Prudential has a long and storied history that dates back to May 30th, 1848 when a group of gentlemen formed the Prudential Mutual Assurance, Investment and Loan Association in London. The figure of Prudence was adopted as a symbol to be used on the first company seal and represent the values of the business. Prudential is a leading provider of financial services and products, including life insurance, health insurance, retirement-related services, mutual funds, asset management and investment management.
In 1923, Prudential’s first overseas life operation opened in Calcutta, India, marking the start of our global expansion. Since then, we have expanded our presence in Asia & Africa, with general insurance agencies opening in China and the Philippines during the 1920s, and life insurance businesses soon expanded to Malaya and Singapore.
Prudential took its first steps in Africa in 1930, when head office officials undertook a two-week investigative tour of South Africa. Their findings led to the establishment of a head office in Johannesburg in 1931, and an agency force in 1932.
By 1939, net business in our overseas life insurance branches was rivaling that of the UK, and Prudential’s international business continued to grow rapidly.
In recognition of the high potential for growth in Asia, Prudential Corporation Asia was established in 1994.
Having completed the demerger of our UK and US businesses in 2021, we are now purely focused on the dynamic growth markets of Asia and Africa. We look forward to continuing our legacy or providing reliable life and health insurance for generations to come.
As we celebrate both our 175th anniversary and 100 years in Asia, we are proud to look back at our history of meeting the health, wealth and welfare needs of our customers.
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