Our business
Business clustersThe AfroCentric Group is the most diversified healthcare company in Southern Africa. As of June 2023, Sanlam is a majority shareholder.
AfroCentric is a Level 1 B-BBEE rated investment holding company listed on the JSE. Its subsidiaries provide a wide range of healthcare products and services to both the private and public sectors. The Group’s offerings fall under three main areas: Health Administration and Managed Care, Pharmaceutical Solutions and Corporate Solutions – now trading as Sanlam Health.
The Group includes Medscheme, South Africa’s largest health risk management provider and a leading medical scheme administrator serving clients such as Bonitas, Fedhealth, GEMS and Polmed. Other businesses in the Health Administration and Managed Care portfolio include Klinikka, Aid for AIDS (AfA) and Denis.
In Pharmaceutical Solutions, Pharmacy Direct is the largest company within AfroCentric and the country’s largest specialist courier pharmacy servicing both private and public sectors. Other pharmaceutical businesses include Activo Health, Curasana, Forrester Pharma and Scriptpharm.
AfroCentric’s Corporate Solutions division now operating as Sanlam Health drives the Group’s corporate health offering. Companies supporting this portfolio include EssentialMed, AfroCentric Health Insure, AfroCentric Wellness, AfroCentric Workcare, AfroCentric Integrated Health Administration and AfroCentric Employee Health Services.
Click on a business unit below for more information.
Medical Aid Administration, Health Risk Management and Technology
Pharmaceutical
Sanlam Health
Medscheme is a provider of comprehensive health administration and health risk management services. Through its subsidiaries and associated businesses in Namibia, Mauritius and Botswana, Medscheme delivers affordable, high-quality health risk management, medical scheme administration and information technology solutions to leading medical schemes and corporate clients beyond South Africa. Medscheme aims to lead healthcare and wellness transformation through provision of innovative digital client experiences and value-based care.
AfroCentric Technologies offers technology-based products and services. Its systems connect millions of scheme members, doctors and hospitals internationally.
Aids for Africa (AFA) has been the industry leader in HIV/AIDS management since 1998. The business coordinates care between funders, doctors, pathology labs, pharmacies and patients. This includes designing, developing and delivering unique and encompassing programmes that help businesses care for and manage medical schemes for individuals with HIV/AIDS. The business seeks to create programmes that understand patients’ needs and equip them with the treatment and tools to lead fulfilled lives.
Klinikka is licensed to offer a document-based care (DBC) programme, an evidence-based, multi-disciplinary treatment approach to managing musculoskeletal disorders. Klinikka provides DBC equipment and administration services to musculoskeletal treatment centres in Southern Africa.
AfroCentric Distribution Services is a specialised marketing and sales company that offers a full suite of marketing services and comprehensive distribution channel management.
DENIS is a managed care company focusing entirely on dental management. DENIS adds to the Group’s diversity as focused dental managed care can be offered to all its medical scheme clients.
Pharmacy Direct distributes and delivers medicine to urban and rural areas as well as private and public patients.
Curasana is a speciality pharmaceutical wholesaler that procures and supplies pharmaceutical products to Pharmacy Direct and other significant wholesalers in Gauteng. We distribute on behalf of Activo Health.
Activo Health is a pharmaceutical manufacturer that imports, markets and distributes pharmaceutical products, trading across all pharmaceutical sectors.
Scriptpharm is a registered managed care organisation that manages chronic, oncology and HIV medicine through various arrangements, such as capitation, savings share models and medicine through a capitation arrangement. Scriptpharm is a collaborative partner in the broader AfroCentric Group to ensure that all parts of the medicine journey are managed effectively and efficiently to mitigate cost risks. This management includes contracting, overseeing, and maintaining a vast network of pharmacies.
EssentialMED offers health insurance products that provide access to private healthcare for those who cannot afford to pay for comprehensive medical aid scheme coverage. By offering individuals and organisations affordable yet benefit-rich health insurance from a tried and trusted provider, we support the development of healthy and more productive employees and members of society.
AfroCentric Employee Health Solutions is an occupational health services programme that minimises the likelihood of employee injuries and illnesses in the work environment. Occupational Health Nurse Practitioners and Occupational Medical Practitioners at our onsite clinics provide services to assist clients in compliance with the relevant occupational health and safety legislation.
AfroCentric Integrated Health Administrators provide bespoke, low-cost administration services to a niche market of medical schemes, health insurance, and corporate clients locally and in a few select neighbouring jurisdictions.
AfroCentric Wellness expertly manages the companies’ wellness needs by implementing tailored health and wellness programmes comprised of health risk assessments, corporate nursing, staff lifestyle programmes, executive wellness programmes, and employee assistance programmes.
AfroCentric Workcare provides onsite doctor- and nurse-based basic healthcare to organisations’ employees, including chronic disease monitoring and referral, health education, and emergency medical services.
AfroCentric HealthInsure offers gap cover, a short-term insurance product providing extra financial protection for those with medical aid. It helps to cover certain shortfalls between what the medical aid scheme will pay and the rates charged by in-hospital medical specialists.
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Our impact
We are focused on making a sustainable impact in the area we know best – healthcare.
By setting ambitious targets for 2030, we aim to deliver long-term value through innovation, digital transformation, and a cohesive operating framework, directly contributing to SDG 3 and NDP Goal 8, prioritising access to high-quality, affordable healthcare for all South Africans.
Read about our approach to sustainability
Celebrating our people
Read about our peopleIn a country where access to quality healthcare remains a pressing issue, AfroCentric has taken bold steps to support communities, stakeholders and employees through wellness, bursary and graduate programmes. We are driving positive change through a broad range of people-centred initiatives.
Looking after our employees
We deliver our employee wellness programme through a model that supports mental, emotional, physical, social, financial and organisational wellbeing.
Recognising excellence
The Ignite Employee Recognition Programme is our leader-led initiative that includes the AfroCentric Citizen Awards.
Investing in our communities
Our corporate social investments focus on healthcare, youth and education. AfroCentric’s strategic approach addresses historical inequalities and drives sustainable change in communities across South Africa.
Growth through innovation
We are strengthening our managed care leadership through clinically driven innovation.
Hospital-at-Home
We support patients in recovering better and faster at home, resulting in improved clinical outcomes, enhanced patient experience, lower complication and mortality rates and reduced costs.
Virtual Care
We use technology to provide universal access to primary healthcare, ensuring convenience, collaboration and reduced travel time and costs.
Speech analytics for service excellence
We use Nexidia, a pioneering speech analytics tool, to analyse calls between employees and scheme members, brokers and service providers.
Our history
AfroCentric was incorporated and listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in 2008.
Today, we are a B-BBEE Level 1 investment holding company providing services and products to the healthcare sector. Our core philosophy remains to promote transformation and empowerment.
