Bestmed Medical Scheme

What Bestmed Medical Scheme does

Bestmed Medical Scheme is a South African non-profit, mutual medical scheme founded in 1964 and registered under the Medical Schemes Act, No. 131 of 1998. It is the largest self-administered open medical scheme in South Africa and the fourth largest open medical scheme overall, with a current membership base of over 250,000. The scheme offers 14 structured health insurance plans organised across three product ranges — Beat (hospital, savings, and comprehensive options), Pace (network-based options), and Rhythm (value-oriented options) — with monthly contributions ranging from R1,736 to R5,936, and serves both individual members/families and corporate group accounts.

The scheme's technology stack centres on a digital member services platform comprising the Bestmed Mobile App (available on iOS, Android, and Huawei AppGallery), web-based member and broker portals, and the Tempo Wellness Programme, which has been upgraded in 2025 to deliver online health and emotional wellbeing assessments. Emergency medical services are delivered through a partnership with Netcare 911, providing 24/7 road and air ambulance transport plus telephonic telemedicine advice. The scheme is governed by a Board of Trustees comprising member-elected and board-appointed trustees, with a publicly administered 2026 election process under independent oversight by PwC.

Bestmed generates revenue through monthly member contributions on a subscription basis, distributed via a multi-channel go-to-market model that combines accredited advisor/broker networks, dedicated corporate key account management, and self-service digital channels (website Get a Quote and mobile app). As a mutual entity, it has no parent company, no external shareholders, and reinvests surpluses into member benefits. Bestmed publicly positions itself on cost efficiency (claiming 75% fewer co-payments than competitors and 3-5% lower admin costs) and member-friendly policy mechanics such as the absence of automatic self-payment gaps.

Name

Bestmed Medical Scheme

Legal name

Bestmed Medical Scheme

Website

https://bestmed.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Bestmed Medical Scheme is a South African non-profit, mutual medical scheme founded in 1964, serving over 250,000 individual and corporate members through 14 health insurance plans distributed via advisors, corporate accounts, and digital self-service channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pretoria

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Monthly Member Contributions: Bestmed is a non-profit medical scheme that generates revenue through monthly premiums paid by members. Members pay contributions based on their selected benefit option and membership type.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bestmed Medical Scheme is a non-profit, mutual open medical scheme registered under the Medical Schemes Act of South Africa. It sells 14 healthcare plans across three families (Beat, Pace, and Rhythm) covering hospital, network, savings, and comprehensive benefits, supplemented by the Tempo Wellness Programme and 24/7 emergency services via Netcare 911. Members are served through accredited advisors, corporate key account managers, and self-service digital channels (website and mobile app).

Product overview

Bestmed Medical Scheme is a non-profit open medical scheme offering 14 structured health insurance plans across three main ranges: Beat (hospital, savings, and comprehensive options), Pace (network-based options), and Rhythm (value-oriented options). The scheme operates alongside its Bestmed App mobile platform which provides digital membership services, and the Tempo Wellness Programme which offers free health assessments and wellness support to all members. Emergency services are provided through Netcare 911 partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tempo Wellness Programme: A wellness programme available at no extra cost on all 13 options, providing health assessments, dietitian sessions, biokineticist sessions, and emotional wellbeing resources.

Products and services

• Beat Range — Hospital Plans (Beat1, Beat2)
• Beat3 Plus Savings Plan
• Pace Range — Network Plans (Pace1, Pace2, Pace3, Pace4)
• Rhythm Range — Savings Plans (Rhythm1, Rhythm2)
• Comprehensive Plans (Beat4)
• Bestmed Mobile App
• Tempo Wellness Programme
• Netcare 911 Emergency Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 75% less co-payments than competitors
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Netcare 911coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBestmed has contracted with Netcare 911 to render quality emergency medical services. Netcare 911 is available 24/7 for emergency medical transportation by road or air ambulance. They also provide Health-on-Line telemedicine service providing emergency as well as non-emergency telephonic medical advice by qualified nursing sisters.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Discovery Health: Largest open medical scheme administrator in South Africa and the dominant private health insurer. Directly comparable as a multi-plan, multi-channel competitor targeting both individuals and corporate employer groups in the same South African market.
• Momentum Health: Part of Momentum Metropolitan, Momentum Health is a top-tier open medical scheme competitor offering hospital, savings, and comprehensive plans. Closely matches Bestmed's product architecture and target segments.
• Bonitas Medical Fund: One of the larger open medical schemes in South Africa serving individuals and corporate groups with multi-tier plans. Comparable in scale, product structure, and distribution model to Bestmed.
• Medihelp: Established South African medical scheme offering multiple plan options across hospital, network, and comprehensive tiers. Competes head-to-head with Bestmed in the open individual and corporate segments.
• Fedhealth: South African open medical scheme with multi-tier plan offerings. Similar member profile and broker-led distribution, making it a close competitor for Bestmed in the mid-market segment.
• KeyHealth: Mid-sized South African open medical scheme competing in similar individual and group segments. Operates comparable hospital, savings, and network plan structures to Bestmed.
• CompCare Wellness Medical Scheme: South African open medical scheme offering multiple plan tiers with emphasis on wellness benefits. Comparable product design and similar target market to Bestmed's Tempo-enabled offerings.
• Sizwe Hosmed: South African open medical scheme targeting individuals and corporate groups with multi-tier plan options. Competes for the same broker-distributed and employer-sponsored member base as Bestmed.

Broad incumbents

• GEMS (Government Employees Medical Scheme): Largest medical scheme in South Africa by membership but restricted to public-service employees. Comparable in scale and managed-care infrastructure, though Bestmed cannot directly compete for restricted government employees.

Others

• Netcare: Largest private hospital network in South Africa and Bestmed's contracted emergency-services partner (Netcare 911). Adjacent ecosystem participant: a critical provider-network counterparty rather than a direct scheme competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bestmedscheme

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

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 Bestmed Medical Scheme