Gauteng Health Department trying to recover R4.6bn in unpaid patient fees

The Gauteng Health Department said it is trying to recover R4.6 billion in outstanding patient fees. It reports that R2.6 billion of that portion is owed by self-paying patients – both South African citizens and foreign nationals. Speaking on Newzroom Afrika on Sunday, chief director of health economics and finance at the Gauteng Health Department, Siyabonga Jikwana, said recovering debt from patients is challenging for the department.

“Some of these patients, when they show up to these public institutions, they don’t have any form of identification. “As a result, when we reach out to them for the payment, we don’t have any legal recourse for us to collect any of this revenue. “While these constraints exist, the department continues to explore mechanisms, including bilateral engagements, where appropriate, to facilitate cost recovery,” said spokesperson Kealeboga Mohajane on Sunday in a statement.

The Road Accident Fund (RAF), the Department of Justice, South African Police Service (Saps), Correctional Services and other provincial governments also owe the department. The health department said it appointed five debt collectors in June 2025 to recover some of the debt. As of 28 February, it said roughly R28.8 million has been recovered through these debt collectors. “The department has strengthened its revenue collection capacity through participation in the Transversal Contract RT27-2024 for the provision of debt collection services to the State, managed by National Treasury,” said Mohajane.