Aspiring together: The energetic new voice leading the IIG
Some people enter insurance deliberately, carefully mapping out their future in the industry. Others, as we often joke in insurance circles, “fall into it.” But every now and then, someone stumbles into insurance and then lights up the room once they arrive.
That is very much the feeling one gets after spending time with Jabu Mtimkulu, the newly appointed President of the Insurance Institute of Gauteng (IIG).
Our virtual coffee chat was filled with laughter, storytelling, big ideas and contagious enthusiasm. Long before we even got into strategy, leadership or industry issues, Jabu’s personality came through immediately, energetic, thoughtful, creative and deeply passionate about people.
When I asked her to introduce herself, she jokingly warned me that it was her “least favourite topic,” before launching into a wonderfully honest and entertaining story about her name. “My full name is Jabulile, which means happy,” she explained. “But I shortened it to Jabu after reading about J.K. Rowling when I was younger.” The story fascinated her how readers initially judged Rowling’s work without knowing whether the author was male or female.
“That inspired me,” Jabu laughed. “I thought, let’s get down to business and let the work speak first. Then when people found out I was a girl, I’d think… okay, what changes now?” That mix of humour, confidence and perspective would become a theme throughout our conversation.
Jabu grew up in Pimville, Soweto, in a household where reading and education were non-negotiable values. Library cards, books and learning were simply part of everyday life. “I’d check out six books at a time and fly through them,” she said. But education in her world was never just about personal advancement. “The knowledge had to be shared,” she explained. “You couldn’t just keep it for yourself.” That philosophy, learning, sharing and lifting others, clearly still shapes the way she approaches leadership today.
That deep respect for learning has continued throughout her career. In addition to her experience in the insurance industry, Jabu has pursued formal studies across multiple disciplines, including leadership, paralegal studies and even web design—reflecting both her curiosity and her commitment to personal and professional growth. This philosophy of learning, sharing and lifting others clearly still shapes the way she approaches leadership today.
Ironically, insurance was never part of the original plan. “I wanted to be in advertising,” she admitted enthusiastically. “I wanted to create concepts and campaigns and giant billboards and think creatively.” Instead, like so many others in the industry, she stumbled into insurance almost by accident after university through a connection linked to a research assistant role.
“I thought it would just be temporary,” she laughed. “Fourteen years later…” Fortunately for the industry, that “temporary” role turned into something much bigger. Starting in underwriting gave her a front-row seat to the fundamentals of insurance, understanding risk, clients, policies and the deeply human side of the business.
“I knew absolutely nothing about insurance,” she admitted. “But underwriting became my masterclass.” Over time, her perception of the industry completely transformed. “At first, insurance felt one-dimensional,” she said. “Then it became two-dimensional, three-dimensional, even four-dimensional.” That description perfectly captures the excitement with which she now speaks about the sector.
“It’s never static,” she explained passionately. “Insurance is constantly moving, constantly changing, constantly evolving.” More importantly, she sees insurance not simply as policies and premiums, but as something far bigger. “We are the scaffolding that allows the economy to take risks, build dreams and innovate,” she said. “We provide certainty in an uncertain world.”
We are the scaffolding that allows the economy to take risks, build dreams and innovate.
