Medical aid in 2025 more expensive than previous year, reports Stats SA
The data shows an increase of 10.5% in medical aid premiums for 2025, slightly up from the 10.3% increase seen in 2024.
JOHANNESBURG - The cost of getting sick in South Africa is much higher this year than it was a year.
This after Statistics SA released the latest inflation data on Wednesday, including a survey on medical insurance and health services.
The data shows an increase of 10.5% in medical aid premiums for 2025, slightly up from the 10.3% increase seen in 2024.
The country’s big medical aid schemes announced massive annual increases in January.
Medihelp and Bonitas reported double-digit increases, both raising premiums by more than 10%.
Momentum and Discovery were also among the four private healthcare providers with larger increases, adding to premiums a little under 10%.
On average, monthly contributions range from R1,400 to more than R10,000 for premium healthcare plans.
Director for Consumer Price Index operations at Stats SA, Lekau Ranoto said “Health services rose by 6,1% compared with the 5,1% rise last year.”
According to the Council for Medical Schemes, only 14% of South Africa’s total population was covered by medical aid schemes in 2023.
Young people are believed to be skipping medical aid because of financial pressures.