Payouts by provincial health departments for medical negligence have fallen significantly in recent years. Yet the financial burden on the public health system remains enormous. A landmark court ruling has also closed the door on one proposed solution. According to National Treasury figures, negligence payouts dropped from R1.8 billion in 2019/20 to R1.5 billion in 2023/24. Health Minister Dr Aaron…
Category: April 2026
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Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Costs Rising Sharply
A salaried job with health benefits has long been the gold standard of US employment. That assumption is now under serious pressure. Sharply rising premiums are prompting young, healthy workers to opt out of company health plans. Some are going without cover entirely. Others are turning to cheaper alternatives such as medical cost-sharing cooperatives. The trend is a growing concern…
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Diabetes Dashboard Launches To Speed Up Care In Public Clinics
The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) has launched a new Diabetes Dashboard to provide public health workers with near-real-time visibility into patient management across the country. According to the NHLS, the platform helps clinicians and programme managers spot poor glucose control earlier, allowing faster intervention. This tool arrives as civil society and health leaders increasingly frame diabetes as a national…
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HIV Funding in South Africa Faces Serious Cuts
South Africa has less than eight years before one of its most important external funding streams for HIV and TB programmes ends. Allocation letters sent in March confirm that the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria plans its final grant to South Africa in Grant Cycle 9. This cycle will run from April 2031 to March 2034. At…
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NHI Constitutional Court Challenge: Key Issues Unpacked
South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) project is heading into a critical legal test. President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to argue before the Constitutional Court that the NHI is a necessary step to address deep inequality in access to healthcare inherited from apartheid. The case focuses on whether Parliament followed a constitutionally sound public participation process when passing the NHI…
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Weight Management Spending Reshapes Household Budgets
South Africans are opening their wallets in pursuit of better health. But this is not only about occasional wellness treats. A new pattern is forming in everyday spending. Weight management is moving from a personal goal to a budget line item, according to new findings from Visa and Discovery Bank. The report shows that supplements and vitamins still account for…
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Gauteng Waiting Lists Hit Up To 10 Years At Major Hospitals
Gauteng patients who need hip replacements are waiting between three and 10 years on public hospital lists. Gauteng health MEC Faith Mazibuko disclosed the scale of the delay in a recent reply to Democratic Alliance (DA) questions in the Gauteng legislature. Mazibuko linked the growing backlog to several operational pressures across the province. She said a high proportion of older…
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Clicks Group Half-Year Earnings Reveal Solid Profit Growth
Clicks Group has lifted profitability at the halfway stage of its financial year, even as consumers remain under pressure. The retailer said turnover for the six months ended February rose 7.4% to R24.9bn. Headline earnings increased 6.4% to R1.5bn. Headline earnings per share (HEPS) climbed 8.1% to 653 cents. The company said share buybacks over the past 18 months helped…
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HIV Funding Cuts Endanger South Africa’s Lenacapavir Rollout
A new report from the US non-profit Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has issued a stark warning for the healthcare industry. Recent HIV Funding Cuts from the Trump administration are directly threatening South Africa’s ability to deploy lenacapavir. This twice-yearly injectable has been celebrated as a major breakthrough in HIV prevention. HIV Funding Cuts Threaten Life-Saving Healthcare Infrastructure The PHR…
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Rising Medical Aid Premiums Ignite Unions Over Healthcare Costs
South Africa’s two major union federations, Cosatu and Fedusa, have escalated their warning that the country’s healthcare funding model is pricing workers out of cover. They argue that the current approach is “unsustainable, too expensive and failing workers”. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has acknowledged the scale of the problem. He agrees that the model is inappropriate and that medical aid…
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Oral Phenylephrine Phase-Out Puts OTC Brands Under Review
South Africa’s medicines regulator is under mounting pressure from pharmaceutical manufacturers. This comes after it signalled it may phase out oral phenylephrine in over-the-counter (OTC) cold and flu medicines. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) says the concern is simple: the ingredient may not work as a nasal decongestant when taken by mouth. Phenylephrine still appears in long-standing…
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Doctor Entrepreneurship Programme To Launch In SA
South Africa stands poised for a significant shift in medical service delivery. The government launches a new national initiative this month. This initiative aims to transform medical doctors into savvy business owners and healthcare innovators. The doctor entrepreneurship programme is led by the Regenesys School of Entrepreneurship. The Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) delivers this initiative.…