Following the anti-migration protests on 30 June the SA Medical Association (SAMA) warned that denying migrants healthcare is illegal as SA law guarantees free public healthcare for pregnant women and children under five, regardless of nationality or immigration status.
According to SAMA refugees, asylum seekers and most temporary residents generally pay the same means-tested hospital fees as SA citizens, while undocumented migrants from SADC countries receive similar treatment. Patients from outside the SADC region may face higher charges.
Denying patients healthcare could increase the spread of communicable diseases by discouraging early diagnosis and treatment, posing risks to entire communities.
The country's healthcare crisis is driven primarily by years of underfunding, ageing infrastructure and severe staff shortages rather than undocumented migration, said SAMA. – Business Day (30 June 2026)