Can you believe these rankings of medical aids in South Africa? Don’t fall over backwards with laughter.?
These surveys are always interesting. They pop up, list the “top” medical aids, and you can’t help but wonder—what on earth are the criteria? How can you believe this stuff?
It doesn’t really line up with the real world, does it? Out there, people complain day in and day out about Discovery Health. Yet Discovery regularly tops these rankings. Why? Is it hidden bias? Maybe it’s because Discovery is the biggest, and sheer numbers mean there’s more “experience” to measure. But size doesn’t automatically mean better service.
The thing is, we need insight and knowledge to read these rankings properly. Otherwise, they’re a bit like those straw polls during election season—nice headlines, but not much substance. People act surprised when the results don’t match reality. No surprise there: a lot of these rankings are done to promote the ranker. The NGO, publication, or website that compiles them gets the publicity, not necessarily the truth.
Take a look at these lists. They’re compiled by different sources—newspapers, online platforms, even provincial media. All of them are riding on the back of a ranking exercise.
Johannesburg Lists (2025)
1. Discovery Health
2. Bonitas
3. Bestmed
4. Medihelp
5. Momentum
MedicalAid.com (2025)
1. Discovery Health
2. Bonitas
3. Bestmed
4. Sizwe Hosmed
5. Medihelp
6. Momentum
7. Genesis
8. Fedhealth
9. Medshield
10. Profmed
Gauteng.News (2025, customer satisfaction)
1. Discovery Health
2. Bonitas
3. Bestmed
4. Medihelp
5. Momentum
6. Genesis
7. Fedhealth
8. Medshield
9. Profmed
10. Sizwe Hosmed
It’s a pity these surveys aren’t run through HelloPeter. If you scroll through there, you’ll find page after page of bad reviews about the abysmal service from just about every medical aid. That feels a bit more “real world” than glossy lists.
And then there’s gap cover—no rankings there at all. That’s another critical area where consumers could use honest, transparent comparisons.
At the end of the day, these rankings can be amusing, even useful as a rough guide. But don’t take them as gospel. They’re often more about the publicity value for the ranker than about your actual experience as a member.
So yes, have a chuckle at the lists—but when it comes to choosing a medical aid, dig deeper than the headlines.
