Medimed versus Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund compared and revealed.We tested them side by side and verified their medical aid plans benefits, affordability, and much more.
This is a complete guide to Medimed and Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund in South Africa.
👉 In this in-depth guide you’ll learn:
✅ What is a Medical Scheme?
✅ Which medical aid is the best for young families?
✅ Which medical aid is best for a young person?
✅ How to compare medical aids against each other?
✅ Which should you choose: Medimed or Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund?
So if you’re ready to go “all in” with Medimed versus Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund in South Africa, this guide is for you.
Both Medimed and Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund are known medical aid schemes that provide a comprehensive selection of tailored plans. Here, we compare in these two medical aid schemes to help you decide on the best option for your healthcare needs in 2026.
Which offers more affordable cover – Medimed of Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund?
👉 Both medical aids have a very low plan that is similar in price. With Medimed it is their Alpha plan and with Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund it is the Essential Copper plan. Overall Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund offers a choice between a fourteen different plans versus the four plans offered by Medimed.
👉 It should also be noted that with Medimed your monthly contributions on any of the plans depend on your income. In addition, Medimed’s Medisave Essential plan is a capitated option and it is unfortunately only available to members in the Nelson Mandela Metropole as this is the area where the aid has specific contracts with the providers.
Do both schemes offer gap cover?
👉 Gap insurance is a temporary insurance policy that provides coverage for any shortfalls incurred when a doctor's or specialist's expenses exceed the medical aid's rates of coverage. Your medical insurance complements your gap insurance.
👉 In exchange for a monthly premium, the gap cover provider will pay you a percentage of the difference between your medical expenses and what your medical insurance would pay. You can pay more for services at private hospitals if you utilize a healthcare practitioner who is not a part of your medical plan's network.
👉 Medimed offers the option to take out gap cover with Momentum which specifically make provision for clients of Medimed. Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund does not make provision for gap cover.
Do both schemes offer hospital plans?
👉 Yes, both Medimed and Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund offer hospital plans. All Medimed’s plans give you access to quality care at private hospitals and the Medisave Max plan has no overall annual limit. Once again clients should bear in mind that Medimed only covers members in the Nelson Mandela Metropolis.
👉 All of Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund's plans come with hospital plans that will pay for the costs of your care if you are admitted to the hospital, including ward costs, theatre fees, and accounts from other in-hospital providers like anesthesiologists or radiologists.
Who is Medimed?
👉 The Medimed Medical Aid, founded in 1980, focuses on providing healthcare solutions to members in the Nelson Mandela Metropolis. As of the end of 2026, the scheme had just over 14,300 members. Despite its small size, Medimed is one of the most financially secure schemes in South Africa with a solvency ratio of 93%+
👉 Medimed’s primary mission is to give the members of the organisation access to a comprehensive medical care facility that extends to encompass a wide range of additional components.
👉 According to the regulations of the Scheme, the key participants in the plan will consist of those workers who are currently employed by the company as well as the beneficiaries of those workers. Members who have reached retirement age and are still eligible for benefits under the plan are known as retirees and their beneficiaries respectively.
👉 Medimed’s delivery arrangements include a capitated managed care model where comprehensive cover is purchased from the local IPA’s (Independent Practice Associations) and free choice.
👉 Medimed provides four options with comprehensive hospitalization and chronic medication coverage. Each plan provides a different way to manage the out-of-hospital benefits. The Alpha option is a co-payment plan. Medisave Max and Standard provide out-of-hospital benefits through a savings account with an additional elective benefit. The Medisave Essential option is a managed health care plan provided by contracted service providers with the added flexibility of a savings account.
👉 Medimed Medical Aid has a late joiner fee and also has the following plans to choose from:
All Medimed’s plans are designed to provide solid cover for what is considered essential to preserve and protect your health. It makes provision for students, singles, couples, families and pensioners.
Who is Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund?
👉 Sizwe Medical Fund was founded in 1978. The Fund is essentially a South African company that in many ways mirrors a South African story. Hosmed Medical Scheme was founded in 1998. The two medical aids merged to form Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund.
👉 The Group’s goals in creating the Fund were to lead South African people in healthcare issues and to offer medical aid coverage for South Africans. South African specialists can now launch their own private practices because of this. Additionally, it allowed all South Africans private patients and their doctors access to pricey drugs, X-rays, and other investigations that were beyond reach for almost everyone without medical aid coverage.
👉 Sizwe Hosmed Medical funds’ footprint stretches nationwide and itis accepted by all service providers. It guarantees unlimited hospitalization on all options for PMB conditions. The collective value of Hosmed day-to-day benefits per option compares well with the rest of the industry.
👉 It offers optometry, dentistry, pathology and radiology benefits per person, no matter how big your family is. Additionally, it includes a wellness benefit for all beneficiaries on all options as well as access to a 24-hour call center, including telephonic nurse advice on emergency and nonemergency transfer.
👉 Overall the scheme offers a traditional, sound healthcare solution for all South Africans.
Who will benefit from Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund?
👉 With Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund, you have access to a wide range of medical aid options and industry-leading benefits for individuals as well as the whole family.
Which medical aid offers the cheapest medical plan, Medimed or Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund?
Both medical aids offers a fairly similar plan as its cheapest option. Medisave Essential plan at R1 860 per month, compared to R3,161 (Access Core Plan).
Which medical aid, Medimed or Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund are the most popular?
Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund boasts membership of over 63 577 members and 152 421 beneficiaries+ whereas Medimed only boasts members of over 14 300+.
Medimed offers a choice between 4 medical plans whereas Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund offers a choice between 8 medical plans.
Do Medimed and Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund medical aids offer the option of gap cover?
With Medimed, members have the option to apply for gap cover with Momentum. Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund does not offer the option of gap cover, however, members do have the option to apply for gab cover with an independent insurer.
Do Medimed and Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund medical aids have a waiting period?
Yes, both Medimed and Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund have a general three-month waiting period during which you are unable to submit a claim.
Which is the best medical aid between Medimed and Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund?
Medimed, a relatively young medical aid that was founded only in 1980, focuses solely on the healthcare needs of its members in Nelson Mandela Petropolis.
Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund is the result of a merger between Sizwe Medical Fund, and Hosmed Medical Scheme. The Fund's primary aim is to provide affordable health care coverage for all South Africans.
