What is the name of your organization?
AFYA LEAD LIMITED
What is the name of your solution?
PAMOJA BIMA
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
A mobile-based microinsurance platform that enhances healthcare access for underserved communities through flexible, affordable digital payments.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
TZA
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
In Tanzania, over 80% of the population works in the informal sector, where traditional health insurance models are often unaffordable, inaccessible, or complex. As a result, millions lack financial protection, leading to high out-of-pocket healthcare expenses that push families into poverty. Globally, 2 billion people in low- and middle-income countries remain uninsured, limiting access to essential health services.
Key barriers include:
1. High upfront premium costs – Many informal workers earn daily wages and struggle to pay lump-sum insurance fees.
2. Limited awareness – Many people do not understand the benefits of health insurance.
3. Complex enrollment processes – Traditional models require extensive paperwork and bank accounts, excluding the unbanked.
In Tanzania, only 17% of the population has health insurance. The WHO estimates that 100 million people worldwide are pushed into extreme poverty yearly due to medical expenses.
Pamoja Bima directly addresses these challenges by providing a mobile-based microinsurance platform that allows flexible, small installment payments, easy USSD-based enrollment, and diaspora support options—ensuring that even low-income earners can access affordable healthcare coverage.
What is your solution?
Pamoja Bima is a mobile-based microinsurance platform that makes healthcare coverage affordable and accessible for underserved communities.
It allows individuals, especially those in the informal sector, to enroll in health insurance and pay premiums in small, flexible installments using mobile money (M-Pesa, Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money) or USSD codes. Instead of large upfront payments, users can contribute daily, weekly, or monthly based on their income.
We recently partnered with Assemble Insurance to create a health premium for underprivileged primary and secondary school students, enrolling over 2,000 students in 10 schools. Additionally, we work with mobile money agents as insurance enrollers in areas with limited internet access, ensuring broader reach.
Pamoja Bima provides virtual insurance cards for easy hospital access and supports diaspora contributions, allowing relatives abroad to pay for family members' insurance. The platform leverages AI-driven risk assessment and digital wallets to optimize coverage and prevent fraud. Successfully piloted with 511 clients in Morogoro, it is now scaling with NHIF approval to expand nationwide
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Pamoja Bima serves low-income individuals, informal sector workers, and underprivileged students who lack access to affordable health insurance.
In Tanzania, over 80% of the workforce operates in the informal sector, where traditional insurance models are often unaffordable or inaccessible. Additionally, millions of schoolchildren from low-income families remain uninsured, making healthcare financially burdensome. Only 17% of Tanzanians have health insurance, leaving the majority vulnerable to high out-of-pocket medical expenses.
Our digital platform directly addresses these challenges through:
1. Self-enrollment & installment payments for internet users.
2. Pamoja Bima agent enrollers to onboard people without internet access.
3. Pamoja Wallet, allowing users to save for premiums over time.
4. Virtual insurance cards, enabling healthcare access anytime, anywhere.
5. Diaspora & philanthropist contributions to support families in need.
6. Tailored premiums based on users’ financial capacity.
By reducing financial barriers, Pamoja Bima protects families from medical poverty, ensures continuous healthcare access, and promotes health security for underserved populations.
