Today, Metropolitan is a well-established, truly African-based business providing aspirational individuals, and the people who represent them, with customised financial service packages that protect and enhance their assets.

Metropolitan is all about people. By sharing in people’s lives, Metropolitan can be trusted to deliver financial solutions that create a secure future full of exciting opportunity.

Yet, its humble origins date back to the closing years of the last century when it was known by another name (African Homes Trust Ltd) and the nature of its business was very different from what it is today.

It was launched into a fiercely competitive life insurance market - by this time well established and offering exciting business opportunities which over 30 foreign insurance companies had sought to explore - by setting up operations in the Cape.

This brisk business environment encouraged several men, who met in Cape Town in 1897, to take decisions which, unbeknown to them at the time, would ultimately lead to the formation of one of South Africa’s largest life insurance companies.