Highway Hospice

What Highway Hospice does

Highway Hospice is a Durban-based non-profit organization (NPO 002-409, PBO 18/11/13/1451) that provides palliative and end-of-life care to patients with life-limiting illnesses across the eThekwini municipal area of approximately 2,500 square kilometers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Founded in 1982, the organization operates a 24-hour In-Patient Unit for short-stay symptom control, respite, and end-of-life care alongside a Home-based care service delivered by a multidisciplinary team addressing physical, emotional, social, practical, intellectual, and spiritual needs. The IPU is scheduled to re-open in 2026 following renovation, supported by an in-house morphine dispensary that provides cost-advantaged pain management.

The organization is funded entirely by donations, fundraising events, charity shop revenues, and bequests; all patient services are provided free of charge. Revenue streams include individual cash donations (online via Payfast, collection tins, direct deposits), two charity shops in Pinetown and Sherwood selling donated goods, the 2000 Club monthly lottery (R50/month, registered with the National Lotteries Commission), bequests and legacy gifts, the annual Tree of Light ceremony (9,000 illuminated globes), silent auctions, Ladies Tea events, the Comrades Hope Challenge running partnership, and the MySchool card program. Corporate partners participate under a BBBEE framework offering Level 1 certificates, 18A tax-deductible donation certificates, and Enterprise Development and Skills Training credits.

Highway Hospice has served Durban for over 40 years and is self-described as one of the city's oldest and best-known NPOs, with 90+ weekly charity shop volunteers and membership in the Palliative Care Association of South Africa and the Hospice Palliative Care Association of KwaZulu-Natal. The company is led by CEO John Olds. Technology is non-core, limited to a WordPress website with Payfast payment integration; programmatic or AI capabilities are not disclosed. Geographic scope is restricted to eThekwini, with out-of-area patients accepted only via strict doctor-to-doctor referral.

Name

Highway Hospice

Legal name

Highway Hospice

Website

https://highwayhospice.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Highway Hospice is a Durban-based non-profit providing free palliative and end-of-life care to terminally ill patients and their families across the eThekwini municipal area, funded by donations, charity shops, and community fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (62161)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Hospice Agencies (HLAFAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community-Based Palliative Care (Home-Based Non-Hospice) (HLADAHAH), Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK), In-Home Hospice Physician / Nurse Practitioner Visits (HSABAFAM)

Keywords

• Palliative care services
• Hospice care services
• End-of-life care
• Nonprofit healthcare
• Charity fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Durban

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Cash donations from individuals via online portal, direct deposits, and collection tins placed in retail locations throughout Durban.
2. Charity Shop Sales: Two charity shops (Pinetown and Sherwood) sell donated goods including clothing, furniture, books, kitchenware, and collectibles. All profits fund patient care.
3. 2000 Club Membership Lottery: Monthly donation club where members pay R600 annually (R50/month) for chance to win R20,000 monthly prizes. Registered lottery through NLC.
4. Bequests and Legacy Gifts: Individuals leave legacies, life policies, endowments, or assets (house, furniture, shares) to support patients after their lifetime.
5. Coffee 4 Morphine: R50 donation campaign where funds specifically provide morphine pain management for 6 days for average patient.
6. Silent Auctions: Quarterly silent auctions at Pinetown charity shop featuring donated goods. Registration fee R10, bidding on items.
7. MySchool Card Program: Community support program where retail purchases using MySchool card generate small percentage contributions to Highway Hospice.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Highway Hospice provides free palliative and end-of-life care to patients with advanced, incurable, life-limiting illness (primarily cancer and HIV/AIDS) across the eThekwini municipal area of approximately 2,500 square kilometers. Services include a 24-hour In-Patient Unit (IPU) for short-stay symptom control, respite, and end-of-life care, alongside a long-established Home-Based Care service delivered by a multidisciplinary team addressing physical, emotional, social, practical, intellectual, and spiritual needs. Patient care is funded entirely by donations, charity shop profits, the 2000 Club lottery, bequests, and corporate partnerships.

Product overview

Highway Hospice is a non-profit palliative care organization serving Durban for over 40 years, offering a portfolio of charitable and fundraising products alongside its core clinical services. The core offering consists of 24-hour In-Patient Unit (IPU) care and Home-based palliative care services for terminally ill patients. Fundraising products include the 2000 Club membership (monthly donation/lottery), Morphine Coffee Project, Movies 4 Morphine, Tree of Light ceremony, Silent Auctions, and Snuggies heat bag sales. Donation products include online cash donations via Payfast, MySchool card partnerships, and Corporate Partners BBBEE programs. Community engagement products include Ladies Tea/Ladies Lunch events, Comrades Hope Challenge runs, and Help Gisele & WIN BackaBuddy campaigns. The organization also operates two Charity Shops in Pinetown and Sherwood that generate funds through second-hand goods sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Snuggies: Heat bags manufactured and sold as a fundraising project. Made by volunteers using fabric and wheat (Stampkoring).
• 2000 Club

Products and services

• Highway Hospice Palliative Care Services Free palliative and end-of-life care for patients with advanced, incurable life-limiting illness (primarily cancer and HIV/AIDS) across the eThekwini municipal area, comprising a 24-hour In-Patient Unit (IPU) for short-stay symptom control, respite, and end-of-life care, alongside a long-established Home-Based Care service delivered by a multidisciplinary team addressing physical, emotional, social, practical, intellectual, and spiritual needs.
• Highway Hospice Charity Shops (Pinetown and Sherwood) Two physical retail charity shops in Pinetown (5 Butts Road, with depot) and Sherwood selling donated second-hand goods including clothing, furniture, books, kitchenware, and collectibles. All profits fund patient care. Pinetown operates Mon-Fri 09h00-15h45 and Sat 08h30-11h45.
• 2000 Club Membership (Monthly Donation Lottery) Monthly donation programme where members pay R50/month (R600 annually) and enter a monthly prize draw of up to R20,000. Operated as a registered lottery through the NLC; funds support Highway Hospice patient care.
• Tree of Light (Tribute Globe Fundraiser) Annual December ceremony at Jameson Park where supporters purchase illuminated globes at R60 each as tributes to loved ones, with dedications recorded in the Book of Remembrance. The 2017 launch featured 9,000 illuminated globes.
• Snuggies Project (Heat Bag Fundraising Product) Community sewing project producing Snuggies heat bags manufactured by volunteers using donated fabric and wheat (Stampkoring); sold as a fundraising product to support Highway Hospice patient care.

Quantifiable outcome

• R50 donation provides 6 days of morphine pain management for an average patient
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MySchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSouth Africa's community support program allowing retail card swipes to generate small percentage contributions to Highway Hospice. Members can register online or via downloadable application.
• Comrades Marathon AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial charity partner of The Ultimate Human Race (Comrades Marathon). Hospice promotes Comrades Hope Challenge 5km barefoot walk/run. Registered charity of KZN.
• Corporate BBBEE PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partners engage Highway Hospice for Social Economic Development scorecard. Offers Level 1 BBBEE certificates, 18A donation certificates for tax deductions, Enterprise Development support, and Skills Training credits.
• National Lotteries Commission (NLC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegulatory body that registered the 2000 Club lottery as authentic and transparent. Allows monthly prize draws of R20,000 for club members.
• Gift of the GiversminorOthersZohra Sooliman, co-founder of Gift of the Givers, featured as guest speaker at Ladies Tea event.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• VITAS Healthcare: Largest US hospice provider offering home hospice, inpatient, and palliative services. Comparable in hospice service model at scale, though US-based and for-profit.
• Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA): National NPO supporting cancer patients in South Africa including care, counselling, and home-based support. Comparable in target patient population (cancer patients) and community-funding model.
• Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa (HPCA): National umbrella body for palliative care in South Africa, of which Highway Hospice is a member. Comparable membership-level hospice association activities and accreditation standards.

Direct peers

• HospiceWits: Major Johannesburg-based hospice NPO providing home-based palliative care, in-patient services, and community fundraising via charity shops. Closest direct peer given similar South African NPO hospice model, multi-channel fundraising, and shop network.
• Knysna Sedgefield Hospice: Garden Route hospice providing home-based palliative care funded by community donations, charity shops, and bequests. Comparable regional NPO hospice service delivery and fundraising structure.
• Stepping Stones Hospice: South African hospice offering home-based palliative care and an in-patient unit, funded through donations and charity shops. Direct peer in palliative care service model and community fundraising.
• St Luke's Hospice: Cape Town-based hospice offering home-based palliative care, in-patient units, and a charity shop network. Directly comparable community-funded hospice operating model in South Africa.

Emerging players

• HCA Hospice (Singapore): Singapore-based home hospice and palliative care provider with community fundraising model. Comparable in mission (community-funded hospice) and home-based care delivery, though regionally different.

Others

• MySchool South Africa: Affiliate fundraising partner whose card swipe program is one of Highway Hospice's active donation channels. Included as adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor.
• Gift of the Givers: Largest African disaster relief and humanitarian NPO, whose co-founder has appeared as guest speaker at Highway Hospice events. Comparable as a South African NPO partner/network, not a direct hospice competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/highwaycare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Highway Hospice