Dis-Chem has defended its health insurance partnership with Centriq and Kaelo after a ruling by the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS). The pharmacy retailer says the decision clarifies the process. It argues it is not a warning shot against retail-led healthcare models. The CMS found that changes to the branding and presentation of Centriq’s MyHealth insurance products under the Dis-Chem…
Category: January 2026
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Doctor Job Crisis Hits Post-Community Service Cohort
South Africa’s doctor employment bottleneck is back in the spotlight. The South African Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) says 1,260 doctors who have completed community service remain unemployed. It also indicates approximately 1,100 vacant medical officer posts nationwide. Samatu’s junior doctors’ leadership says some clinicians have been without work for months. In some cases, the period extends for years. The…
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Dis-Chem Insurance Branding Non-Compliant says CMS
A regulatory dispute could ensnare thousands of South African health insurance policyholders following a Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) finding that Dis-Chem’s branding breached the Medical Schemes Act. Davizro | iStock/695273346 The CMS ruled that Centriq Insurance Company’s decision to market its MyHealth Core and MyHealth Vital products under the Dis-Chem name amounted to an unauthorised name change. In the…
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National Health Insurance Negotiations: SAMA Seeks NHI Talks
South Africa’s largest doctors’ organisation, the South African Medical Association (SAMA), is preparing for fresh talks with Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on the future shape of National Health Insurance (NHI). The move follows a public push by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana for organisations challenging the NHI Act to consider negotiating a settlement, rather than prolonging court battles. SAMA is one…
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NHI Truce Talks: Godongwana Pushes Settlement On NHI
South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) debate may finally be shifting from courtroom combat to negotiation. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has called for the parties litigating against the NHI Act to declare a truce and work towards a settlement. The message is simple. Years of fighting over the policy have drained attention from the daily job of fixing a strained…
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Afrox Unpaid Invoices: Lawsuit Exposes Provincial Health Debt
African Oxygen (Afrox), a major supplier of medical gases to South Africa’s state hospitals, has taken the national and provincial health departments to court over R360m in unpaid invoices, some dating back to 2017. The High Court action in Pretoria signals a deepening payment crisis across provincial health systems and raises fresh concerns about the stability of public hospital supply…
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NHI Court Challenges: Litigants Reject Settlement Call
Negotiations are unlikely to resolve the NHI Act court challenges in the near future. Most organisations taking the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act to court have poured cold water on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s suggestion that litigants should meet the government and “craft a settlement”. At the heart of the dispute is trust. Several groups argue that the government should…
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2026 Healthcare Watchlist: Nine Healthcare Stories to Track
Twenty-twenty-six is shaping up as a year of sharp policy fights, fast-moving science, and stubborn system failures. Spotlight’s 2026 Healthcare Watchlist will track nine stories that could shift budgets, reshape services, and test public trust. A limited rollout of a new HIV prevention injection could be a turning point for prevention options. Weight-loss medicines are evolving rapidly, with new oral…
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Sizwe Hosmed Regulatory Allegations: Claims of Sabotage
In a highly charged submission to the Council of Medical Schemes (CMS) dated 2 January, Khandani Msibi, executive chairperson of 3Sixty Global Solutions Group, has levelled explosive allegations against medical scheme regulators and industry players. Msibi claims a deliberate campaign targeted one of the last remaining black-owned administrators in South Africa’s multibillion-rand medical aid industry for dismantlement. The 14‑page letter…
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Generic Semaglutide Set to Disrupt Global GLP‑1 Market
Aspen Pharmacare is gearing up to launch one of the world’s first generic semaglutide in Canada, capitalising on the recent loss of patent protection for Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster GLP‑1 weight‑loss injection. The move could be a pivotal moment for access and competition in an increasingly lucrative market. Canada’s early patent expiry of semaglutide has drawn global attention. Industry leaders see…