Discovery has announced a significant surge in its financial performance for the first half of the year. The group expects headline earnings to rise by nearly a third. Discovery’s interim results follow a period of robust operational success across its various divisions. The South African-based financial services giant released a trading statement covering the six months ending 31 December. The…
Category: February 2026
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Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Health Security
The Department of Health finds itself at the centre of a heated national debate. The controversy surrounds the recent R15.5bn AIDS drug tender. It has reignited a long-standing conflict between fiscal austerity and industrial growth. Should the state prioritise the lowest possible price, or should it pay a premium for local pharmaceutical manufacturing? The Tension Between Budget Cuts and Industrial…
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Medical Tax Credits Increased Amidst NHI Proposals
In a significant policy shift that has caught the attention of the healthcare sector, the National Treasury has officially resisted Department of Health efforts to scrap Medical Tax Credits. For the first time since 2023, these credits will increase in line with inflation. This move directly contradicts previous proposals to phase out the tax relief to fund the National Health…
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NHI Implementation Delay: Court Orders Legal Freeze
National Health Insurance implementation has hit a fresh legal speed bump. This happened after the Department of Health and multiple organisations challenging the NHI Act agreed to freeze court action while the Constitutional Court weighs in on how Parliament handled public participation. The pause was made an order of court in the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday, 24 February 2026,…
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Medical Tax Credits: Schemes Urge Godongwana for Budget Boost
South Africa’s two biggest industry bodies for medical schemes are urging Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to keep medical tax credits in place and increase their value in the upcoming Budget. They argue the credits are critical to keep private cover affordable for working families, especially as costs rise. The call comes as the health department pushes to phase out medical…
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NHI Implementation on Hold After Presidential Undertaking
President Cyril Ramaphosa has formally undertaken not to bring any part of South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) Act into operation until the Constitutional Court has ruled on two challenges focused on public participation. The undertaking was conveyed in a letter dated 20 February from the Office of the State Attorney. It states the president “undertakes not to promulgate any…
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Dis-Chem Better Rewards Programme Drives Revenue
Dis-Chem says a revamped loyalty strategy is translating into faster growth and market share gains. The retailer reported a 10.1% increase in group revenue in the 24 weeks to mid-February, supported by strong wholesale momentum and an uplift in retail performance linked to its new Better Rewards programme. Group retail revenue rose 9.5% in the period. Wholesale revenue increased 15.7%,…
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Childhood Cancer Diagnosis: The Impact of Delayed Treatment
South Africa diagnoses too few children with cancer, a gap that experts say costs lives. In the Cape Town metro, the Western Cape health department estimates that clinicians diagnose about 100 children under 15 with cancer each year. Rates are broadly stable, but case numbers are rising with population growth. Nationally, the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) estimates that…
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Medical Aid Tax Credits and Public Health Jobs
South Africa’s public health crisis is no longer only about disease burden. It is also about staffing, budgets and political choices. Furthermore, a new argument gaining traction is that austerity is shrinking frontline services. At the same time, the tax system still cushions households that can afford private cover, especially through benefits like Medical Aid Tax Credits. The government has…
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NHI Constitutional Challenge: AfriForum’s Legal Action
Civil society group AfriForum has served a summons on President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. This intensifies its court bid to have the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act declared unconstitutional. The organisation instructed the Sheriff of the Court to deliver a combined summons to five senior state office-bearers. This signals that the fight over NHI is moving…