Medihelp

What Medihelp does

Medihelp Medical Scheme is a South African registered medical aid scheme operating on a non-profit, member-owned basis and regulated by the Council for Medical Schemes, with authorised Financial Services Provider status (FSP No 15738). The scheme sells a tiered portfolio of eight health insurance products ranging from an entry-level Hospital Plan (from R2,412 per month) and a Student Plan, through Savings plans (MedAdd at R3,186 per month and MedSaver) with private hospital cover and maternity benefits, to four Comprehensive plans (MedReach, MedPrime, MedElite, MedPlus) priced from R3,360 per month that target families with broader healthcare needs. All premium pricing is subject to Council for Medical Schemes approval and the portfolio is positioned across affordability, savings, and premium-coverage tiers to capture distinct consumer segments.

The underlying platform comprises a public website, a member self-service Member Zone, a mobile app distributed across iOS, Google Play, and Huawei AppGallery, and four additional stakeholder portals: an Adviser/Brokerage portal, a Corporate Groups portal, a Healthcare Provider portal, and a GPAA portal, suggesting an explicitly multi-tenant operational architecture rather than a single-channel system. Distribution is hybrid: direct online self-service for individuals, a licensed adviser/broker network for personalised advice, a dedicated corporate sales channel for employer groups, and a healthcare provider network for service delivery. The company reports 501-1,000 employees, is headquartered at 189 Clark Street, Brooklyn, Pretoria, and cites over 120 years of operating history in South Africa.

The revenue model is subscription-based, with monthly recurring contributions collected from individual and corporate members in exchange for defined healthcare cover benefits. As a non-profit medical scheme, surpluses are retained for the benefit of members rather than distributed to shareholders, and the scheme is owned by its members. Customer segments span young/first-time buyers, independent adults, families (primary segment), and corporate employer groups, with POPIA compliance governing personal information handling.

Name

Medihelp

Legal name

Medihelp Medical Scheme

Website

https://medihelp.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Medihelp Medical Scheme is a South African non-profit medical aid scheme offering eight tiered health cover plans — from entry-level Hospital and Student plans to comprehensive family coverage — distributed via advisers, corporate portals, and a mobile app to individual and employer-group members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Insurance

NAICS

Direct Life, Health, and Medical Insurance Carriers (52411)

SIC

Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324)

akta.pro primary industry

Medigap Plan Administration (Enrollment, Billing & Member Services) (HLAEADAC)

Keywords

• Medical aid plans
• Health insurance
• Private healthcare cover
• Medical scheme
• Hospital coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Gauteng

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Medihelp is a South African medical aid scheme that sells private healthcare coverage to individuals, families, students, and corporate groups. Its portfolio includes Hospital Plans, Savings Plans (combining a savings account with private hospital cover and maternity benefits), and Comprehensive Plans covering growing family healthcare needs. Plans are offered as monthly subscriptions regulated by the Council for Medical Schemes, with services accessed through a nationwide provider network and online member portals.

Product overview

Medihelp offers a range of medical aid plans in South Africa with over 120 years of experience. The portfolio includes Hospital Plans (Vital plans) for essential coverage starting from R2,412pm, Savings Plans (MedAdd and MedSaver) combining savings accounts with private hospital cover and maternity benefits from R3,186pm, and Comprehensive Plans (MedReach, MedPrime, MedElite, MedPlus) for families with growing healthcare needs. The company also offers a Student Plan for young members. Medihelp operates multiple online portals for different stakeholders including members, corporate groups, advisers/brokerages, and healthcare providers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MedAdd: Savings plan with private hospital cover and maternity benefits.
• MedSaver
• MedReach
• MedPrime
• MedElite
• MedPlus
• Student Plan
• Hospital Plan

Products and services

• Hospital Plan Affordable hospital plan offering cover for essential services, ideal for first-time medical aid buyers in South Africa. Starting from R2,412 per month.
• MedAdd Savings plan providing a savings account, private hospital cover, and maternity benefits. Priced at R3,186 per month.
• MedSaver Savings plan offering value for independence or family planning with private hospital cover.
• MedReach Comprehensive medical aid plan addressing growing healthcare needs for individuals and families.
• MedPrime Comprehensive plan for more extensive healthcare coverage needs.
• MedElite Comprehensive plan offering premium healthcare benefits.
• MedPlus Comprehensive plan with extensive coverage for comprehensive healthcare needs.
• Student Plan Medical aid plan designed specifically for students, offering affordable coverage in South Africa.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Discovery Health: South Africa's largest open medical scheme administrator, offering a tiered portfolio of medical aid plans, Vitality wellness ecosystem, and digital member tools. Directly comparable to Medihelp in product structure, target market, and distribution model, but with materially larger scale and brand spend.
• CompCare Wellness Medical Scheme: South African medical scheme offering a portfolio of hospital, savings, and comprehensive plans targeting individuals, families, and corporate groups. Directly comparable to Medihelp as a CMS-regulated open scheme with multi-tier product structure.
• KeyHealth Medical Scheme: South African open medical scheme offering affordable hospital and comprehensive plans with a focus on value-conscious individuals and families. Comparable to Medihelp's lower-tier Hospital and Savings plan segments in target customer and price positioning.
• Bonitas Medical Fund: One of South Africa's largest open medical schemes, offering hospital, savings, and comprehensive plans across income tiers. Direct competitor to Medihelp in the same regulatory framework with similar customer segments (families, corporates, individuals).
• Medshield Medical Scheme: South African open medical scheme offering Prime, MediBonus, MediValue, MediPhila, and MediCore plans across hospital, savings, and comprehensive tiers. Directly comparable to Medihelp in product breadth, target segments, and distribution through brokers and direct channels.
• Bestmed Medical Scheme: Self-administered open medical scheme in South Africa with tiered plan options spanning hospital-only to comprehensive coverage. Comparable to Medihelp in scale, regulatory standing, and product breadth, with similar broker-led and direct distribution.
• Fedhealth: South African open medical scheme offering a range of hospital, savings, and comprehensive plans with a focus on affordability and flexibility. Directly comparable to Medihelp in plan structure, target market, and broker-led distribution.
• Momentum Health: Medical scheme arm of Momentum Metropolitan, offering tiered health cover options including hospital, savings, and comprehensive plans. Direct competitor targeting similar demographic and corporate segments as Medihelp, with a strong adviser/broker distribution channel.

Regional players

• Sasolmed: Restricted-membership medical scheme primarily serving Sasol employees and related groups in South Africa. Comparable in regulatory framework and product design to Medihelp, but limited to a closed corporate membership base.
• Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS): Large restricted medical scheme for South African public-sector employees, offering tiered plans across income bands. Comparable to Medihelp in plan structure and regulatory framework, but operating on a restricted-membership basis rather than open market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/medihelpsa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Medihelpsa
• Facebookfacebook.com/medihelpsa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10587
• Instagraminstagram.com/medihelpsa

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Medihelp