Category: Medical Industry

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SAMED Calls for Urgent Action as Gauteng Health Supplier Debt Crisis Reaches Critical Point

On By ModernMedia

The South African Medical Technology Industry Association (SAMED) has called for urgent and measurable action to resolve the escalating supplier debt crisis within Gauteng’s public health system, warning that continued delays in payments and procurement failures are placing both healthcare delivery and supplier sustainability at serious risk.

The call comes ahead of the Gauteng Department of Health’s hospital-level engagements with suppliers on 27 May, following MEC for Health and Wellness Faith Mazibuko’s recent acknowledgement that approximately R8 billion is owed to suppliers.

SAMED’s latest member data shows that R245 517 666.12 is owed to 27 medical technology suppliers, with a significant portion overdue well beyond the public sector’s 30-day payment requirement. Many affected suppliers are South African SMEs now operating under severe financial strain, forced to absorb the consequences of systemic procurement and payment failures while continuing to supply essential medical devices, diagnostics, consumables, and other critical technologies needed for patient care.

While SAMED welcomes the Department’s willingness to engage directly with suppliers, the association stresses that these discussions must lead to concrete commitments and operational action.

For SAMED and its members, this crisis is not new.

The association has spent more than a decade raising concerns about systemic procurement dysfunction, delayed payments, weak supply chain controls, and administrative failures that continue to undermine the effective functioning of the public healthcare system.

Today, those longstanding failures have evolved into a critical risk for both the healthcare sector and the businesses that support it.

In some cases, suppliers are delivering urgently needed products to hospitals while administrative bottlenecks make timely payment structurally impossible. This is particularly acute where delayed purchase orders, including for consignment stock arrangements, create a mismatch between supply delivery and budget allocation.

Monica Lucas, SAMED Board Member said, “SAMED members have continued supporting public healthcare under extraordinary financial strain because patient care cannot simply pause. But suppliers cannot indefinitely act as the financiers of a dysfunctional system. This is no longer just a debt issue; it is a structural operational failure that requires urgent executive intervention.”

Following the Department’s engagement with service providers on 23 May, SAMED has formally written to MEC Mazibuko requesting greater transparency on the Department’s debt reduction plans, and stronger accountability across finance, supply chain management, and hospital leadership.

SAMED will participate constructively in the upcoming hospital engagements and remains committed to finding practical solutions in partnership with government.

However, the association cautions that engagement without accountability will not restore supplier confidence.

After years of repeated commitments and limited progress, the sector requires clear timelines, written commitments, and measurable implementation.

“Direct engagement with leadership is welcome, but suppliers need more than reassurance. We need transparency, accountability, and a credible plan to resolve both the immediate debt burden and the underlying operational failures that continue to create it. Without that, the risks to healthcare continuity will only deepen.” – Scott de Oliveira, SAMED Chairperson

SAMED is calling for immediate action, including:

  • Publication of a verified and transparent debt position
  • A time-bound repayment plan for outstanding supplier debt
  • Executive oversight of hospital procurement and payment failures
  • Improved responsiveness from finance and supply chain leadership
  • Structured follow-up engagements with measurable progress reporting

SAMED remains committed to constructive engagement but warns that the public healthcare system cannot continue relying on suppliers to absorb systemic dysfunction indefinitely.

This week’s engagements must mark the beginning of real corrective action, not another cycle of discussion.

Categories : Expert Opinion Medical IndustryTags :

Why Medical Schemes Must Own Healthcare Reform

On By ModernMedia
“Medical schemes have an enormous amount of power to change the trajectory of healthcare in this country – but only if they are willing to use it,” Lungile Kasapato, CEO of PPO Serve.

South African medical schemes have long borne the brunt of public frustration. Contribution increases have outpaced both wages and inflation, forcing many members to choose between healthcare cover and basic needs. But according to Lungile Kasapato, CEO of PPO Serve, a healthcare management company that has been implementing value-based care in South Africa for more than a decade, rising premiums and shrinking benefits are symptoms, not causes. The real problem is structural: the industry has been operating as a passive payer when it should be commissioning a better functioning healthcare system.

“The conversation we keep having – about contribution levels, affordability, and who is to blame – is only half the conversation,” says Kasapato. “What is missing is the question of why costs keep escalating and what schemes are actively doing about it.

The World Health Organisation is clear on what that answer should look like: schemes purchasing value for their members, managing the quality and cost of care, and correcting the incentives that keep a poorly functioning system in place. “Until that happens, we will be back here next year, at a higher number, with the same grievances,” she says.

South Africa’s healthcare system rewards providers for the volume of services delivered, not patient outcomes achieved; “More tests, more procedures, more bed days: each generates revenue regardless of clinical necessity. The Health Market Inquiry identified this as a structural failing – schemes, unable to control what providers charge, absorb the pressure by eroding the benefits members thought they were paying for,” says Kasapato.

On average, schemes are currently spending three cents more for every rand they collect; “Even the best-capitalised ones are drawing down their historical reserves. Without meaningful intervention, that gap does not close on its own – it widens. And yet the industry continues to treat this as a pricing problem rather than the systemic one it actually is,” she says.

PPO Serve’s The Value Care Team programme, implemented in partnership with the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS), demonstrates what a different approach looks like in practice. The programme segments members by clinical need – from high-risk complex cases to those currently healthy – and aligns care accordingly. GPs are equipped with real-time data, including visibility of planned admissions from other providers, enabling early intervention before costs escalate. Clinicians are rewarded for measurable patient outcomes rather than the volume of services delivered.

“When patients are well-managed at primary care level, unnecessary hospital admissions fall – and that is exactly what we are seeing,” says Kasapato. “Early pilot data shows a 29% reduction in hospitalisations over three years.  Those savings can then be reinvested into better care. That is what purchasing value looks like in practice.”

For lower-income members, who have historically faced benefit structures favouring hospital care over preventative and primary care, The Value Care Team operates outside discretionary benefit allocations. This preserves out-of-hospital benefits while ensuring members receive coordinated care throughout the year.

“The evidence is already there, globally and in our own programme: investing in primary healthcare costs more today but far less tomorrow. A scheme that cannot absorb the short-term cost of prevention will not survive the long-term cost of inaction. Medical schemes have an enormous amount of power to change the trajectory of healthcare in this country – but only if they are willing to use it. At PPO Serve, we are not waiting for the system to fix itself – we are doing the work,” says Kasapato.

Categories : Medical IndustryTags :

From Hospital Wards to Clinic Ownership, SA Nurses Are Becoming Their Own Bosses

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“Mpathy Clinics are nurse-led, low-fee primary healthcare facilities with a vision of transitioning from nurse-led to nurse-owned clinics, creating opportunities for nurses to own and operate clinics in their own communities,” said Rhiza Ventures managing director Linda Dunkley.

For decades, nurses were the backbone of South Africa’s healthcare system, present in every ward, every emergency and every recovery room, but rarely in positions of ownership and leadership.

Now, as South Africa marks International Nurses Day on May 12 under the global theme “Empowered Nurses Save Lives”, a growing network of township clinics is transforming nurses from employees into entrepreneurs while helping to ease pressure on overcrowded public healthcare facilities.

Affordable Healthcare and Building Local Economies

In communities where patients often endure long queues at public clinics or cannot afford private healthcare, nurse-led Mpathy Clinics are emerging as an accessible and affordable alternative rooted in empowerment, dignity and community-based care.

The model, driven by NPO Rhiza Babuyile, currently operates 11 clinics in township areas including Umlazi, Naledi, Gugulethu, Tembisa and Diepsloot. Beyond expanding primary healthcare access, the initiative is creating something rarely seen in South Africa’s nursing

“South Africa’s public sector serves roughly 80% of the population, yet clinics routinely face long queues, staff shortages and medicine stockouts. Most primary healthcare services fall within the legal scope of a Professional Nurse and policies like NIMART (Nurse Initiated Management of Antiretroviral Treatment) – leaning on nurses is the only way to scale primary healthcare capacity at a cost the country can afford,” says Rhiza Ventures, Managing Director Linda Dunkley.

For Mpathy, this means helping the Department of Health extend healthcare services into underserved communities while aligning with the Ideal Clinic Realisation programme and supporting the long-term National Health Insurance (NHI) rollout, where accredited primary healthcare facilities serve as the first point of entry.

“Nurse-led PHC clinics like Mpathy are where early detection is possible, response rates are highest, and the cost to both the patient and the public system is lowest,” said Dunkley.

Dunkley added that the clinics were designed to complement, rather than compete with, the public healthcare system. “Mpathy is positioned explicitly as an extension of the Department of Health rather than a parallel system,” she said.

The clinics also contribute to local economic development, not only creating jobs for administrators and community health workers, but   enabling non-nursing entrepreneurs to own clinics and employ qualified nurses, broadening community-based healthcare investment and expanding access to care.

This month alone, a new Mpathy Clinic will open in Orange Farm on 21 May, led by nursepreneur Sister Mbalenhle, and on 19 May an entrepreneur will be inducted into the model in  Zithobeni, Bronkhorstspruit.

‘It’s My Answered Prayer’ — A Nurse Returns Home as Nursepreneur

For professional nurse and nursepreneur Sindiswa Nhlabathi, the model has become deeply personal.  Nhlabathi will this week open the  Mpathy Clinic in Naledi, Orange Farm on 14 May, serving the same community where she was born and raised.

“I was born at Zola, right across from where the Naledi clinic is based. I grew up in a family where no one was formally employed but they were ‘business people’,” she said. Her mother and grandmother sold cakes and goods to support the family. “It wasn’t easy as there was no money for university,” she said.

Before nursing, she worked at a government hospital as a personal assistant manager. Until a friend changed everything. “One day my friend came to me with nursing application forms and persuaded me to apply. I refused telling her that ‘you know I don’t like nursing’ but she insisted. I was accepted and the minute I was exposed to clinical experiments I knew I was born for this.”

After years in public healthcare, including at Zola Clinic, Nhlabathi resigned from her permanent post and was later offered the opportunity to run the Naledi clinic. “When I was studying it never crossed my mind that one day I might own a clinic. It’s my answered prayer. I feel empowered and I don’t even have the words to articulate my heart but one thing I know is that I intend to take this opportunity and make the best out of it,” says Nhlabathi.

At the clinic, children can receive treatment for under R200, while adult consultations with medication cost up to R350.

“Our clinic is private but very affordable,” Nhlabathi adds that “Our community relies on social grants and low incomes, while public clinics remain overwhelmed. Mpathy Clinics are a bridge between private and public healthcare and our priority is to build trusted relationships with the community.”

Visit https://mpathyclinic.co.za/ to find out more.

Categories : Medical IndustryTags :

Opinion Piece: Medical Aid Out-of-pocket Healthcare Expenses are the Highest Ever

On By ModernMedia

14 April 2026

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

By James White, Director: Sales and Marketing at Turnberry Management Risk Solutions

Many South Africans assume that belonging to a medical scheme means their hospital treatment will be fully covered. In practice, this is often not the case. Patients are increasingly encountering co-payments, specialist shortfalls and benefit sub-limits that leave them responsible for part of the bill. This happens because medical schemes pay according to their own tariff structures, while specialists often charge significantly more than those tariffs, sometimes as much as 500% of the scheme rate.

The difference between the scheme tariff and the provider’s invoice is then billed to the patient, and it can amount to tens of thousands of Rands. Gap cover exists specifically to address these shortfalls by covering the gap between what medical schemes pay and what healthcare providers charge, offering peace of mind and greater financial certainty.

Healthcare costs are rising faster than household incomes

Medical inflation in South Africa has consistently outpaced general inflation. While many employees receive annual increases of around four or five percent, healthcare costs often rise by nine or ten percent. Hospital tariffs, specialist fees and the cost of advanced medical technology continue to increase each year.

Medical schemes therefore face a difficult balancing act: keeping contributions affordable while managing rising provider costs. To do this, schemes increasingly rely on co-payments, tighter benefit limits and reimbursement based on scheme tariffs. For members, this means that belonging to a medical scheme does not always guarantee that every medical expense will be fully covered.

The shortfall between tariffs and specialist fees

One of the most common out-of-pocket expenses occurs when a healthcare provider charges more than the scheme rate. Medical schemes reimburse treatment according to their own tariffs, while specialists may charge several times that amount. This can create confusion for members, because policies often state that they pay “100% of the scheme rate”. In practice, this means the scheme pays up to its tariff limit, not the full amount charged by the provider.

From a gap cover perspective, this tariff shortfall accounts for the majority of claims. In many cases it represents roughly 78% to 80% of claims, making it one of the most common funding gaps patients experience.

Co-payments and sub-limits add further pressure

Shortfalls are not the only challenge patients face – medical schemes increasingly rely on co-payments and sub-limits to manage rising healthcare costs.

A co-payment is a fixed amount that the member must pay before treatment takes place. Depending on the procedure and scheme rules, these amounts can range from around R5,000 up to R30,000, and in some cases even higher. For many households, being asked to produce this amount upfront can create significant financial strain.

Sub-limits can create a similar problem. Even when a procedure is covered, schemes may limit how much they will pay for certain treatments, scans or specialist services. Once the limit is reached, the remaining cost falls to the patient.

Why adviser education matters

Because the system is complex, many clients only discover these gaps when they receive a bill after treatment. They assume their medical aid will cover the full cost of care, only to find that co-payments, benefit limits or specialist shortfalls still apply.

This is why it is important for advisers to explain clearly how medical schemes pay claims, particularly the difference between scheme tariffs and provider fees. When clients understand how these shortfalls arise, the role of gap cover becomes easier to understand. Rather than being seen as an optional extra, gap cover becomes part of the overall structure of healthcare cover alongside medical aid.

Understanding your healthcare cover before you need it

Healthcare funding in South Africa is unlikely to become less complex in the near future. As costs continue to rise, it is essential to understand how your medical scheme operates and where potential shortfalls may arise.

Many people only learn how their cover works when a claim is processed and an unexpected bill appears. Understanding the difference between scheme tariffs, provider fees, co-payments and benefit limits can help prevent these surprises.

Gap cover plays an important role in addressing these shortfalls by covering the difference between what medical schemes pay and what healthcare providers charge. Speak to a broker about what your medical aid covers, where shortfalls may occur, and how gap cover can help protect you from unexpected medical bills.

Turnberry Management Risk Solutions (Pty) Ltd is an authorised Financial Services Provider (FSP no. 36571). Underwritten by Lombard Insurance Company, an Authorised Financial Services Provider (FSP 1596) and Insurer conducting non-life insurance business.

Categories : HIV Medical IndustryTags :

Cipla Confirms Continued Support for ARV Supply Following Changes in Supplier Landscape

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Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya

Cipla Medpro South Africa reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the uninterrupted supply of critical antiretroviral (ARV) medicines to the Department of Health. It is essential that people living with HIV have uninterrupted access to these life-saving medicines. Any disruption of supply puts patients at risk of developing resistance to the drugs or adversely affecting health outcomes. According to Statistics South Africa, the number of people living with HIV in the country is estimated to be approximately 8 million (12,7% of the population)[1].

Recently, two suppliers who were awarded the current antiretroviral (ARV) tender, Barrs Pharmaceuticals Industries (Pty) Ltd and Innovata Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd (subsidiaries of Avacare Health), have entered business rescue.

Cipla acknowledges the uncertainty this may create within the ARV supply chain and underscores its readiness to assist in maintaining stability and continuity.

Cipla has been manufacturing tenofovir/lamivudine/dolutegravir (TLD) for the government for the past 7 years, and has been one of the main suppliers of ARVs to the government for more than 12 years. Cipla has made significant investments in its local manufacturing facility, upgrading the capacity of the ARV production line with the installation of a new Countec bottle line and have increased its tablet filing capacity by 190%. The company is able to locally produce 475 million tablets annually and has upscaled its manufacturing capabilities to ensure sufficient capacity to meet current demand and support near‑term growth, while reinforcing Cipla’s commitment to secure and reliable ARV supply.

“We have mobilised resources to help maintain equitable access to quality, affordable critical medication. Cipla confirms its willingness to support national requirements under the current tender agreement and, if needed, contribute meaningfully to any supplementary procurement processes to safeguard patient access to essential treatment. We want people to live a long and healthy life as part of our commitment to caring for life,” said Paul Miller, CEO of Cipla Africa.

“In addition, we believe this tender presents an opportunity to further advance government’s commitment to strengthening local manufacturing capacity. By ensuring greater support for locally produced medicines, future allocations could meaningfully contribute to South Africa’s industrial development agenda while maintaining continuity of supply,” said Miller.

The total ARV tender is for a period of three years, and is worth an estimated R15.5bn, of which the TLD component comprises R12.6bn.

Categories : Medical IndustryTags :

Bonitas Medical Fund Revitalises Future of Healthcare in SA with New Strategic Partners

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Photo by Sora Shimazaki

The healthcare industry has evolved significantly in the past decade with innovation, improved servicing and consolidation of medical schemes emerging. Bonitas Medical Fund has taken a strategic step in responding to the needs of its members and the Health Citizens of South Africa, by appointing Momentum Health as its new administrator from 1 June 2026.

With a considerable history spanning over 4 decades, Bonitas Medical Fund has emerged as one of the leaders in the medical scheme market. Covering over 750 000 lives, the Scheme is known as the medical aid for South Africa with a range of options – strategically designed to meet the needs of South Africans from all walks of life.

The change in administration is in line with the guidelines of the Health Market Inquiry and the industry Regulator, the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS). In 2024, the CMS stated that, “one of the main issues driving market stagnation is the prevalence of ‘evergreen’ contracts”. This alludes to long-term agreements between medical schemes and suppliers spanning decades without being subject to regular competitive procurement processes.

Principal Officer, Lee Callakoppen, explains, “One of our key strategic objectives is to ensure we create value for our members and key stakeholders. This can take the form of benefit optimisation, favourable tariff negotiations, amalgamations to obtain critical mass or optimised service. The healthcare industry has evolved considerably over the past decade, and it was critical for the Scheme to evolve in line with this. Over the past 48 months, the Board have extensively debated the steps needed to be taken to place Bonitas in a competitive position and ensure that it remains sustainable in the best interest of our members. In doing so we have continuously evaluated the value provided by our service providers with consideration to our strategic objectives and the capabilities of our service providers as well as the expectations of our members corporate clients, healthcare professionals, and brokers. We have seen medical schemes placed under financial strain with sustainability challenges emerging and we remain committed to remaining relevant to our members and must therefore be vigilant in our approach.”

This was followed by rigorous ongoing benchmarking exercises and a subsequent Request for Proposal process for administrative services and managed care – with Momentum Health appointed as the successful entity for the provision of administration services and Private Health Administrators appointed to provide managed care services.

“We are delighted to cement this relationship with Momentum Health, who have demonstrated that they have the necessary capabilities to exceed expectations and support us in our strategic growth objectives” Callakoppen said. “Bonitas’ performance in the past 18 months, has exceeded all previous benchmarks with over 80 000 new families successfully enrolled on the Scheme and financial sustainability stronger than previous years. We see these appointments as strategic enablers to challenge the status quo – and drive value optimisation to continue leading the healthcare industry. Our aim is to optimise efficiencies, achieve mass enrolment, and meaningfully contribute to the shaping of private healthcare in South Africa.”

Hannes Viljoen, Chief Executive Officer of Momentum Health welcomed the appointment, citing it as a key strategic opportunity in the dynamic open market for Momentum Health. “We are excited about positively impacting the health of more people. The group currently service over 3,3 million beneficiaries in Africa and more than 25 million world-wide and are strategically and operationally positioned to deliver value in a meaningful and impactful way,” he said.

Dr Ayanda Mbuli, Chief Executive Officer of PHA, was pleased with the outcome, “We are deeply honoured by Bonitas’ decision to entrust PHA with its managed healthcare function, a historic milestone for the Scheme. This partnership presents a unique opportunity to further optimise the care received by Bonitas members and to meaningfully contribute to both the Bonitas healthcare agenda and the broader South African health landscape.”

Bonitas has been a leading open scheme in South Africa for several decades and these changes will open opportunities to build a more significant and influential open scheme that caters for more South African’s health care needs.

Categories : Expert Opinion Medical IndustryTags :

The Making of South Africa’s Medical Aid Crisis

On By ModernMedia

As of this month, South African medical aid scheme contributions have increased by between 6–9% – nearly triple the Council for Medical Schemes’ recommended 3.3% guideline. While lower than last year’s double-digit surge, the underlying problem remains: premiums keep climbing while benefit coverage keeps shrinking, exposing cracks in private healthcare that are becoming impossible to ignore.

“We’re watching private healthcare price ordinary South Africans out of the market, one annual increase at a time,” says Lungile Kasapato, CEO of PPO Serve, a healthcare management company that has been implementing value-based care in South Africa for more than a decade. “Medical schemes are caught in an impossible position – unable to control what providers charge, they’re left managing what they cover. The result is diminishing benefits, rising co-payments, and mounting out-of-pocket costs for members.”

The root of the problem lies in how healthcare is paid for. Fee-for-service, the dominant reimbursement model, rewards volume over outcomes. More tests, more procedures, more bed days – each generates revenue regardless of whether they actually improve patient health. This narrow focus fragments care and drives costs up while keeping value low.

“No amount of funding can fix a payment model that drives the wrong incentives,” Kasapato explains. “Real change requires rethinking not just what we pay for, but how we pay for it.”

Value-based care offers a fundamentally different approach: putting patients at the centre, rewarding proactive care, and linking payment directly to health outcomes. PPO Serve’s The Value Care Team demonstrates what this looks like in practice. GP-led multidisciplinary teams receive monthly, risk-adjusted payments based on patient complexity, supporting holistic care and linking meaningful incentives to measurable results. Rather than maximising billable services, providers focus on optimising patients’ overall health.

For members, this means care is no longer limited by rigid benefit caps or pre-authorisation hurdles, but structured around what genuinely enhances the efficient delivery of their care. A dedicated care coordinator guides patients through decisions made collaboratively by their GP and allied health professionals, with each team member sharing accountability for better outcomes.

But scaling models like this requires medical schemes and public funders to step up. “The challenge isn’t proving value-based care works – it’s embedding it in an infrastructure built for an entirely different system,” says Kasapato. “Claims processing, scheme administration, provider networks – every layer of private healthcare is designed with fee-for-service in mind. Transitioning to outcome-based payment means rebuilding that system and accepting the upfront investment and friction that comes with structural change. The alternative is stark: a private healthcare market that collapses under its own cost pressures, pricing out members faster than schemes can adjust. South Africa is already on that trajectory.”

“If we’re serious about universal health coverage and the long-term sustainability of the private sector, we can’t keep treating symptoms while ignoring causes,” says Kasapato. “Value-based care models are already demonstrating what’s possible. The question isn’t whether transformation is worth the investment – it’s whether we can afford to delay it any longer. The more organisations that embrace a strategic purchasing role, the greater the potential for meaningful change, not just for medical schemes but for South Africa’s healthcare system and the millions who rely on it.”

Categories : General Interest Medical IndustryTags :

Discovery Abandons R170 Million Clawback over Medicines Reimbursement Glitch

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Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash

Discovery Health has recently abandoned its efforts to reclaim roughly R170 million from 16 507 members following a widespread administrative error in processing medical claims. This happened after the successful intervention of the advocacy group MediCheck, which argued that the affected members were being unfairly penalised for a technical glitch which they had nothing to do with.

The glitch, which happened last year, resulted in over-reimbursement of certain medicine costs that occurred throughout 2025. Several specific technical and procedural issues were involved which caused the problem to grow undetected for nearly a year, as detailed by Moonstone.

The main error was that certain claims were incorrectly reimbursed at 100% of the Discovery Health Rate, regardless of the specific benefit limits that should have applied to those categories, when they should have been reimbursed at a lower rate.

Because these claims were incorrectly reimbursed at higher rates, they were inaccurately accumulated towards members’ benefit thresholds. This caused members who had Above-Threshold Benefit (ATB) as part of their plan to reach it prematurely. Upon reaching the ATB, subsequent medical claims were funded by the scheme. Normally, these claims would have been covered by the members’ medical savings accounts or out-of-pocket contributions.

Delayed detection allowed the problem to grow. The error was particularly difficult to identify because it was a “second-order impact”. The systemic failure only became apparent late in the year when members began reaching the ATB and the financial discrepancies were finally flagged.

This snowballing error eventually affected some 16 507 members on specific Executive, Comprehensive, and Priority plans. While Discovery Health initially sought to recover these funds, ranging from thousands of rand to as much as R80 000 per member, the Council for Medical Schemes stepped in to exert pressure amid widespread media coverage of the situation. Discovery gave in and committed to refunding any recovered funds and absorbing the total financial loss itself – estimated between R130 million and R170 million.

Categories : Ageing Medical IndustryTags :

Case Study: Allmed and Tafta

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Empowering Dignified Elder Care Through Compliant, Compassionate Staffing Solutions

Photo by Matthias Zomer on Pexels

For nearly seven decades, The Association for The Aged (Tafta) has been a cornerstone of care for senior persons in Durban and surrounding communities. Its services include assisted living, frail care, home-based care, meal delivery, and essential social work and advocacy programmes, all designed to support the dignity and well-being of older persons.

Delivering this level of care consistently requires the right professional healthcare staff and strong administrative support across Tafta’s multiple facilities.

The challenge: ensuring compliance and consistency
Recruiting and managing trained Caregivers across several care units can be complex, particularly when strict compliance and accreditation standards must be met. Tafta needed a partner who could supply qualified staff while supporting operational efficiency and upholding care standards. Allmed, a specialist medical personnel solutions provider, with proven experience in healthcare staffing and administration, emerged as the ideal solution.

“At the time we were reviewing our contracts, we considered Allmed as one of the service providers to tender,” explains Yoshina Kistensamy, Divisional Manager: Operations of Tafta.

The requirements were clear: the partner needed to ensure all staff were fully compliant and accredited, while also providing responsive after-contract support. Financial flexibility was equally critical, enabling staffing to scale up or down according to operational realities without penalty.

Allmed provides layered support, with trained professionals backed by clinical facilitators, ensuring both quality care and peace of mind for residents’ families. This support is delivered across three key areas:

  • Strategic staffing: Ensures every facility has adequate, skilled personnel and optimises workforce allocation to meet varying needs.
  • Compliance oversight: Monitors adherence to healthcare standards, reducing risk and ensuring safe, consistent care practices.
  • Hands-on engagement: Provides practical support to staff and enhances day-to-day operations.

By combining these three areas, Allmed enables Tafta to operate efficiently while maintaining a strong focus on the quality and dignity of resident care.

The impact: lifting the burden, prioritising care
The partnership has given Tafta the space to focus on its core mission: providing compassionate care. By outsourcing much of its care staff, Tafta has transferred complex HR responsibilities, including training coordination, on-site supervision, and disciplinary processes, directly to Allmed.

Allmed provides layered support, with trained professionals backed by clinical facilitators, ensuring both quality care and peace of mind for residents’ families. This support is delivered across three key areas:

  • Strategic staffing: Ensures every facility has adequate, skilled personnel and optimises workforce allocation to meet varying needs.
  • Compliance oversight: Monitors adherence to healthcare standards, reducing risk and ensuring safe, consistent care practices.
  • Hands-on engagement: Provides practical support to staff and enhances day-to-day operations.

By combining these three areas, Allmed enables Tafta to operate efficiently while maintaining a strong focus on the quality and dignity of resident care.

The impact: lifting the burden, prioritising care
The partnership has given Tafta the space to focus on its core mission: providing compassionate care. By outsourcing much of its care staff, Tafta has transferred complex HR responsibilities, including training coordination, on-site supervision, and disciplinary processes, directly to Allmed.

“For us, the primary benefit lies in ensuring that our care staff remain fully compliant with all required accreditations and registrations, which supports our commitment to delivering quality care through trained professionals,” says Kistensamy. “In addition, Allmed manages the HR processes, supplementary training, and ongoing supervision for this team, allowing us to focus on expanding and strengthening care and support services for our residents and the broader eThekwini community.”

Allmed’s support goes beyond typical service agreements. They work alongside Tafta’s management and care teams. “Whether it’s a quick phone call, a WhatsApp message, or an on-site visit, Allmed is always available,” Kistensamy adds. “Knowing they are just a message away provides enormous peace of mind.”

Forging a partnership that goes above and beyond
Tafta values the partnership for more than staffing consistency. At the organisation’s annual Sports Day for older persons, Allmed has donated essential items, provided an on-site nurse, and actively participated alongside staff and residents. “It’s not just about supplying caregivers – Allmed consistently shows up and supports our programmes,” says Kistensamy.

Allmed also contributes to Tafta’s fundraising and public-relations events, including the International Day of Care and Support, golf days, resident Christmas lunches, and donor gala dinners. Their willingness to engage with staff, residents, and fellow care partners reinforces Tafta’s values and demonstrates that effective healthcare partnerships are built on the seamless alignment of the organisation, its beneficiaries, and its supporters.

Flexible solutions for non-profit needs
Agility has been a cornerstone of the Allmed–Tafta partnership. When budget pressures arose, Allmed offered alternative staffing rates without compromising service quality.

“They understand our sector and our challenges, and they work with us to make sure our residents are always cared for,” says Kistensamy. Three elements define the success of this collaboration:

  1. Exceptional customer service: proactive support and responsiveness beyond contractual obligations.
  2. Flexible staffing solutions: ability to scale services up or down based on resident needs and operational realities.
  3. Qualified, supported staff: ongoing training, supervision, and guidance ensure consistent, high-quality care.

Through this partnership, Tafta can prioritise its core mission: ensuring every resident receives compassionate, dignified care. With Allmed providing expert staffing and compliance support, the organisation can operate smoothly while maintaining high-quality care standards.

Categories : Medical IndustryTags :

Sanofi South Africa Confronts Challenge of Transformation in Healthcare

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Sanofi South Africa is proud to announce it has reached Level 1 B-BBEE status, the top rating in South Africa’s transformation framework and a rare achievement for a global healthcare company. The achievement underscores the role of global companies in driving local empowerment and healthcare access and demonstrates the potential support that multinational pharmaceuticals companies can provide in strengthening South Africa’s healthcare system.

Level 1 status recognises performance in all five B-BBEE pillars: ownership, management control, skills, supplier growth, and socio-economic development. For partners, it brings concrete benefits, including 135% procurement recognition to boost their own scorecards.

Developing people and skills
Sanofi places people at the centre of its transformation efforts. The company runs programmes for graduates, persons with disabilities, and young people through the Youth Employment Service, while also investing in management development to support career growth.

“We encourage employees to join leadership programmes that build a pipeline of diverse future leaders,” says Prudence Selani, Head of External Affairs, Sanofi South Africa. “Outside the company, Sanofi has provided interest-free loans and grants to help small businesses expand and create jobs.”

Sanofi goes beyond the B-BBEE compliance, working towards meaningful and lasting results. By the end of 2025, all Sanofi workplaces and digital platforms will be fully accessible, ensuring all employees, including those who are differently abled, can thrive. This includes new accessibility standards, assistive technology, and barrier-free workplace design through the WorkX 2.0 and Digital Accessibility standards, which guarantee full access for people with disabilities, including assistive software where needed.

Gender balance and leadership
Globally, Sanofi is ranked among the Top 25 companies for gender equality and has set clear targets for female leadership. Women already make up 50 % of the workforce, 45 % of senior leaders, and 42 % of executives. By 2025, the goal is for women to hold half of senior leadership roles and at least 40 % of executive positions.

In South Africa, this aligns with the national transformation agenda, where advancing black women into leadership is a key priority. Through targeted development and succession planning, Sanofi is increasing representation of black women in senior decision-making roles. The company also supports families through a global gender-neutral parental leave policy that gives all new parents 14 weeks of paid leave, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

Supplier development
Expanding opportunities for black-owned and diverse suppliers is one of the biggest challenges in South Africa’s healthcare industry. Sanofi is addressing this by growing local partnerships and strengthening supply chains that support both healthcare resilience and inclusive growth.

Globally, the company has pledged to spend more than €1.5 billion with small and diverse suppliers by 2025. South Africa is already the third largest contributor to that target, showing how local progress can influence global impact.

A key example is Sanofi’s partnership with Biovac, which has expanded local vaccine manufacturing capacity and demonstrated how supplier development can drive industrial capability as well as positive public health outcomes.

“Supplier diversity is not about meeting quotas; it’s about building sustainable capability within the local economy,” says Selani. “When we strengthen local suppliers, we build a stronger healthcare system that serves South Africans for generations to come.”

Community programmes
Inequitable access to healthcare is another of South Africa’s most persistent challenges. Investing in initiatives that improve access to treatment, raise awareness of rare diseases, and support vulnerable groups across the country are key to closing these gaps.

One of the Sanofi’s largest global efforts, the €50 million A Million Conversations initiative, gives marginalised communities a platform to voice concerns and rebuild trust in healthcare. In South Africa, this commitment translates into community projects that extend treatment to more people, strengthen diagnosis and screening, and expand opportunities for healthcare education and awareness.

“You can’t transform healthcare without trust,” says Selani. “That means listening to communities, understanding their realities, and working alongside health professionals and patient groups to make care accessible where it’s needed most.”

Through collaboration with health care professionals, patients, and advocacy organisations, Sanofi aims to help build a healthcare system that is more inclusive, responsive, and trusted by all who depend on it.

“Our Level 1 B-BBEE rating is a springboard for deeper change. We plan to expand clinical research in South Africa, bring more diverse patient groups into trials, and to step up support for black-owned suppliers so they can play a bigger role in the healthcare value chain. We also want to widen access to treatments for rare diseases and immunology, areas where many patients still struggle to get the care they need,” says Selani.