In Focus with Insight

What if the biggest challenges in healthcare, leadership, education and society aren't isolated problems, but interconnected systems waiting to be understood? In this episode of Open Books, Pamela Hellig sits down with Shivani Ranchod – actuary, emergent systems strategist, breathwork practitioner and educator – to explore the books that have shaped her thinking and the ideas influencing her work...

In this special World Hypertension Day edition of In Focus with Insight, Roger Wiseman sits down with Dr Gary Kantor to unpack one of the world’s biggest — and often invisible — healthcare challenges: hypertension. Known as the “silent killer,” hypertension is one of the leading causes of preventable stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, and death globally. Despite blood pressure being easy to mea...

In this episode of Open Books, Pamela Hellig sits down with Swiss-based entrepreneur Oliver Werneyer to explore the realities of startup life, AI innovation, business strategy, and entrepreneurship. Originally from South Africa, Oliver shares his journey from the actuarial world into building and scaling startups in Europe — including launching a payments company for insurers and now developing AI...

In the final part of this Open Books series, Pamela Hellig and Emile Stipp reflect on existentialism, war, and the search for meaning. Drawing on powerful literary works and historical context, Emile explores how human beings respond to suffering, uncertainty, and a seemingly meaningless world — and how meaning is ultimately something we must create for ourselves. From the writings of Jean-Paul Sa...

In Part 2 of this Open Books series, Pamela Hellig continues her conversation with Emile Stipp — moving deeper into the world of philosophy, logic, and language. Through rare and influential books, Emile explores how some of history’s greatest thinkers have tried to answer fundamental questions about truth, meaning, and reality. From Ludwig Wittgenstein to Kurt Gödel, this episode unpacks the surp...

In Part 1 of this 3-part Open Books series, Pamela Hellig sits down with Emile Stipp to explore one of the biggest questions of our time: What does it mean to be human in the age of AI? From his transition into leading AI innovation at Vitality, to the unexpected moment when machines began creating poetry and art — this conversation dives deep into the intersection of technology, consciousness, an...

In this episode, we sit down with Jonty Roland, a global health policy expert based in Cambridge, to explore the realities of National Health Insurance (NHI) reform across the world. Drawing on his work supporting countries at different stages of their journey, Jonty shares practical insights into what it takes to move from policy ambition to real-world impact. The conversation unpacks why many he...

Medical scheme members pay their contributions every month in good faith — but when they are most vulnerable, who is really responsible for protecting them? In this episode, we unpack what member protection truly means under the Medical Schemes Act and why accountability does not sit with medical schemes alone. Protection requires alignment across the entire healthcare ecosystem, from regulators a...

In this episode of Open Books, Pamela Hellig sits down with Shaun Burger Smal — qualified actuary and Acting Chief Investment Officer at the Road Accident Fund — for a candid conversation about failure, fellowship, fairy tales and the very human side of the Road Accident Fund. Shuan shares his journey from roles in Big 4 consulting, Netcare, Momentum Health to public sector leadership, where he no...

In this episode of InFocus, host Lubalethu Dube sits down with Dr. Liezél van Deventer, Clinical Innovation Lead at Insight Health Solutions, to unpack the Inside Biohackathon Experience — a groundbreaking experiment that used continuous glucose monitoring to uncover surprising truths about health, wellness, and lifestyle choices. From uncovering conflicting health advice to exploring how stress a...

How does Eskom, one of South Africa’s largest employers, approach corporate wellness as a key driver of business success? In this episode of In Focus, Lubalethu Dube sits down with Dr Penny Mkalipe, Chief Medical Officer at Eskom, at the 2025 BHF Convention to explore how the power utility is investing in employee health to improve productivity, retention, and organisational culture. Dr Mkalipe sh...

In this episode of In Focus with Insight, host Pamela Hellig speaks with Chief Risk Officer and actuary Katlego Mohlabeng about the books that have influenced his thinking, his approach to leadership and risk culture, and his passion for emotional intelligence and mentoring young actuaries. Together they explore themes from The Road Less Traveled, How to Be a Chief Risk Officer, and Ego Is the Ene...

In this episode of Open Books, host Pamela Hellig sits down with the Founder and Managing Director of the financial wellness business, Meerkat, David O’Brien, to talk about his career and philosophy via the books that have shaped him. Having come from Ireland to Cape Town via the UK (to escape horizontal rain and other Northern Hemisphere perils), David’s career took him from corporate actuary of...

In this episode of InFocus with Insight, host Pamela Hellig is joined by CEO Old Mutual Life and Savings, Prabashini Moodley, for a deeply insightful conversation about leadership, identity, and the role of growth in shaping South Africa’s future. Together, they explore Prabashini’s journey from being the youngest of four sisters growing up in a small town to a dazzling career which has seen her t...

Join Lubalethu Dube at Foresight Dialogues 2024 as we celebrate a decade of impact and dive into a vital conversation with Yanga and Shelly-Ann. In this episode of In Focus, we unpack the role of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in shaping the future of South Africa’s healthcare system. From defining what health economics really means to exploring how HTA can reduce resource duplication and impr...

In this episode of Open Books, Pamela Hellig sits down with award-winning financial journalist and author Maya Fisher-French (Maya on Money) to explore the intersections of money, media, and meaning. Join us to unpack the realities of money, media, and retirement in South Africa. From the dangers of TikTok financial advice and online scams to lifestyle inflation, abusive credit insurance, and the...

In this episode, Barry Childs sits down with Andrew Donaldson — economist, former National Treasury official, and academic — to unpack South Africa’s complex journey with health financing reform. Drawing on decades of experience in public finance and health policy, Andrew reflects on the lessons of the Taylor Committee, the stalled momentum of institutional reforms, and the challenge of balancing...

In this powerful episode of the In Focus Podcast, Lubalethu Dube sits down with the dynamic Dr. Michael Mol to unpack his talk from Insight’s 10-Year Celebration. They explore what it really means to avoid a slow death, why healthspan matters more than lifespan, and how small, consistent habits can radically transform your life. From confronting the overwhelming health advice on social media to un...

Join Pamela Hellig in this episode of In Focus with Insight: The Open Book Series as she sits down with Amogelang Kgaladi — Group Chief Actuary at Guardrisk, MBA graduate, and one of Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans (2020). Amo takes us on his journey from starting his actuarial career at EY, leading corporate actuarial at First National Bank, and pivoting into strategy and M&A at McKins...

In this special In Focus with Insight episode at Foresight’s 10th anniversary, host Lubalethu Dube chats with healthcare consultant Shannon Phillips about the power of collaboration between South Africa’s public and private healthcare sectors. Shannon shares real-life stories of how the Voula app is bridging the gap—connecting primary care providers with specialists, streamlining referrals, and en...

In this episode of the In Focus with Insight, we welcome Chris Watney, CEO of the International Federation of Health Plans (IFHP), to discuss how private health insurance funds and plans are helping shape stronger, more effective health systems around the world. Chris shares his journey from the UK to New Zealand, his leadership at Southern Cross, and how he stepped into the CEO role at IFHP durin...

In this episode of In Focus with Insight, Pamela Hellig is joined by Head of Sanlam Digisure, Edwin Theron, for a rich and wide-ranging conversation that moves from entrepreneurship to automation, and from small beginnings to bold ideas. They dive into the lessons of books such as The Innovation Stack by Jim McKelvey and Shoe Dog by Phil Knight — exploring the value of starting small, how passion...

In this episode, Pamela Hellig sits down with Marusha Nariansamy, an actuary and product development leader, to explore the books that have shaped her thinking and career. Through titles like The Boy Who Never Gave Up, Grit, Children of Sugarcane, Genius, and Four Future Seasons, Marusha reflects on themes of perseverance, identity, innovation, and strategic thinking. She shares how stories of gri...

What will it take to make Universal Health Coverage a reality in South Africa? In this episode of In Focus, Lubalethu Dube speaks with healthcare analyst Kgaogelo Maredi about the lessons we can draw from Rwanda and Ghana—two African countries making major strides in healthcare access. Together, they unpack the essential ingredients for success: strong political leadership, cross-sector collaborat...

In this episode of In Focus with Insight, Pamela Hellig is joined by Melissa Ramsamy-Agapitus, a trailblazing leader in the financial services industry. With a career spanning roles in actuarial science, strategy, and operations across Africa, Melissa shares her journey from a young girl in Durban with big dreams to an executive shaping change in the sector. Together, they explore the value of int...