Mpox cases in South Africa have climbed sharply over the past few weeks, prompting the Department of Health to urge immediate and sustained public co-operation. By 17 September, the country had recorded 18 laboratory-confirmed infections and one probable case, according to departmental spokesperson Foster Mohale. The trend points to growing local transmission of a preventable viral infection. Mohale said 13…
Category: September 2026
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NHLS Scrambles as Pathology Services Funding Runs Dry
The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), the backbone of South Africa’s public pathology system, is scrambling to secure new blood-testing providers. This follows the service running out of money for key pathology services. The contract covering small and medium haematology labs at several of the country’s largest hospitals has lapsed. Funds in a central purchasing arrangement ran dry. The affected…
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Momentum Group Posts Record Earnings
Momentum Group has reported record earnings for the year to end-June, with normalised headline earnings passing the R7bn mark set under its Impact strategy a full year ahead of schedule. The insurer credited a strong operational showing across most of its business units. Behind Momentum Group’s record earnings Normalised headline earnings, which strip out items such as treasury shares held…
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Sanlam Writes Down AfroCentric to Nil but Won’t Sell
Sanlam has written down its investment in healthcare management group AfroCentric to nil after medical scheme Bonitas moved to end its relationship. Yet, the insurer insists there is still value to extract. The stake will stay. Sanlam CEO Paul Hanratty ruled out any sale. Sanlam owns 60% of AfroCentric, a holding it took three years ago and which has so…
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GLP-1 Alone Won’t Solve South Africa’s Diabetes Crisis
GLP-1 medicines are drawing intense interest, but health experts say they cannot resolve South Africa’s diabetes crisis on their own. Deeper answers lie in earlier diagnosis, stronger primary care, healthier food environments, and long-term patient support. Diabetes was the country’s leading underlying natural cause of death in 2023, claiming 27,692 lives, or 5.8% of all recorded deaths, according to Stats…
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Aspen Bets Recovery on Filling Sterile Manufacturing Lines
Aspen Pharmacare’s turnaround now hinges on its sterile manufacturing, the costly network of injectable-drug plants it must fill. This follows last year’s collapse of a major mRNA contract. CEO Stephen Saad sums up the setback with a farmer’s phrase: “We lost the milk but not the cow.” The contract’s loss blew roughly R2bn out of the manufacturing division’s expected earnings.…
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Thembisile Xulu Named New Health Director-General
South Africa has a new health Director-General. Last week, a cabinet statement confirmed the appointment of Dr Thembisile Xulu, the outgoing chief executive of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC). She becomes the country’s sixth permanent health DG since 1994. Her appointment moves her from coordinating the national response to HIV, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections into the top…
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Gauteng Nurse Shortage Deepens, Threatening NHI Rollout
Gauteng’s public health system is losing at least 100 nurses a month, a haemorrhage that officials warn could undermine the rollout of National Health Insurance (NHI). The province, which has the country’s highest overall health spending and the most hospital beds, told the provincial legislature it needs at least R5.7bn to fill thousands of vacancies. The Gauteng nurse shortage now…
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Illicit Trade in Medicines and Cosmetics Tops R6.6bn a Year
Counterfeit cosmetics, unregistered skincare and grey-market medicines are flowing into South Africa in growing volumes. This raises safety concerns and exposes gaps in import controls. Illicit trade across the cosmetics, personal care and pharmaceutical sectors now exceeds R6.6bn a year. This is according to a new report from the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa and Econometrix. The report pins…
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WHO’s Africa Chief Urges Action, Not Talk, on Primary Healthcare
African governments must take greater ownership of their health systems and turn conference pledges into concrete action on financing and primary healthcare, the World Health Organisation’s regional director for Africa has said. Professor Mohamed Janabi told delegates that governments should lead health-sector development while partners align behind national priorities. He was speaking in Arusha at the International Conference on Primary…