South African short-term insurer Santam has appointed Nico Conradie as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Santam Re, the insurer’s independent non-life treaty reinsurer, effective March 1, 2026.
He takes over from Santam Re chief financial officer (CFO) Kush Padia, who had served as interim CEO while the insurer continues its search for an executive head for the business unit.
Padilla will resume his permanent role as Santam Re’s chief financial officer starting in early March.
Most recently, Conradi served as CEO of the African arm of global reinsurer Munich Re. He is an industry veteran with over thirty years of reinsurance experience and has held senior leadership positions in the global re/insurance sector.
In the past, Conradie served as Life Executive Manager and Life General Manager at Munich Re. He also served as Managing Director of Hannover Life Re Africa.
Santam Group CEO Tavaziva Madzinga said: “Conradie joins the company at an exciting time in its history. I would like to thank Kush for stepping in and ensuring Santam Re is well managed while at the helm.
“Nico brings a wealth of experience that will significantly assist us in delivering on our FutureFit 2030 strategy. We look forward to his contribution as Santam Re continues to successfully deliver reinsurance solutions to emerging and developed markets.”
Last week, Santam received permission to set up a reinsurance branch in Gujarat International Financial Technology City (GIFT City), India’s first operational greenfield smart city and International Financial Services Center (IFSC).