Contrary to popular belief, it is not the wealthy elite who will be hardest hit by NHI, but South Africa’s working class, warned Thoneshan Naidoo CEO of the Health Funders Association (HFA). – The Citizen (2025 July 2025)
“Medical scheme members are often painted as a privileged minority, but the truth is very different. Of the 9.1m South Africans on medical schemes, more than 6m (68%) are black and up to 83% of employed members earn under R37 500 per month.
Naidoo warned that where total healthcare spending remains at today’s R532bn, personal income taxes would still have to increase by almost 50% to implement NHI. Benefit levels would be 43% to 65% lower than the promised comprehensive scenario, he says.
“In short, taxpayers would pay more and get less – less than they currently receive if they are medical scheme members and much less than what has been promised for the scope of NHI services.”
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