ABOUT BONITAS
WHO WE ARE
We’ve been around for more than 40 years – long enough to have developed a rich heritage and a solid understanding of the private healthcare industry in South Africa. Our team of experts is always looking at innovative ways to ensure our members get affordable, quality healthcare. Whether it’s keeping our fingers on the pulse of technology, managing your care so lifestyle diseases are identified before they become chronic, or negotiating better rates for you.
As the medical Aid for South Africa, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all, so our wide range of plans ensure that you and your family will find a snug fit for your particular needs. We also believe there is beauty in simplicity and have made our plans easy-to-understand and use while helping to stretch your benefits as far as possible. Whether you are a go-getting entrepreneur, a CEO, newly-weds, a couple with a new family, facing retirement, or a minimum wage earner who needs peace of mind when it comes to healthcare, Bonitas is there for you.
And yes, size does matter – we have financial stability, strong key indicators of fiscal health and reserves of over R8.8 billion. So you know we have you covered.
OUR AWARDS
One of the Bonitas strategic pillars is to connect with our customers to ensure we are always striving to deliver on their best interests and remain member-centric. Our team have all embraced this strategy and their hard work in supporting this strategy is paying off.
Bonitas Medical Fund has been highlighted as having a high level of service excellence and customer satisfaction across three different surveys.
Ask Afrika Orange Index
- Voted the best medical aid in South Africa in the 2021/2022 Ask Afrika Orange Index for service excellence in the Medical Aid industry.
- Voted the no. 1 medical aid in South Africa in the 2019/2020 Ask Afrika Orange Index for service excellence in the Medical Aid industry.
- Voted industry winner as the top medical aid in South Africa in the 2017/2018 Ask Afrika Orange Index for service excellence in the Medical Aid industry.
The Ask Afrika Orange Index, which started in 2001, measures services within and across 31 industries, using 10 of the most relevant service benchmarks. This provides a 360-degree view of the service performance of an organisation while measuring customer and emotional satisfaction and loyalty.
South African Consumer Index for Medical Schemes (2019)
The South African Customer Satisfaction Index (SA-CSI) for Medical Schemes (2019) conducted by Consulta, provides highly scientific insights into the overall level of satisfaction of customers of South Africa’s medical scheme providers.
In the overall 2019 Customer Satisfaction Index, Bonitas came out on top (joint leadership position), showing the greatest improvement of 4.9 index points.
Sunday Times Top Brands Awards
2nd place in the 2019 Medical Aid Companies category! The Sunday Times Top Brands survey is the leading barometer of consumer sentiment towards brands. When you receive accolades such as these, it is an endorsement that you are doing something right, however the competition will become fiercer.
Notwithstanding the achievements, we will not allow ourselves to become complacent but remain passionate and committed to doing right by our members and beneficiaries!
We are proud to be making a difference to our members when they need us the most, in life-changing moments. We are there For South Africa, For Life!
OUR FINANCIALS
Medical schemes are non-profit organisations. This means any money we save is for the benefit of our members. The more we can save, the more we can keep costs down as well as increase the value of your benefits.
While we might not run for commercial profit, all our financial ducks still have to be very much in a row, including our financial reserves. The good news is we have more than enough in reserves. So we are absolutely confident that we can not only pay your claims but provide you with the best possible bang for your buck.
As an added bonus, our financial indicators are well above industry average and include low expense ratios, allowing us to provide you with quality healthcare and benefits.
- 2020 Annual Report
- 2021 Annual Report
- The Integrated Report for the year ended 31 December 2022
- The Integrated Report for the year ended 31 December 2023
Disclaimer on conclusion of external audit process
The Bonitas external audit process concludes with the submission of the annual statutory return (ASR) to the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS). The CMS ASR system was adjusted for 2023 due to introducing International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) 17: Insurance Contracts, and the medical schemes industry was informed of a delay in the ASR process. This led to a delay in concluding the Bonitas external audit. To minimise the impact on regulated AGM timeframes, the CMS guided medical schemes to issue the Annual Financial Statements (AFS) and the Annual Integrated Report (AIR) in draft form. The AFS and AIR will be finalised and signed when the external audit opinion is concluded. If any changes are required to the AFS by the CMS the Scheme will inform you accordingly.
OUR LEADERSHIP
Board of Trustees
Mr Komane is a non-executive director of Mineworkers Investment Company. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Engineering Business Management from the University of Warwick (UK). Mr Komane is currently the Managing Director of Accelerated Mining Services and served for two terms in the office as the Deputy General Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers. He previously also held a number of positions on different boards of companies.
Appointed: 1 June 2021
First appointed as Trustee 2 January 2016; appointed Vice- Chairperson with effect from 1 October 2017; appointed Chairperson with effect from 13 March 2019 to 3 December 2020; Trustee term ended with effect 4 January 2021; re-elected as Trustee with effect 1 June 2021 and appointed as Chairperson with effecr 28 September 2021; re-appointed as Chairperson with effect 12 August 2022
Mr R Cowlin has over thirty years’ experience in the medical aid industry and was involved in several aspects of the industry, including administration, marketing, product design and managed care. He held various top management positions within Medscheme and was the Managing Director of Aid for Aids for ten years.
Appointed: 5 January 2021
Appointed Vice-Chairperson with effect from 13 March 2019 to 3 December 2020; Trustee term ended with effect 4 January 2021; appointed by the Board with effect 5 January 2021; appointed as Vice-Chairperson with effect 12 August 2022. in 2020 he did ...
Andrew Edwards has over 25 years of experience in financial services and private healthcare funding. With a Bachelor of Science (Human Physiology) and a Higher Diploma in Education Postgraduate, his expertise includes Corporate Wellness Strategy, Managed Care, Clinical Risk Management, Sales, Marketing, and Distribution. Andrew's innovative track record makes him a valuable Trustee for any Medical Scheme.
As Executive Principal Officer of Liberty Medical Scheme for a decade, he served over 100,000 members and families, showcasing his dedication and ethical conduct. His deep understanding of healthcare economics ensured strategic decision-making that prioritized member satisfaction. Andrew's executive leadership in multi-billion rand scheme mergers and at AfroCentric Group, where he established AfroCentric Corporate Solutions, highlights his strategic skills.
In the past two years, Andrew has run a successful coaching and consulting business focused on Executive Coaching, Resilience & Mental Well-being, and Corporate Well-being. His innovative work in combating clinical burnout and coaching high-performance teams benefits a variety of stakeholders. Andrew's understanding of people and strategic collaborations makes him an invaluable asset for organizations in the dynamic healthcare industry.
Appointed: 1 April 2024
Management
Because we have been entrusted with the responsibility of looking after your needs, we take your welfare and healthcare very seriously. It is our duty and our promise to:
- Always act in the best interests of you and your beneficiaries
- Provide healthcare benefits of exceptional quality and substance
- Make sure you get value for money when you need it most.
- Design and customise our benefit options to ensure there is a plan that is perfect for you and your family
- Make it simple and easy to understand
- Deliver outstanding service
- Ensure that our financial management and corporate governance is exceptional
Dr Hadebe is a qualified Medical Doctor from Stellenbosch University. He further holds post graduate qualifications, including Occupational Health, Global Health and Business Studies. He has over 12 years of experience in both the private and public healthcare sector, as a private practitioner and medical officer. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the Occupational and Executive Health and Wellness space having held a Medical Advisory role at Netcare Group where he strategically dealt with and led health wellness portfolios.
Dr Hadebe’s patient centred and value-based approach to healthcare has always ensured success in his roles whilst optimising the quality of life and health for the client.
OUR SPONSORSHIP
We have a number of sponsorship initiatives that benefit not just our community of members but the community at large. The thread that runs through all of them, big or small, is that we are always promoting health and wellness and making healthcare accessible to more people. This includes improving the skills of your healthcare professionals so they give you the best, cutting edge level of care and sharing information and tips around chronic conditions and other health concerns that are prevalent in South Africa.
OUR SPONSORSHIPS
Gift of the Givers
Hearing loss is more common than we think, up to 19% of South African school children suffer from varying degrees of hearing difficulties. To address this important health issue and close the gap on hearing impediments, we have partnered with humanitarian aid organisation, Gift of the Givers, on a project that will initially screen around 15 860 learners during 2023. We are truly excited by this partnership, and we know this ambitious project will have a profound impact on so many lives
