAfrica
Life license which it will use to expand the Life business through
its various business partners. PinnAfrica Life Limited will therefore
be rebranded to Lombard Life Limited.
c. Lombard now also owns two Short Term Insurance licenses – Lombard
Insurance Company Limited and the newly acquired PinnAfrica Insurance
Limited. The business of the two shortterm licenses will be combined
under the Lombard insurance license. This ensures better use of
capital, whilst rationalising the unnecessary regulatory burden
in operating two short term insurance licenses.
d. As mentioned above, PinnAfrica will be repositioned as an underwriting
manager and a business partner of Lombard. PinnAfrica will therefore
now underwrite on behalf of Lombard Life Limited and Lombard Insurance
Company Limited as an underwriting manager in terms of a Binder
Agreement, specialising in the consumer credit insurance market.
e. Lombard will be the majority shareholder in PinnAfrica, whilst
the Management of PinnAfrica will hold a direct minority shareholding.
- PinnAfrica shall therefore continue uninterrupted
as a specialist in the consumer credit insurance market, retaining
its own identity, staff, products, administrative capabilities,
offices, market position etc etera, now as an underwriting manager
writing business on behalf of Lombard Insurance and Lombard Life.
In addition, together with Lombard and its partners, PinnAfrica
will endeavor to expand its market presence and product range
to better service our clients in the consumer credit insurance
segment. PinnAfrica will remain unchanged as the business which
you have come to know and understand.
- Currently all Agency Agreements, Intellectual
Property Agreements and Supplier Contracts are with PinnAfrica
Insurance Limited and/or PinnAfrica Life Limited. These contracts
will be assigned, with your consent, as they stand with all privileges
and obligations in force and uninterrupted to PinnAfrica Insurance
Underwriting Managers (Pty) Ltd. This will be done via a Cession
Agreement, which will be forwarded to your offices shortly for
your consideration. This will exclude any inward and outward Re-insurance
Agreements, which will be carried forward in the same way to Lombard
Life Limited and/or Lombard Insurance Company Limited. With the
uninterrupted continuation of the business of PinnAfrica, the
changes noted above will have no significant effect on the business,
products and relationship between yourself and PinnAfrica. Should
you have any further questions with regards to these changes or
require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact
myself, or any of the team at PinnAfrica or Lombard. We look forward
to the new and exciting opportunities, which will no doubt arise
out of our new partnership with Lombard.
Kind Regards
Willem Lombaard

MANAGING DIRECTOR
Curzon Place, Turnberry Office Park, Bryanston,
2021
Tel: 0861 800 855 / (011) 244 1300 – Fax: (011) 244 1301
www.pinnafrica.co.za
P.O. Box 98758, Sloane Park, 2052
Underwritten by Lombard Insurance Company Limited and Lombard
Life Limited. A member of the Lombard Insurance Group |
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