The thing we are proud of is the extent to which purpose has become so deeply embedded in our company, says Alliance public relations manager, Limakatso Mokobocho reflecting on Alliance’s 30-year tenure in business. She shares with theReporter’s ‘Mantṧali Phakoana why she believes Alliance’s resilience is inextricably linked to its values.
theReporter: Alliance Insurance celebrates 30 years in business this year. What does this milestone mean to the company?
Mokobocho: This milestone means Basotho have placed their trust in our company for all these years. It also means as an insurance company, we have a responsibility to deliver excellent services to our clients in order to ensure that we reciprocate the trust they placed on us.
What led to this success?
At Alliance, our community is at the heart of all we do. So, we set out to provide products that cater to the needs of Basotho, ensuring that they all have access to financial services. We also worked hard to ensure our systems accommodated both the banked and unbanked members of our community. Another winning ingredient to our success was to come up with affordable products that offered value for money to our clients. Finally, we made sure that our services are accessible by branching out to all the 10 districts of Lesotho.
A lot of insurance companies have come and folded over the years; what ensured Alliance’s survival and growth?
Alliance is a homegrown company. As we like saying, Alliance Ke Lapeng! Re mokhatlo! We managed to stand the test of time through being one with our community, listening to their needs, and catering to those needs. We also remained innovative in how we do business, and that is the essential part of growth and sustainability.
What have been the highlights of Alliance’s 30 year-journey?
The support of Basotho as a nation has been the greatest highlight, coupled with employees that are dedicated to servicing our customers in the best possible ways. Added to that, Alliance has won numerous awards, gaining recognition both locally and outside the country.
What challenges did you encounter over the past three decades and how did you overcome them?
The changing insurance landscape, which saw many foreign insurance companies coming to Lesotho has been a bit of a challenge. We have also seen poor economic growth and high rate of inflation, which meant Basotho are struggling with daily needs. This usually means that they would not prioritise insurance products over basic survival. Covid-19 also came with its many challenges, affecting businesses from all walks of life, and we were unfortunately not immune to these challenges.
What has been the most rewarding part of the last 30 years in business?
Job creation across the company and in the 10 districts of Lesotho is quite rewarding. This positively impacts economic growth and people do not have to come to Maseru for employment. That is huge for us!
What role does Alliance play in Lesotho’s tourism and what are your current and future plans in this regard?
One of the biggest activities to mark this major milestone is to promote the local tourism destinations as a way of giving back to our communities. Tourism has been identified as one of the biggest opportunities that can contribute to economic growth in Lesotho, therefore Alliance is doing its bit to promote this.
As a private sector, we contribute significantly to the development of the tourism industry and of the country overall. We have over the years spent time thinking analytically about the best approaches to take to tourism development and which routes will likely yield the best economic outcomes, hence as part of marking this milestone, we started a campaign called Lesotho Ke Lapeng. It’s a partnership between the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) and Alliance.
Through this project, there will be notable roles played by our company in tourism planning and development, and we will invest time and money into aspects such as marketing and training sessions. Part of the project will highlight the beauty of the mountain kingdom, by building landmark frames on all major tourist attractions in Lesotho. We believe this will impact more on the tourism industry and create many jobs, both temporary and permanent.
The project aims at promoting Basotho pride as well as highlighting them as Lesotho ambassadors, locally and globally; that shine the spotlight on Lesotho through excelling at their different careers and undertakings. To date, Alliance has already built three landmark frames at Qiloane, Thaba-Bosiu and Semonkong as another way of contributing to tourism industry.
More and more players are coming into the insurance sector; how do you manage to stay relevant?
Alliance is a local company. We serve local Basotho. We know what they need and as a result, we always aspire to be innovative in order to meet their needs. We are pioneers of access to insurance services which accommodate all Basotho from all walks of life, and we are very proud of that. We intend to do more in understanding Basotho and continue to serve them better.
You’ve partnered with other companies to introduce new products such as Mpate Sheleng Funeral Cover ‘Sekhele Funeral Plan’. What informs this new thrust?
Insurance is what we do. And so, it is only natural that these companies thought of us when they needed to innovate and bring new products into the market. The bottom line is for us to ensure that all Basotho get the cover they deserve and at affordable rates.
Alliance Insurance has also beefed up its social corporate initiatives (CSI) in sports and other community projects. What is the importance of this?
As a local company, we believe we are where we are because of the support we get from our community and the trust they have bestowed on us. Therefore, it is our responsibility to give back to them in ways that will make a huge impact and add value in their lives. It is our pledge to always take this responsibility seriously, and be present for our community when it matters most.
How has moving to e-commerce platforms helped your clients in making their payments?
Alliance has always strived to find ways to make insurance services convenient to its clients, to save them time and money and to ensure that they do not waste unnecessary resources in trying to get these services. Therefore, we make meaningful partnerships with companies we share a common goal with, to make e-payment systems a reality.
Looking forward, what are Alliance’s long-term goals, and what should Basotho expect from the company? Our long-term goals are to be the number one preferred insurer in Lesotho, providing relevant and quality services to our people. We will also continue our endeavours to make Lesotho an attractive business destination through providing business infrastructure. In all we do, Basotho will be the heart that drives us and push us to want to be better. We are indeed very excited to watch the company grow.
