NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, May 1, 2015

Well-known as a destination for experiencing some of the world’s most breathtaking natural assets, the Sub-Saharan African region is making progress in staking a larger claim to the multibillion dollar medical tourism industry and is the fastest growing region for wellness tourism. Strategic trade and investment policies have played a significant role in these advancements.

With its speedy, high quality and low cost health services sector, South Africa indisputably is the continent’s leader. By entering into bilateral health agreements with approximately twenty other African countries, South Africa has greatly facilitated travel to the country for medical reasons. Nearly 80% of the country’s medical visitors come from other African countries and, as a more general matter, medical tourism “is one of the few industry areas where intra-Africa trade surpasses that of countries outside the continent.”