In South Africa, private and public health systems exist in parallel. The public system serves the vast majority of the population. Authority and service delivery are divided between the national Department of Health, provincial health departments, and municipal health departments.[1]
In 2017, South Africa spent 8.1% of GDP on health care, or US$499.2 per capita. Of that, approximately 42% was government expenditure.[2] About 79% of doctors work in the private sector.[3]
On May 15, 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the National Health Insurance bill.[4]