In South Africa, it is reasonable to assume you will certainly need private medical insurance or medical aid. Whilst state clinics and hospitals exist, they are widely criticised for being ill-equipped and under-resourced (i.e. poor water and drug supplies, inadequate disposal of medical waste and unavailable medical equipment). Indeed, such facilities are used primarily by those from the high unemployment/low skill sectors, that is, folks who cannot afford private medical aid. Of course, you would imagine such a service to be free of charge, right? Yes and No. If you visit a state clinic or community health centre, services will be free (and limited). If you visit a hospital however, you will be charged, and the amount will depend upon how much you earn and how many dependants you have.

Unfortunately, the state run emergency services are also significantly overstretched. So, if you don't want to sit wondering whether an ambulance will show up or not, then subscription to a private "rapid response" emergency service will be a necessity. You can either subscribe directly, or have it included as a feature of your private healthcare policy. The biggest provider in South Africa is Netcare911.

So, in terms of quality assurance and peace of mind, you have only one obvious choice - private sector healthcare. Most employed people will have private healthcare included in their remuneration package. If this doesn't apply to you, then hit the open market and browse the multitude of packages on offer.

Most medical schemes will provide you with a choice of package from a basic hospital plan to full medical cover. It is worth understanding your choice of package fully. Some schemes place ceilings on medical expenses, expecting you to pay if these are exceeded. Other schemes offer points and reward schemes to encourage members to follow healthy lifestyles.

You will need to consider whether its just ambulance and hospital treatment you want access to, or whether it's regular access to such services as doctors, dentists, optometrists or prescription medicine for example. Naturally, the more benefits you have in your package, the more you will pay so consider your lifestyle very carefully. It is not worth paying for services you will never use.

To get you started, here is a link to an independent website, which compares some of the larger medical aid providers, as well as giving you information on the different types of packages generally made available: www.medicalaidcomparisons.co.za.