Three Key Interventions That Could Catalyse a Healthier South Africa
We are living longer, but not healthier. Life expectancy in South Africa has increased by almost two decades in the past 60 years, yet the proportion of life lived in poor or moderate health remains at around 50%.
That means people are spending longer years in ill-health, often without adequate healthcare cover. This places immense pressure on families, employers, and the national health system.
We need to work together to integrate interventions across the care continuum. Initiatives we know will move the needle and accelerate a better working South Africa.
The challenge: living longer, but not healthier
Our 2025 Sanlam Benchmark Report outlined that 13% of people under 50 already live with chronic diseases, with prevalence rising sharply with age.
For South Africans over 60, the odds of developing a chronic disease are five times higher, and treatment costs are more than triple those of peers without illness.
In 2025, the average medical scheme premium rose by 11%, ranging from R1 400 to R10 000 per month – unaffordable for many, with cover often lost just when it is needed most.
Sanlam Group Risk’s 2024 claims data reinforces this reality: tumours and circulatory diseases now account for over half of all claims, with cancer-related claims continuing to rise steeply across product lines.
Our Benchmark data shows employers are responding – a third of employer funds and nearly half of umbrella funds now offer critical illness benefits – yet complexity and cost still erode member confidence.
Only 68% of members feel sure they understand their medical aid benefits.
South Africa faces a quadruple burden of disease: HIV and TB, rising non-communicable conditions such as cancer and diabetes, maternal and child health challenges, and trauma from violence and injury.
These pressures do not exist in isolation – they amplify one another, and the costs compound with age.
Relying on a reactive, hospital-centric system is not enough.
To cope, we need to pivot to primary healthcare and value-based care that emphasise prevention, integration, and outcomes that matter most to people.
This is not just about reducing strain on the health system. It is about enabling healthier ageing, building stronger households, and driving more productive businesses.
The reality is that South Africa’s real retirement age is now 80. Too many people are working far beyond traditional retirement just to survive – and often in poor health.
Chronic illness undermines dignity in later life, while also eroding financial security and limiting the potential of our workforce.
Our solve: prevention, protection, and accessible healthcare
This cycle is not inevitable. We believe there are three key interventions that can move the needle:
1. Primary healthcare
Too often, people only seek help once illness is advanced, driving up costs and reducing outcomes.
By giving employees access to basic primary care – check-ups, screenings, nurse-led clinics, and preventative services – we can catch conditions early and help manage them effectively.
This reduces absenteeism and presenteeism and enables longer, healthier working lives.
2. Critical illness cover
Few households are ready for the shock of a cancer diagnosis, stroke, or heart attack.
With these conditions now making up more than half of all claims, we know families are increasingly vulnerable.
Critical illness cover provides a lump-sum payout when serious illness strikes, creating a financial safety net so employees can focus on recovery instead of survival.
3. Income replacement
For most households, the real crisis is not the medical bill – it is the sudden loss of earnings when breadwinners cannot work.
Income replacement ensures a portion of salary continues, keeping households afloat and protecting dignity. For employers, it also preserves workforce stability and loyalty.
Together, these measures form a protective framework of prevention, protection, and stability.
This is why Sanlam has expanded our healthcare solutions. In February 2025, we announced a partnership with Fedhealth as our exclusive open medical scheme provider.
Since then, we have worked to develop a next-generation medical aid solution.
This is:
- Simpler and more transparent – so members can easily understand their benefits.
- Affordable and flexible – to help more South Africans stay covered.
- Digitally enabled – with virtual nurse and doctor consultations that make primary care accessible anywhere.
Combined with financial advisers who extend support into financial wellness, this creates a comprehensive support system.
By integrating prevention, protection, and accessible healthcare, we aim to accelerate a better working South Africa – one where employees remain healthier, more productive, and more confident throughout their lives.
Confidence for all
Our role is clear: to humanise the numbers, to offer tools not miracles, and to make confidence possible for all – not only the privileged few.
By investing in primary healthcare, protecting employees with critical illness and income benefits, and enabling simpler, more accessible medical aid, we are working to bend the curve.
Our vision is a South Africa where people live healthier, longer, and more confident lives – and where businesses and society thrive as a result.
For more information about Sanlam Health’s Corporate Solutions, click here.
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