Previsico extends global reach as UK flood intelligence pioneer expands into Africa
- Written by
Lauren Legate
Previsico is already active across the UK, Europe, and the Americas but today announced expansion into Africa, backed by a grant from the InsuResilience Investment Fund managed by Blue Orchard Finance Ltd.
The move marks the next step in Previsico's international growth, bringing its property-level flood forecasting to regions historically underserved by insurance and risk management infrastructure, starting with South Africa.
With global flood-related losses projected to reach $850 billion annually by 2050*, Previsico has developed proprietary live hydrodynamic modelling that combines high-resolution LiDAR, drainage network data, land use mapping, and real-time weather inputs, validated by an IoT sensor network, to deliver flood warnings up to 48 hours in advance at an individual property level.
The technology is already live with major insurers, including Zurich, Liberty, and Marsh, brokers Marsh and Lockton, and two hundred corporates, worldwide.
South Africa was selected as the programme's first African market due to its acute exposure to flood risk, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, and the significant potential to close the region's insurance protection gap. Phase 1 of the programme, completed in H1 2026, delivered successful proof-of-concept deployments in Durban. Phase 2, launching this month, expands coverage to the Cape, Johannesburg, and other high-risk areas, ahead of a planned national scale-up across South Africa.
Having grown up in KwaZulu-Natal, I've seen what flooding does to communities without proper warning systems. Bringing Previsico to South Africa is more than a market expansion, it's a chance to bring flood intelligence to those who need it most. I'm proud South Africa is where our emerging markets journey begins, as a natural next step in our international growth.
Capital alone won’t close the insurance protection gap in emerging markets. Building resilience requires advanced data and predictive technology. Previsico’s flood intelligence equips insurers and communities in South Africa with actionable insights that were previously unavailable.
For Previsico, the South Africa programme marks the next chapter in a broader global journey, taking flood forecasting technology proven across the UK, Europe, and the Americas and putting it to work in the places where early warning and risk mitigation can matter most.