Unjani Clinics

What Unjani Clinics does

Unjani Clinics NPC is a South African non-profit company that operates a network of more than 290 primary healthcare clinics serving bottom-of-the-pyramid, missing-middle, and under-served communities across all nine provinces of South Africa. The network is built and operated under a social-franchising model in which each clinic is owned and run by a professional nurse — predominantly a black woman with at least five years' primary healthcare experience — recruited from the community the clinic serves. The organization targets three sets of beneficiaries simultaneously: low-income patients needing affordable care, professional nurses seeking entrepreneurship, and corporate funders seeking B-BBEE, tax, and ESG outcomes.

Each clinic is a converted shipping container fitted with computer and medical equipment, deployed as a standardized modular care setting. The service catalogue spans diagnosis and treatment, wound care, family planning, immunizations and well-baby clinics, basic ultrasound, laboratory blood services, chronic illness management, antenatal care, and HIV counselling and ARV treatment. Patient-facing additions include a loyalty programme (every 10th consultation free) and a Health & Wellness educational content library. Payments are accepted via cash, debit, credit, and SASSA cards, broadening access to social-grant recipients.

The business model is a 5-year Enterprise Development Agreement (EDA) followed by a Network Agreement (NA). Unjani deploys infrastructure, equipment, initial stock, and 24 months of operational donations per nurse, then converts the relationship into an ongoing Network Agreement. Capital comes from donors and corporate funders at R1.2–R1.35 million per clinic, with more than 25 named infrastructure, equipment, and pharma partners. Three revenue streams operate in parallel: monthly Network Fees from each clinic (subscription), patient consultation fees (transactional), and Enterprise Development grants from funders (program funding). Unjani is registered as a SARS Public Benefit Organisation (PBO #930047735) and is B-BBEE classified as a Qualifying Specialised Entity, with each clinic qualifying as a 100% Black-women-owned Exempted Micro Enterprise.

Name

Unjani Clinics

Legal name

Unjani Clinics NPC

Website

https://unjaniclinic.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Unjani Clinics NPC operates a South African network of 290-plus nurse-owned primary healthcare clinics built in converted shipping containers, serving bottom-of-the-pyramid and underserved communities across all nine provinces with affordable basic healthcare services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Healthcare Services

NAICS

Ambulatory Health Care Services (621)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail & Walk-In Primary Care Clinics (HLAFAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

School-Based & Community Women’s/Children’s Health Clinics (HLAFAJAO)

Keywords

• Primary healthcare services
• Social franchising clinics
• Nurse entrepreneurship
• Community health network
• Affordable healthcare access

Headquarters

HQ city

Midrand

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Network Fee: Monthly Network Fee charged to each facility in the network, covering support and operational costs of Unjani Clinics NPC. After completing the 5-year Enterprise Development Program, professional nurses may be invited to remain in the network via a Network Agreement (NA) and continue paying Network Fees.
2. Patient Consultation Fees: Fees charged to patients for healthcare services including consultations, treatments, antenatal care, and diagnostic services. Accepts cash, debit, credit, and SASSA card payments.
3. Enterprise Development Funding: Funding from donors and funders through loans (Enterprise Development or Debt) to fund network expansion. Investment cost per clinic ranges from R1.2 million to R1.35 million per professional nurse, covering infrastructure, equipment, operational donations, and support costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Unjani Clinics NPC runs a network of 290+ primary healthcare clinics across South Africa, each owned and operated by a black woman professional nurse under a 5-year Enterprise Development Agreement. Clinics provide affordable, convenient, walk-in primary healthcare services including diagnosis and treatment, wound care, family planning, immunization, basic ultrasound, laboratory blood services, ARV treatment, chronic illness management, wellness screening, HIV counselling and testing, and antenatal care. The NPC funds network expansion via donor loans/grants and earns monthly Network Fees from each facility in the network.

Product overview

Unjani Clinic is a network of over 290 primary healthcare clinics across South Africa, owned and operated by professional nurses under an enterprise development model. The core offering is affordable, quality primary healthcare services targeting underserved communities. Each clinic provides a comprehensive range of services including ailment diagnosis and treatment, wound care, family planning, well baby clinics with immunization, basic ultrasound, laboratory blood services, ARV treatment, chronic illness management, wellness screening, and antenatal care. The offering is structured as a unified clinic network model with additional patient-facing services including a loyalty programme and health education materials (Edu-sheets). The business model involves empowering black women nurses through a 5-year Enterprise Development Agreement followed by Network Agreement membership. Investment cost per clinic ranges from R1.2 million to R1.35 million.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Unjani Clinic Primary Healthcare Network A network of 290+ nurse-owned primary healthcare clinics across all 9 South African provinces, providing walk-in affordable diagnosis and treatment, wound care, chronic illness management, laboratory services, wellness screening, immunizations and family planning to underserved individuals and families.
• Antenatal Care Services Maternal healthcare package including pelvic exams, pap smears, blood tests, maternity booklet issuance and obstetrician referrals; first appointment from R700 and follow-up check-ups from R450, with each visit including heartbeat check, baby growth measurement and comprehensive tests.
• Family Planning Services Contraceptive services offered at Unjani Clinics including 8-13 week contraceptive injections, IUD fittings and oral contraceptives, delivered by professional nurses in a walk-in primary care setting.
• Well Baby Clinic Child wellness programme for babies and children up to Grade 2 covering routine immunization and developmental/health screening delivered at Unjani Clinics.
• Chronic Illness Management Programme Treatment and ongoing management of chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension provided to patients at Unjani primary healthcare clinics.
• HIV Counselling, Testing and ARV Treatment HIV testing with 15-minute point-of-care results, post-test counselling, and ARV initiation and management delivered by Unjani Clinic professional nurses.
• Patient Loyalty Programme Repeat-patient loyalty programme where every 10th consultation is provided free of charge to incentivize ongoing engagement with Unjani Clinics.
• Health & Wellness Education (Edu-sheets) Educational content library covering men's health, heart disease, vaccine hesitancy, cervical cancer, diabetes, HIV, TB awareness, cholera and fertility, supporting patient education across the Unjani network.
• Enterprise Development Program for Professional Nurses A 5-year Enterprise Development Agreement where Unjani Clinics NPC recruits experienced black women professional nurses, provides a clinic (container infrastructure), equipment, initial stock, 24 months of operational donations, and ongoing coaching/mentoring to enable the nurse to own and operate her own Unjani-branded primary healthcare clinic. Investment per nurse is R1.2m–R1.35m, after which successful nurses may be invited to enter a Network Agreement.
• Enterprise Development & Donor Funding Partnerships A funding partnership offering for South African corporates, pharmaceutical companies and philanthropies to finance Unjani clinic infrastructure, equipment and program support via enterprise development loans, debt or grants in return for B-BBEE recognition and PBO-registered (PBO #930047735) tax-deductible certificates.

Quantifiable outcome

• 290+ care settings in the network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• BestmedminorOthersMedical aid scheme partner providing healthcare funding support.
• Discovery Health (KN)minorOthersMedical aid scheme partner.
• Air LiquideminorOthersEquipment partner providing medical gas and equipment support.
• AstraZenecaminorOthersPharmaceutical company partner providing medication and program support.
• GSKminorOthersPharmaceutical partner providing medications and healthcare program support.
• PSIminorOthersProgram partner supporting healthcare delivery programs.
• IntercareminorOthersHealthcare provider partner for program and service support.
• NovartisminorOthersPharmaceutical partner providing medication and program support.
• ImperialminorOthersLogistics and healthcare supply chain partner.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Clicks Group: South Africa's largest retail pharmacy chain with walk-in primary care clinics inside stores. Most directly comparable peer due to overlapping primary care services, walk-in retail footprint, BOP pricing strategy, and similar South African uninsured market focus.
• Dis-Chem Pharmacies: Major South African retail pharmacy chain offering in-store primary care clinics, immunisations, family planning, and chronic medication management. Comparable on retail-clinic model, primary care service mix, and serving affordability-conscious South African consumers.
• Intercare: South African multi-disciplinary healthcare group operating medical and dental clinics across the country. Directly comparable on outpatient primary care delivery and geographic presence, and is already a documented Unjani partner.

Broad incumbents

• Netcare: Largest private hospital and healthcare group in South Africa. Comparable as a major South African private-sector healthcare operator but at much broader scale and inpatient focus rather than Unjani's nurse-led primary care niche.
• Life Healthcare: South African private hospital group with international operations. Comparable on private healthcare delivery in South Africa but operates acute inpatient services rather than Unjani's primary care/community model.
• Mediclinic International: International private hospital group with significant South African operations. Comparable on private healthcare delivery footprint but focused on acute/hospital services, contrasting with Unjani's primary care franchise model.

Others

• AfroCentric Health: South African healthcare solutions group focused on medical scheme administration and health risk management. Comparable as a healthcare ecosystem participant in the same market but operates as a funder/administrator rather than a primary care provider.

Emerging players

• Right ePharmacy: South African digital pharmacy platform leveraging automated dispensing technology. Comparable as an innovative South African healthcare access solution targeting chronic medication users, but operates via tele-pharmacy rather than physical clinics.
• Right to Care: South African non-profit providing primary healthcare with a strong HIV/AIDS, TB, and maternal health focus. Comparable on mission-driven BOP healthcare delivery, donor-funded model, and overlapping chronic disease management scope.

Regional players

• Joint Medical Holdings: South African-based hospital and clinic operator with day clinics and surgical facilities. Comparable on clinic-level healthcare delivery in South Africa, though focused more on day surgery than Unjani's primary care focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookweb.facebook.com/UnjaniClinics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unjani-clinics

Compliance2 records

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 Unjani Clinics