We’re thrilled to announce that Chelene Naidoo has joined Genasys as Head of Growth for Africa, bringing over a decade of leadership experience at the intersection of brand strategy, business development, and marketing innovation in financial services.
Chelene joins Genasys from CIB, where she served as Head of Marketing, and her appointment marks an exciting new chapter for Genasys as we deepen our commitment to the African market and expand the business’s footprint across the continent.
“Chelene brings exactly the blend of market insight and relationship-building expertise we need as we accelerate our growth across Africa,” says Gavin Peters, Chief Growth Officer at Genasys. “Her deep understanding of the insurance value chain, combined with her ability to identify opportunities and build meaningful partnerships, makes her the ideal person to represent Genasys in this critical market and help our partners navigate their transformation journeys.”
Why Africa, Why Now
Founded in South Africa 25 years ago, Genasys has never lost sight of our roots. Despite its global expansion into markets across Europe, North America, and beyond, Africa remains at the forefront of the team’s strategic thinking. The region is home to many of Genasys’s most successful partnerships, and the company continues to see enormous potential as the continent’s insurance technology landscape shifts dramatically.
“South Africa is integral to our DNA as a business,” says Andre Symes, CEO of Genasys. “It’s where our story began, and it continues to be a market of incredible opportunity and innovation. Having Chelene join us as a key representative in this market is genuinely exciting. Her understanding of both the challenges and opportunities facing insurers, UMAs and brokers across the continent will be invaluable as we support our partners on their journeys of digital evolution.”
“Having watched her start her career at one of our first clients and then skyrocket over the years has been amazing to see. I am delighted that she has chosen Genasys as the next phase of her career.”
With Chelene forming a key part of Genasys’s African growth strategy, the company is positioned to accelerate that transformation alongside their existing clients: insurers, UMAs, and brokers who are navigating an evolving regulatory environment, rising customer expectations and the urgent need to modernise legacy infrastructure.
The Right Person at the Right Time
What sets Chelene apart is her rare ability to bridge creative thinking with commercial outcomes. Her career has been defined by a multidisciplinary approach: she’s completed qualifications in marketing and short-term insurance, and enhanced her strategic capabilities through the Programme for Management Development (PMD) at GIBS Business School. This blend of creativity, business acumen and deep insurance knowledge enables her to align marketing strategy with the broader insurance value chain in ways that drive real business performance.
“I was attracted to Genasys because of its people,” Chelene says. “Dynamic thinkers who don’t just talk about the future; they build it. Having watched the brand evolve over the years into a strong business with a clear vision, it felt like the right time to be part of that momentum.”
Four Trends Shaping the Future
Chelene identified four key trends that are reshaping insurance technology right now:
No-code/low-code platforms and modular architecture are empowering insurers and brokers to innovate faster and bring products to market without the constraints of heavy technical infrastructure.
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond efficiency gains to fundamentally transform how insurance partners deliver value, from customer servicing to claims automation.
Data-driven personalisation enables insurance partners to shift from reactive to proactive service models, designing tailored products and seamless experiences. This becomes even more critical against the backdrop of slowed global premium growth, where competitive advantage depends on operational efficiency powered by technology.
Compliance requirements are increasingly demanding traceable, system-driven audit trails that legacy systems simply cannot produce without extensive manual workarounds, from COFI and GDPR to IFRS standards.
“When insurers, UMAs, and brokers invest in the right technology, it creates space for businesses to focus on what truly matters: scaling distribution, reducing expenses, deepening customer insights, and remaining relevant.”
The African Opportunity
Chelene brings a nuanced understanding of the African insurance landscape, recognising both its complexity and its enormous potential. She points to the paradox at the heart of the South African market: despite being Africa’s biggest economy at 14.5% of continental GDP, only 19% of South Africans have any form of insurance (excluding funeral and life cover), according to the FSCA’s Financial Sector Outlook Study.
“This highlights a significant opportunity for insurance partners to reach new segments and design products that are more inclusive, accessible, and relevant to the everyday realities of South African customers,” she explains.
The challenges are real: legacy platforms struggling with compliance, multi-vendor integration issues, and high volumes of manual processes. But Chelene sees these not as obstacles, but as opportunities for strategic transformation.
“Distribution across Africa remains complex, highlighting the need for omni-channel platforms that create a competitive edge through CRM integrations, open APIs, and unified consent and disposition layers across call centres, brokers, and embedded channels.”
This is precisely where Genasys’s cloud-based insurance platform comes into play: bridging business and technology, empowering clients to overcome legacy constraints, ensure regulatory compliance, and accelerate digital innovation.
What’s Next
With Genasys’s head office in London and a growing global presence, Chelene sees a unique opportunity to scale the South African business while contributing to a broader continental footprint. Her role will focus on helping insurance partners convert challenges into growth opportunities, supporting them as they navigate regulatory changes, embrace digital distribution models, and meet evolving customer expectations.
“My experience on the business side has shown me that technology, when applied strategically, can convert challenges into growth opportunities,” Chelene reflects. “Genasys stands at the forefront of this insurtech evolution, empowering insurance partners to innovate and scale with confidence, irrespective of their current infrastructure levels.”
A Human-First Approach to Leadership
When asked what matters most to her in leadership, Chelene’s answer speaks to the kind of culture we’re building at Genasys: “I believe leadership should be rooted in empathy, authenticity and intentional focus. It’s about being human first: listening to understand, learning with curiosity, and empowering others to rise to their potential.”
It’s this combination of strategic vision grounded in human connection that makes Chelene the perfect addition to the Genasys team, who are busy writing the next chapter of growth across Africa.
Welcome to Genasys, Chelene. We’re excited to build the future together.
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