South Africa’s certificate of need ruling has landed a major setback for government plans to direct where health services can operate. The Constitutional Court has declared the “certificate of need” provisions in the National Health Act unconstitutional. The decision ends a long legal fight that has run for more than two decades. The unanimous ruling confirms a 2024 Pretoria High…
Tag: private healthcare
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NHI Financial Architecture Shapes Medtech Investment
South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) project is being treated as a political fight. Yet, for many healthcare operators and investors, it looks like something else. It looks like a financing build that was announced before the balance sheet was finalised. The Constitutional Court is scheduled to hear major challenges to the NHI Act from 5 to 7 May 2026.…
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NHI ConCourt Challenge: What’s At Stake For The Health System
South Africa’s National Health Insurance Act is one of the most ambitious legislative reforms since democracy’s advent. Its goal, universal health coverage, is widely supported. But ambition alone does not make legislation constitutional, and the upcoming NHI ConCourt Challenge will test this. The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) will appear before the Constitutional Court from 5 to 7 May. Its…
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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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Intercare CEO Hendri Hanekom to Lead Strategic Expansion
Intercare, a private healthcare provider, has announced its first leadership transition in 25 years. The company has appointed Hendri Hanekom as the new CEO, effective from 1 April. Hanekom is a veteran of the organisation. He has spent nearly 18 years with the company. His journey is a testament to internal growth and dedication. He began his career in entry-level…
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Mediclinic Restructuring: Remgro Takes Full Control In SA
Remgro and Investment Holding Limited (IHL) have signed an implementation agreement to restructure their shared interests in Mediclinic Holdings. The move would split the combined group along geographic lines. Remgro would become the sole owner of Mediclinic Southern Africa (MCSA). IHL would take 100% of Hirslanden, Mediclinic’s Swiss business. Remgro, chaired by Johann Rupert, and IHL currently each hold 50%…
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National Health Insurance: Minister Meets Medical Association
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has begun fresh engagement with one of his fiercest critics on the National Health Insurance (NHI). He met with the South African Medical Association (Sama) recently to discuss what he called “things we have in common”, despite Sama being among the organisations challenging the National Health Insurance Act in court. The NHI aims to establish a…
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Cardio-Oncologist Shortage Hits Cancer Care
South Africa is recording a steady rise in cancer diagnoses, with more than 100,000 new cases reported each year. An ageing population is a major driver. Lifestyle risks are adding to the trend. That growing burden is falling on a health system already under pressure in both public and private care. A less visible threat is also building. South Africa’s…
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Obesity as a Chronic Disease: SA Pushes for Treatment Access
South Africa’s healthcare sector is stepping up calls to treat obesity as a chronic disease rather than a cosmetic concern. Clinicians and industry leaders say the shift is urgent. Obesity is rising fast. It also drives long-term costs across the health system. Globally, more than 1 billion people live with obesity. That figure is forecast to reach 1.91 billion by…
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Section 59 Investigation: CMS Promises Binding Fraud Code
South Africa’s medical schemes regulator says it will implement the recommendations of the Section 59 Investigation into alleged discrimination against black healthcare providers. The commitment was made during parliamentary scrutiny of stalled reforms linked to both the Section 59 process and the Health Market Inquiry (HMI). The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) launched the investigation after complaints from black providers…
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NHI Preparations Continue Despite Legal Pause
\n\nThe NHI remains one of the most debated policy projects in South Africa. It currently faces more than twelve separate legal challenges. Recent court developments have focused on the legality of the process rather than the NHI model itself.\n\n\n\nNHI Preparations are Ongoing Despite Agreement on Act\n\n\n\nLast week, Minister Motsoaledi and President Cyril Ramaphosa reached an agreement regarding the Act. They…
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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,…