On 30 May 1848, a group of gentlemen met in London to form the Prudential Mutual Assurance, Investment and Loan Association. The figure of Prudence was adopted as a symbol to be used on the first company seal, and represent the values of the business.

In 1923 Prudential’s first overseas life operation opened in Calcutta, India, marking the start of our global expansion. General insurance agencies were opened in China and the Philippines during the 1920s, and the life insurance businesses soon expanded to Malaya and Singapore. 

Prudential took its first steps in Africa in 1930, when chief 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 the establishment of a branch office in Nairobi in 1933.

By 1939, new net business in our overseas life branches was rivalling that of the UK, and Prudential’s international business continued to grow rapidly. In 1994, Prudential Corporation Asia was established, in recognition of the high potential for growth in Asia.

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.

In 2023, as we celebrated 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.

Contact details for M&G and Prudential UK customers and policyholders