Online Reporter
Amos Mpofu, [email protected]
MOONLIGHT Funeral Assurance company has positioned itself for increased recognition through strengthening collaboration with other players in the sector and exploring wider business opportunities at the ongoing Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) 2026.
In an interview with Zimpapers yesterday, the group’s chief executive officer, Dr Chomi Makina, said the company was both collaborating and competing with other industry players as a way of complementing each other’s operations.
“We are collaborating and competing with companies like Old Mutual as a way of complementing each other’s business. We have one product, which we sell at Old Mutual, which is called the cash plan. While we compete, we collaborate with them,” said Dr Makina.
“When a funeral claim happens, they pay the cash aspect and we do the funeral service. The same time they receive their part of the risk premium, we are also receiving a part of the risk premium.”
Dr Makina said such arrangements allow both parties to contribute towards building a connected economy while maintaining a competitive industry.
“As they sell their health plan, they also sell a funeral plan, which is attached to that. So, in that way, we are actually achieving a lot. They go to their own clientele, we go to our own clientele,” he said.
“In the clientele, we need health plans. While at the end of the day, their clients will have health plans, but they need the funeral plans. What I am saying is that it has got an aspect where we do a service — we provide a coffin or a casket — and they ask for transportation, even a bus.
“But at the end of the day, it is the cash component, which is paid out to the family so that they can use that for groceries or any other things they would like to do at the end of the funeral,” he added.
Dr Makina said the parlour offers a wide range of products tailored for different market segments, from low-income earners to high-income clients.
“The diversity of our products is because people are also diverse, and we value affordability for everyone. Some of our products can go as low as 75 cents and as much as a thousand dollars, depending on the capacity of an individual. So, we have got different plans for different people,” he said.
Dr Makina emphasised that Moonlight was also keeping pace with technological developments, allowing clients to apply for and pay for policies using digital platforms.
“We’re embracing technology as we’re aware that the young generation does not want to apply on paper or complete a proposal form.
“They would like to apply using their cell phones. Right now we have got a website — somebody can go to our website and apply for a funeral policy. Somebody can go to our website and pay for a funeral policy,” he explained.
“We also have SIM payments where we have got banks online. We are also dealing with InnBucks, and we are also dealing with EcoCash. So, those who want to pay through those platforms can simply use them. If one wants to pay, let’s say, through NMB, if that’s your bank, you can go to the NMB app and pay your premium,” he said.
Dr Makina said the company has also introduced life-focused products, including the Moonlight Cancer Trust in response to the prevalence of cancer-related deaths among clients.
“Before we die, we have to live. We realised that a lot of our clients die of cancer, so to mitigate that, we have introduced the Cancer Trust,” he said.
