Kaelo
Kaelo is a South African integrated healthcare solutions provider offering gap cover, primary health insurance, employee assistance, on-site clinics, group funeral cover, and financial wellness tools through employer-sponsored benefits distributed via brokers, retail (Dis-Chem), and the Prime Cure provider network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Kaelo does
Kaelo is a South African integrated employee healthcare benefits provider operating through Kaelo Shared Services Pty Ltd and four wholly-owned subsidiaries: Kaelo Risk (gap cover), Kaelo Prime Cure (managed care and provider network), Kaelo Simply Healthcare (health insurance administration), and Vumamoola trading as Kaelo Money (financial wellness). Its product portfolio spans short-term gap cover insurance (Kaelo Gap, Western Gap, ConnectGap, Old Mutual Gap, iWYZE Gap), primary health insurance through MyHealth Vital/Core/Plus plans underwritten via Centriq, employee assistance and wellness programmes via AskNelson, group funeral cover (Kaelo Life), on-site occupational health clinics (Kaelo Clinics), and financial wellness tools including earned wage access and emergency wallet functionality. Underlying technology includes mobile applications for policyholders and members, virtual doctor consultation platforms, an employer and intermediary self-service portal stack, USSD menu services, and the Prime Cure national provider network comprising over 10,000 GPs, dentists, pharmacists, optometrists, specialists, and hospitals.
Kaelo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kaelo
- Legal name
- Kaelo Shared Services Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://wwwuat.kaelo.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Kaelo is a South African integrated healthcare solutions provider offering gap cover, primary health insurance, employee assistance, on-site clinics, group funeral cover, and financial wellness tools through employer-sponsored benefits distributed via brokers, retail (Dis-Chem), and the Prime Cure provider network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kaelo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Healthcare Insurance and Employee Benefits
- NAICS
- Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Group Pharmacy Benefit (Rx) Coverage & PBM-Integrated Plans (FSAIAFAN)
Keywords
Where Kaelo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices3 records
Markets served
Kaelo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Gap Cover Insurance Premiums: Short-term insurance product providing coverage for medical tariff shortfalls between what medical schemes pay and what healthcare providers charge. Premiums are collected from policyholders, with claims paid out for covered shortfalls.
- Health Insurance Premiums: Medical insurance products (MyHealth plans) providing primary healthcare coverage including GP visits, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy and virtual consultations. Revenue generated through monthly premiums.
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): Kaelo Lifestyle/AskNelson program providing counselling, coaching, legal advice and financial advice services to employees through corporate employer subscriptions.
- On-site Clinic Services: Integrated primary and occupational health services delivered at employer premises, with costs borne by employer contracts.
- Kaelo Money Financial Services: Emergency wallet, earned wage access platform and marketplace generating fees from employers and potentially transaction-based revenue.
- Group Funeral Cover: Employer-sponsored funeral insurance with lump sum payouts to beneficiaries, funded through monthly premiums.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | MyHealth Vital - Entry-level primary healthcare plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | MyHealth Core - Mid-tier primary healthcare plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | MyHealth Plus - Comprehensive primary healthcare plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | Accident Cover - Emergency accident protection |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lifestyle Benefits - EAP and wellness add-on |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels11 records
Kaelo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kaelo sells integrated healthcare, insurance and employee benefit products to South African employers and their staff. Core offerings include short-term gap cover insurance (Kaelo Gap, Western Gap, ConnectGap, Old Mutual Gap, iWYZE Gap), primary health insurance (Kaelo Health MyHealth plans and Dis-Chem Health), an employee assistance programme (Kaelo Lifestyle/AskNelson), group funeral cover (Kaelo Life), on-site occupational health clinics (Kaelo Clinics), and a financial wellness platform (Kaelo Money). Products are delivered through the Prime Cure network of more than 10,000 healthcare providers, mobile applications, virtual consultation technology, and employer self-service portals.
Product overview
Kaelo is a South African healthcare and wellness solutions provider offering an integrated portfolio of insurance and service products. The core product lines include Kaelo Gap (short-term gap cover insurance), Kaelo Health (primary healthcare insurance through MyHealth Vital/Core/Plus plans), Kaelo Lifestyle (employee assistance programme via AskNelson), Kaelo Clinics (occupational health services), Kaelo Life (group funeral cover), and Kaelo Money (financial wellness platform). Kaelo also distributes branded gap cover products including Western Gap, ConnectGap, Old Mutual Gap, iWYZE Gap, and Dis-Chem Health products through partnerships with insurers like Centriq, GENRIC, Western National, Hannover Re, and Guardrisk. The Prime Cure network provides the healthcare provider backbone for health insurance products. Additional offerings include virtual consultations, oncology support programmes, cashless co-payment services, and mobile applications for policyholders.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kaelo Gap: Gap cover short-term insurance product covering medical cost shortfalls between what medical aid pays and what specialists charge.
- Kaelo Health
- Kaelo Lifestyle
- Kaelo Life
- Kaelo Clinics
- Western Gap
- Dis-Chem Health
- Old Mutual Gap
- iWYZE Gap
- ConnectGap
- Suremed Shuttle
- Prime Cure
- AskNelson
- Kaelo Money
Products and services
- Kaelo Gap
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced absenteeism through employee wellness programs
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Kaelo
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kaelo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Kaelo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Prime CurecorePrime Cure is the managed care and network provider for Kaelo's healthcare products, providing access to one of South Africa's largest National Primary Healthcare networks with over 10,000 providers including GPs, specialists, dentists, pharmacists and hospitals. Prime Cure manages claims processing, provider payments, and virtual clinic services.
- Centriq Insurance Company LimitedcoreCentriq is the primary insurer for Kaelo Gap and Kaelo Health products. Kaelo Risk (Pty) Ltd holds preference shares in Centriq Insurance Company Limited. Centriq is a licensed non-life insurer and authorized Financial Services Provider (FSP 3417).
- Western National Insurance Company LimitedcoreWestern National Insurance underwrites the Western Gap product, a gap cover insurance product distributed by Kaelo. FAIS Juristic Representative under FSP 9465.
- Dis-ChemcorePartnership with Dis-Chem pharmacy chain for Dis-Chem Health insurance products. Includes Better Rewards loyalty program offering up to 20% discount on healthy products. Kaelo administers the Dis-Chem Health products underwritten by Centriq.
- GENRIC Insurance Company LimitedcoreGENRIC underwrites the ConnectGap product distributed by Kaelo. GENRIC is an authorized Financial Services Provider (FSP: 43638) and licensed non-life insurer.
- Hannover RemajorReinsurance partner for Kaelo Life Group Funeral Cover, ensuring accurate and competitive pricing for funeral insurance products.
- GuardriskcoreGuardrisk underwrites the Kaelo Group Funeral Plan, a long-term insurance policy providing lump sum payments for funeral expenses. Guardrisk Life Limited is the insurer for this product.
- Momentum TYBmajorMomentum TYB manages membership and billings for the Suremed Shuttle medical scheme product administered by Kaelo Prime Cure.
- Netcare 911majorEmergency medical services partner providing ambulance and emergency transport services for Kaelo Health policyholders. Available 24/7 for medical emergencies.
- Hippo Advisory ServiceminorAuthorized Financial Services Provider (FSP) providing advisory services related to Dis-Chem Health products. Registration number 2004/018981/07.
- Theo Jackson Scholarship FundminorNon-profit scholarship fund focused on education and development. Kaelo supports this initiative as part of its corporate social responsibility and community investment program.
- Lonely Road FoundationminorNon-profit organization focused on nurturing happy, healthy, secure children and empowering rural villages in the Dikgale community. Kaelo supports this initiative as part of its commitment to lasting social change.
- Vumamoola (Kaelo Money)coreVumamoola (Pty) Ltd trading as Kaelo Money, registered credit provider NCRCP 10398. Provides the financial wellness platform including emergency wallet, earned wage access and marketplace functionality.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kaelo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Dis-Chem: Major South African pharmacy retail chain and Kaelo's strategic co-development partner for the Dis-Chem Health insurance range and Better Rewards loyalty program; adjacent rather than directly competitive, but a critical distribution and ecosystem partner for Kaelo's consumer-facing products.
- Guardrisk: Cell-capture insurer underwriting the Kaelo Life group funeral plan, operating a similar intermediary-distributed model for niche group and personal insurance lines in the South African market.
Direct peers
- Centriq Insurance Company: Licensed non-life insurer (FSP 3417) underwriting Kaelo's flagship gap cover and health insurance products; comparable as a small-to-mid South African niche insurer focused on personal lines and gap products distributed via brokers.
- Momentum Metropolitan: Momentum Health offers employer-sponsored medical scheme and gap-cover products sold through the same broker/intermediary channel that Kaelo targets, and Momentum TYB is already a Kaelo service vendor – directly comparable across health insurance, gap and corporate wellness.
- iWYZE: South African insurance brand whose gap-cover product is white-labelled and distributed by Kaelo; directly comparable niche gap-cover product competing in the same intermediary channel at the same price points as Kaelo Gap.
- Discovery Health: South Africa's largest health-insurance administrator and a leading provider of employer-sponsored medical schemes and gap cover via Discovery Gap Cover, directly competing with Kaelo's MyHealth and Kaelo Gap products in the same enterprise and intermediary channels.
- Alexander Forbes: Specialist South African employee-benefits consulting and brokerage firm providing group health, gap cover, retirement and risk benefits to employers – a directly comparable B2B2C distribution model to Kaelo's intermediary-driven employer-benefits business.
Broad incumbents
- Hollard Insurance Group: South African insurer that is both a Kaelo enterprise customer and a significant gap-cover and group benefits underwriter/distributor; competes with Kaelo's gap cover and life products in the corporate broker channel.
- Old Mutual: Old Mutual is both a direct competitor and a partner through Old Mutual Gap (white-labelled gap cover distributed by Kaelo). It is a much larger, diversified financial-services incumbent selling employer group benefits, life and health products through the same broker channel.
- Sanlam: Large diversified South African financial-services group offering group life, health, gap cover and employee benefits via intermediaries and direct employer engagement – competes with Kaelo across multiple product lines through the same broker distribution ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kaelo social profiles
Digital presenceKaelo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kaelo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Kaelo subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Kaelo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kaelo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kaelo
What does Kaelo do?
Kaelo sells integrated healthcare, insurance and employee benefit products to South African employers and their staff. Core offerings include short-term gap cover insurance (Kaelo Gap, Western Gap, ConnectGap, Old Mutual Gap, iWYZE Gap), primary health insurance (Kaelo Health MyHealth plans and Dis-Chem Health), an employee assistance programme (Kaelo Lifestyle/AskNelson), group funeral cover (Kaelo Life), on-site occupational health clinics (Kaelo Clinics), and a financial wellness platform (Kaelo Money). Products are delivered through the Prime Cure network of more than 10,000 healthcare providers, mobile applications, virtual consultation technology, and employer self-service portals.
Is Kaelo a public or private company?
Kaelo is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kaelo founded?
Kaelo was founded in 1997. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Kaelo based?
Kaelo is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Kaelo make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Gap Cover Insurance Premiums are the primary driver. The others are health Insurance Premiums, employee Assistance Programme (EAP), on-site Clinic Services, kaelo Money Financial Services and group Funeral Cover.
Who are Kaelo's main competitors?
Others on record are Dis-Chem and Guardrisk. Direct peers are Centriq Insurance Company, Momentum Metropolitan, iWYZE, Discovery Health and Alexander Forbes. Broad incumbents are Hollard Insurance Group, Old Mutual and Sanlam.
Does Kaelo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kaelo.
What industry is Kaelo in?
Kaelo's product category is Healthcare Insurance and Employee Benefits. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAIAFAN, Group Pharmacy Benefit (Rx) Coverage & PBM-Integrated Plans. Its NAICS code is 5242 and its SIC code is 6411.