THE health unit of South Africa's second largest insurer Liberty Holdings aims to reach 1,5million customers over the next three years as it expands into Africa, it said yesterday.

THE health unit of South Africa's second largest insurer Liberty Holdings aims to reach 1,5million customers over the next three years as it expands into Africa, it said yesterday.

Liberty Health chief executive Peter Botha said the unit planned to have its products in Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Lesotho and Zimbabwe by the end of the year.

It already operates in nine countries on the continent, including Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria and Uganda.

Liberty Health, which provides health insurance products to the bottom and high end of the market, has said its focus is to expand on the African continent in line with Standard Bank's expansion strategy.

Standard Bank, Africa's biggest bank by assets, is Liberty Holdings' majority shareholder.

Liberty Health bought a 35percent stake in Nigerian health insurance firm Total Health Trust in March, and plans to increase this stake to 51percent over the next three years. - Reuters