What's changed in South African healthcare compliance

Four things moved. CPD became a rolling 12-month requirement. HPCSA fees were re-gazetted for 2026/27 in January 2026. SANC replaced printed practising certificates with electronic ones from 2026. And implementation of the National Health Insurance Act was paused in February 2026 pending a Constitutional Court decision on the process by which it was passed.

Reviewed by TefCo Compliance Research — last verified 7 September 2026.

In short

NHI Act implementation was paused in February 2026 to await the Constitutional Court.
CPD points are now valid for 12 months from the activity date.
HPCSA fees for 2026/27 were gazetted on 9 January 2026.
The Information Regulator issued regulations on processing health information in 2025.

NHI: paused, not repealed

The National Health Insurance Act 20 of 2023 is on the statute book but its implementation was paused in February 2026 while the Constitutional Court considers challenges directed at the public participation process that preceded its passage. The Presidency issued a statement on the litigation in February 2026.

For a private practice the practical position is that nothing in the Act should be built into your operating model yet. Watch for the judgment rather than planning around a start date.

As at this review no judgment had been handed down. Confirm the current position before acting on anything NHI-related.

CPD went rolling

The amended rules relating to continuing education and training, made under the Health Professions Act 56 of 1974, section 26, changed the CPD system so that each point is valid for 12 months from the date of the activity. HPCSA announced the change in March 2025 with a three-month catch-up period to 30 June 2025.

This is the change most likely to catch a practitioner out in an audit, because the old habit of a December scramble no longer produces a compliant record.

Fees and certificates

HPCSA annual fees for 2026/27 were gazetted on 9 January 2026 under Board Notices 869 and 870 of 2026, due and payable with effect from 1 April 2026. SANC discontinued printed annual practising certificates in favour of electronic certificates from 2026, which makes keeping the practitioner's email address current with SANC a compliance task in itself.

POPIA and health data

The Information Regulator issued regulations dealing with the processing of health and sex life information under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013, section 112, in 2025. Practices holding patient records should read their consent forms and third-party agreements against them.

Waste classification

The Waste Classification and Management Regulations made under the National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008, section 69, were amended in November 2024, which affects how healthcare risk waste is classified and tracked by your service provider.

Frequently asked

Should we prepare for NHI accreditation now?

No accreditation framework is being applied while implementation is paused. Good record keeping, coding discipline and quality data will help under any future model, so that is where preparation is worth spending.

Did the HPCSA fee go up for 2026/27?

Yes, the fees were revised in the January 2026 notice. Check the notice for your own category rather than assuming last year's amount.

Sources

TefCo Corporate Compliance (Pty) Ltd is a compliance management platform, not a legal, tax or advisory firm. This guide is general information, not advice. Fees, dates and thresholds change — confirm current figures with the regulator before you rely on them.