Cheapest medical aid in South Africa, 2026
The cheapest medical aid plan open to anyone in 2026 is flexiFED Savvy — Hospital (Fedhealth) at R1,155 a month for one adult, and flexiFED Savvy — Hospital (Fedhealth) at R4,008 a month for a family of four. Plans that price by salary, such as KeyCare, can start lower for low earners; they are listed separately below.
Last reviewed: Sources: Discovery Health website, Bonitas website, Bestmed website, Momentum Health website, Fedhealth website
10 cheapest plans: 1 adult
Monthly contribution for one adult, on plans that cost the same at every income.
| # | Plan | Type | Hospital network | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | flexiFED Savvy — Hospital Fedhealth | Hospital | Any | R1,155 |
| 2 | BonCore Bonitas | Entry | Network | R1,275 |
| 3 | Active Smart Discovery | Smart | Smart | R1,350 |
| 4 | BonStart Bonitas | Entry | Network | R1,603 |
| 5 | flexiFED Savvy — Savings Fedhealth | Saver | Any | R1,604 |
| 6 | Essential Dynamic Smart Discovery | Smart | Smart | R1,797 |
| 7 | Momentum Evolve Momentum | Hospital | Network | R2,029 |
| 8 | BonStart Plus Bonitas | Entry | Network | R2,040 |
| 9 | flexiFED 1 Elect — Hospital Fedhealth | Hospital | Any | R2,051 |
| 10 | Essential Smart Discovery | Smart | Smart | R2,161 |
10 cheapest plans: a couple
Monthly contribution for two adults, on plans that cost the same at every income.
| # | Plan | Type | Hospital network | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | flexiFED Savvy — Hospital Fedhealth | Hospital | Any | R2,310 |
| 2 | BonCore Bonitas | Entry | Network | R2,550 |
| 3 | Active Smart Discovery | Smart | Smart | R2,700 |
| 4 | flexiFED Savvy — Savings Fedhealth | Saver | Any | R2,759 |
| 5 | BonStart Bonitas | Entry | Network | R3,206 |
| 6 | Essential Dynamic Smart Discovery | Smart | Smart | R3,594 |
| 7 | flexiFED 1 Elect — Hospital Fedhealth | Hospital | Any | R3,653 |
| 8 | BonStart Plus Bonitas | Entry | Network | R3,980 |
| 9 | Beat1 Network Bestmed | Hospital | Network | R4,033 |
| 10 | Momentum Evolve Momentum | Hospital | Network | R4,058 |
10 cheapest plans: family of four
Monthly contribution for two adults and two children, on plans that cost the same at every income.
| # | Plan | Type | Hospital network | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | flexiFED Savvy — Hospital Fedhealth | Hospital | Any | R4,008 |
| 2 | flexiFED Savvy — Savings Fedhealth | Saver | Any | R4,457 |
| 3 | BonCore Bonitas | Entry | Network | R5,100 |
| 4 | flexiFED 1 Elect — Hospital Fedhealth | Hospital | Any | R5,147 |
| 5 | Active Smart Discovery | Smart | Smart | R5,400 |
| 6 | BonEssential Select Bonitas | Hospital | Network | R5,611 |
| 7 | BonStart Plus Bonitas | Entry | Network | R5,778 |
| 8 | Beat1 Network Bestmed | Hospital | Network | R5,945 |
| 9 | flexiFED 1 Elect — Savings Fedhealth | Saver | Any | R6,255 |
| 10 | Momentum Custom — Assoc/State Momentum | Hospital | Associated | R6,373 |
Plans priced by income (KeyCare, BonCap, Ingwe and others)
These plans charge by the principal member's monthly income, so there is no single price to rank. Each cell shows the range from the lowest income band to the highest. The lowest band only applies up to the income shown. At the lowest band the cheapest for one adult is Momentum Ingwe at R645 a month.
| Plan | Lowest band applies up to | 1 adult | A couple | Family of four |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Momentum Ingwe Momentum | R1,550 a month | R645 to R3,590 | R1,290 to R7,180 | R2,452 to R9,296 |
| Momentum Ingwe Any Momentum | R1,550 a month | R645 to R4,546 | R1,290 to R9,092 | R2,580 to R11,728 |
| Momentum Ingwe Connect Momentum | R1,550 a month | R1,079 to R3,302 | R2,158 to R6,604 | R2,760 to R8,104 |
| KeyCare Start Regional Discovery | R10,950 a month | R1,278 to R3,430 | R2,556 to R6,860 | R4,094 to R8,782 |
| KeyCare Start Discovery | R10,950 a month | R1,436 to R3,765 | R2,872 to R7,530 | R4,622 to R9,578 |
| KeyCare Core Discovery | R10,250 a month | R1,490 to R2,845 | R2,980 to R5,690 | R3,760 to R6,980 |
| myFED Fedhealth | R11,063 a month | R1,719 to R4,052 | R3,438 to R8,104 | R4,996 to R10,666 |
| BonCap Bonitas | R11,930 a month | R1,730 to R4,177 | R3,460 to R8,354 | R5,090 to R11,524 |
| Rhythm1 Bestmed | R9,000 a month | R1,736 to R3,615 | R3,472 to R7,230 | R4,902 to R10,976 |
| KeyCare Plus Discovery | R10,250 a month | R1,961 to R3,980 | R3,922 to R7,960 | R5,348 to R10,088 |
| Rhythm2 Bestmed | R5,500 a month | R2,747 to R3,516 | R5,357 to R6,681 | R8,663 to R10,199 |
How we ranked them, and what the ranking leaves out
- Contribution only. Plans are ranked by monthly contribution for the household shown. The lowest price says nothing about what a plan pays for.
- Not like-for-like. Hospital plans pay for in-hospital care and little else; comprehensive and saver plans add day-to-day benefits. A hospital plan can look cheap and still cost more once you pay for GP visits and medicine yourself. Use the type and network columns, then open the plan.
- Income-banded plans are separate. KeyCare, BonCap, Ingwe, Rhythm and myFED price by salary, so they are not ranked against plans with one price.
- Children. The family of four is two adults and two children. Plans that cap the number of children charged are priced accordingly.
- GEMS is excluded. It is only for public service employees; see the GEMS subsidy calculator.
- Not modelled. Waiting periods, late-joiner penalties, underwriting and co-payments. See our methodology.
Source. Contributions are the 2026 monthly rates in our plan data, taken from each scheme's published contribution tables. Check the current figure on your scheme's own website or with a registered broker before you join.
Next steps
Frequently Asked Questions
Among plans that cost the same whatever you earn, the cheapest for one adult in 2026 is flexiFED Savvy — Hospital at R1,155 a month. A few plans price by income and start lower, but only for low earners (Momentum Ingwe at R645 a month, but only for members earning up to R1,550 a month, and it rises with income), so most readers will pay the fixed-price figure or more.
For two adults and two children, the cheapest plan open at any income is flexiFED Savvy — Hospital at R4,008 a month. A few plans price by income and start lower, but only for low earners (Momentum Ingwe at R2,452 a month, but only for members earning up to R1,550 a month, and it rises with income), so most readers will pay the fixed-price figure or more. Cheap plans usually come with a restricted hospital network or limited day-to-day cover, so check the plan page before you rely on the price.
For two adults in 2026, the cheapest plan open at any income is flexiFED Savvy — Hospital at R2,310 a month.
Not necessarily. The cheapest plans are hospital plans or network plans that cover admissions at a limited list of hospitals and offer little or no day-to-day cover (GP visits, medicine, dentistry). A cheaper plan can cost more if you pay for routine care out of pocket or have to travel to a network hospital. Compare what the plan covers, not only the contribution.
Their price depends on the principal member's monthly income, so a single "from" price would mislead most people. We show the price at the lowest and highest income band in a separate table, with the income at which the lowest band stops applying.
Not like-for-like. A hospital plan pays for in-hospital care and little else, while a comprehensive plan adds day-to-day and chronic benefits. The ranking is by contribution alone, so use the plan category column and the plan pages to see what each one includes.
GEMS is for public service employees and is priced by salary with an employer subsidy, so it is left out of this ranking. See the GEMS plans and subsidy calculator for your out-of-pocket cost.
FAIS Disclaimer
This tool is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice. Consult a registered financial adviser (FSP) before making any medical aid decision. Contributions shown are current-year (2026) figures from official scheme sources.