#15 South Africa’s Health Insurance Market: What Happens Next? | Muhammed & Anneri Swanepoel
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In this episode of In Focus with Insight, recorded at the 2026 Johannesburg Foresight event, we speak to Anneri Swanepoel about the changing health insurance landscape, the growing demand for affordable healthcare and the challenges facing both health insurers and medical schemes.
Anneri shares insights into the so-called “missing middle” — people who earn too much to rely entirely on public healthcare but cannot afford traditional medical scheme membership. We explore how health insurance differs from medical schemes, the benefits and limitations of these products, and the potential impact on affordability, membership trends and the broader healthcare system.
We also discuss the similarities between the health insurance and short-term insurance markets, the potential for insurance cycles to influence future premiums, and why better industry data and independent reporting are essential to understanding where this market is heading.
As the health insurance market continues to grow, what will it take to keep cover affordable and sustainable?
Connect with Anneri
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anneri-swanepoel-20270073/
Follow Insight
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insight-actuaries-&-consultants/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insight_za/
Website: https://www.insight.co.za/
Anneri shares insights into the so-called “missing middle” — people who earn too much to rely entirely on public healthcare but cannot afford traditional medical scheme membership. We explore how health insurance differs from medical schemes, the benefits and limitations of these products, and the potential impact on affordability, membership trends and the broader healthcare system.
We also discuss the similarities between the health insurance and short-term insurance markets, the potential for insurance cycles to influence future premiums, and why better industry data and independent reporting are essential to understanding where this market is heading.
As the health insurance market continues to grow, what will it take to keep cover affordable and sustainable?
Connect with Anneri
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anneri-swanepoel-20270073/
Follow Insight
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insight-actuaries-&-consultants/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insight_za/
Website: https://www.insight.co.za/
