DR Congo’s life insurance sector is seeking to expand into the artisanal mining industry, targeting workers who have long remained outside the formal financial system. On May 5, 2026, three insurers — Afrissur, Rawsur Life and Activa Vie — signed an agreement with SAEMAPE, the state agency overseeing small-scale and artisanal mining, to provide insurance coverage for artisanal miners.

The initiative is intended to provide financial protection for workers facing high risks of accidents, disability and death on the job. According to a statement from Afrissur, the partnership includes a group insurance scheme providing compensation to the families of miners killed while working, as well as coverage for cases of total and permanent disability.

Afrissur, which designed the programme, will oversee its administrative and operational coordination. The insurer said it aims to ensure a structured and transparent rollout under what it described as a “sustainable social impact” approach. The company also said the programme could eventually be expanded to include additional services, notably health coverage for miners and their families.

According to SAEMAPE data, artisanal mining employs several hundred thousand people across hundreds of mining sites nationwide. The agency supervises around 1,415 mining cooperatives operating on nearly 848 artisanal mining sites. For insurers, the sector offers significant growth potential at a time when Congo’s life insurance market remains concentrated among a relatively small number of formal policyholders.

The scale of the opportunity reflects the limited development of the market. According to ARCA’s 2024 annual report, total premiums written in the life insurance segment reached only $35.09 million that year. The market is largely driven by public administration clients, banks and financial institutions, and urban households. Extractive industries contribute to the portfolio, though still at levels well below the leading segments.

Beyond the commercial opportunity, the initiative also aligns with broader efforts to formalise Congo’s artisanal mining sector, which has long faced challenges linked to worker safety, social protection and mineral traceability. Congolese authorities have for several years sought to strengthen oversight of artisanal supply chains — particularly for cobalt, gold and copper — to comply with international standards on environmental and social responsibility.

Ronsard Luabeya