Conference Programme
CONFERENCE THEME
This year’s conference theme, “Collaborating for Value: Partnerships Transforming the Future of Healthcare – Uniting Parallels,” reflects our focus on strategic alliances that drive innovation, equity, and sustainability across the health ecosystem.
Overall Conference Theme summary
In an era of rapid change, healthcare reform is being reshaped by evolving health needs, rising consumer expectations, and the demand for systems that deliver value. Sustainability across the African region requires bold, transformative partnerships that enable new capabilities, expand access, and build resilient, value-driven systems for a sustainable future that works for everyone.
Day 1
Saturday, 10 May 2025 | Clinical Workshop: 09:00 – 16:00
Programme Director: Dr. Stan Moloabi – BHF Board Member & Principal Officer: GEMS
Workshop theme: The Future of Healthcare: Multidisciplinary Partnerships for Patient-Centred Excellence
Workshop Theme summary: This workshop will explore how multidisciplinary teams can drive innovation, improve patient outcomes, and adapt to healthcare reforms such as National Health Insurance (NHI). Experts from different sectors will share insights on how to break silos; align roles; and enhance care co-ordination for better health system sustainability.
Who needs to attend this session:
Medical professionals: doctors, medical advisors, nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals seeking to advance their clinical skills and stay informed and up to date around the latest advances in healthcare.
Session 1
- Emerging Trends Shaping Healthcare Delivery: Challenges, Innovations & Opportunities
- Aligning with Universal Health Coverage & Healthcare Reform
Understanding the evolving healthcare landscape and policy shifts
How NHI and other reforms impact healthcare professionals’ roles - The Power of Multidisciplinary Collaboration – Who Owns the Patient Journey?
Why multidisciplinary teamwork is critical for modern healthcare
Strengthening coordination between general practitioners, specialists, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professional
Clarifying roles in multidisciplinary teams to optimise care, reduce costs, and improve outcomes.
Session 2
- AI & The Future of Medicine – Enhancing, Not Replacing Clinical Decision-Making
How AI can support clinicians in diagnostics, treatment planning, and personalised medicine.
Preparing for Value-Based Contracting – A Practical Guide for Healthcare Professionals
Transitioning from fee-for-service to value-based care
Session 3
- Dying with Dignity – Ethical, Legal, and Clinical Considerations
End-of-life care, palliative medicine, and ethical decision-making in terminal illness management. - Ethical & Legal Considerations in Modern Healthcare
Informed Consent in the Age of Data Privacy – Navigating POPIA & patient autonomy in digital healthcare
Day 2
Sunday 11 May 2025 | Governance Workshop: 09:00 – 15:30
Programme Director: Dr Pontsho Mokoena, BHF Board Member & Principal Officer: Barmed
Workshop theme: Strengthening Governance for Sustainable UHC: Empowering Boards to Deliver
Value, Drive Strategy, and Protect Members’ Interests
Workshop Summary As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, trustees and healthcare leaders must navigate the complexities of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and National Health Insurance (NHI) while ensuring the sustainability and good governance of medical schemes. This workshop will provide critical insights into governance best practices, compliance challenges, strategic leadership, and member-centric decision-making to equip trustees and healthcare funders with the tools needed for effective oversight.
Who should attend:
– All health funders
– Principal officers and boards of trustees
– CEOs
– Fund managers
– Healthcare professionals.
Topics include:
- Understanding the Role of Trustees in a Changing Healthcare Landscape – Putting Members
First – Context of medical schemes amid National Health Insurance (NHI), affordability
challenges, and regulatory shifts. - The Draft King V Code – Its Potential Impact on Governance and Strategic Change in
Medical Schemes – The King V Code on Corporate Governance, currently in its draft stage
and open for public comment, represents a new evolution in governance best practices. - Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) – Are Medical Schemes Truly Putting Members First?
| 11:00 – 11:40 | TEA BREAK |
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| 13:20 – 14:20 | NETWORKING LUNCH |
| 14:20 – 15:20 | Session 2: |
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| 15:20 – 15:30 | CLOSURE |
Day 3
08:00 Monday 12 May 2025 | Plenary Session
Programme Director: Gugulethu Mfuphi, Broadcaster and Conference Chair. Host of KayaBizz, Kaya FM-95.9
Session 1: Session theme: Healthcare Partnerships: Game-Changer or a fad
Session overview: In today’s evolving healthcare landscape, partnerships are often hailed as the solution to persistent system failures, but are they delivering real change, or simply recycling outdated models?
This opening plenary will assess the impact of healthcare collaborations in Africa and globally. We will explore whether current partnerships are driving sustainable transformation or falling short amid rising costs, deepening inequalities, and the global shift toward UHC. The session will also reflect on lessons from recent donor funding shifts, including the PEPFAR freeze, highlighting the urgent need for resilient, locally led solutions.
We will examine the evolving role of health insurers as they move from passive funders to active partners in reform—leveraging data, innovation, and value-based care to shape more collaborative and effective health systems rooted in African realities.
Topics include:
- Opening reflections: The BHF MD’s perspective on partnership, policy and progress
- Keynote address: The State of Global Health: Are We Winning?
- Global perspective: From Payers to Partners: The New Global Role of Health Insurers in System Transformation
- Strategic Partnerships in Action: Regional and Global Case Studies
10:00 – 10:40 Networking Tea Break
Programme Director: Moraki Mokgosana, BHF Board Member & CEO:BOMAID
Session 2: Session theme: Pathways to UHC: Comparative Lessons and Contextual solutions
Session Overview: This session will explore the diverse pathways countries are taking toward UHC, offering a layered analysis across global, regional, and national contexts. We begin with a comparative look at international health financing models, examining how countries around the world are progressing toward UHC—what’s working, what’s not, and the key lessons learned. The focus then shifts to the Southern African region, highlighting countries such as Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya that have implemented versions of NHI or social health insurance. Their experiences provide valuable insights for neighbouring countries like Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, and Eswatini, which are in the process of exploring or designing their own NHI frameworks.
Finally, the session will unpack proposals currently under consideration in South Africa, examining which models may be more adaptable and sustainable in the local context. By bringing together global evidence, regional experiences, and local innovation, this session offers a rich, fit-for-purpose perspective on how countries in the region can move toward inclusive, effective, and resilient health systems.
Topics include:
- Global perspective: What Works and Why: Comparing UHC Models Across the Globe
- Regional Spotlights: UHC progress across the African continent
- Beyond the Blueprint: Exploring Fit-for-Purpose Alternatives to NHI on the Road to UHC
12: 40 – 13:40 Networking lunch
Session 3: Session theme: Partnerships for Employee Wellness: Building Inclusive, Productive Workplaces
Programme Director: Dr Themba Hadebe: BHF Board Member , Clinical and Managed Care Executive:
Bonitas
Session Overview: Employee health and productivity have become strategic priorities for major employer groups, funders, and institutions like the Compensation Fund. This session will explore how innovative partnerships between employers, medical schemes, healthcare providers, and public entities are reshaping workplace wellness and creating shared value. Through practical case studies and data-driven insights, we will examine how these collaborations are driving down costs, improving health outcomes, and boosting workforce morale and retention. The discussion will focus on scalable
solutions, from integrated care models to targeted benefit design, and highlight the power of multistakeholder partnerships in building healthier, more productive workforces.
Session ends 15:00 – Networking tea break
18h30 for 19h00 until 01h00
Titanium awards gala banquet – celebrating a decade of excellence
Dress code: – Black with a Touch of Gold
Master of Ceremonies: Dr Michael Mol SAs TV Doctor
Join us for a dazzling evening as we celebrate 10 years of honouring trailblazers in healthcare. The Titanium Awards Gala Banquet marks a decade of impact, innovation, and industry transformation. Expect powerful moments, sparkling company, and a few surprises.
Day 4
Programme Director: Francina Mosoeu, BHF Board Member & Principal Officer: SAMWUMED
Session Theme: Investing in the Health Value Chain: Catalysts for Scalable and Sustainable Delivery
Session overview: This high-impact, multi-sectoral panel will explore where and how investment is most urgently needed across the healthcare value chain-from human resources and infrastructure to supply chains and technology. Featuring leaders from healthcare, finance, pharma, hospitals, and government, the session will unpack what makes a health system work—and what investors look for before committing capital. Panellists will share actionable insights on creating investment-ready environments, scaling proven models, and building partnerships that deliver both impact and value.
Key discussion points:
- What do investors need to see in healthcare markets?
- How can countries attract sustainable health financing?
10:30 – 11:00 TEA BREAK
Parallel stream overview: These seven curated streams offer deep dives into priority areas shaping the future of healthcare. Designed to spark debate, share innovation, and challenge traditional thinking, each stream brings together thought leaders, implementers, and disruptors to accelerate progress toward resilient, equitable, and sustainable health systems. Most of the presenters featured in these sessions were selected through our Call for Abstracts, showcasing real-world experiences, research, and innovations submitted by professionals across the healthcare ecosystem.
| Stream 1 Theme: Rare Disease |
Stream 2 Theme: AI / Data |
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| Stream 3 Theme: Addressing social determinants using benefit design |
Stream 4 Theme: Innovative Contracting |
Stream 5 Theme: Universal Health Coverage |
| Stream 6 Theme: Fraud Waste and Abuse |
Stream 7 Theme: Actuarial and Health Economics Perspective |
Stream 8 Theme: Primary Care |
| 16:00 Session’s end & evening at leisure | ||
Day 5
09:00 Wednesday 14 May 2025 | Plenary Session
Programme Director: Clement Manyathela – Television and Radio Broadcaster
Session theme: Creating an Enabling Environment for Transformational Health Partnerships
Session overview: This high-level session brings together senior government officials, regulators, and health policy leaders from across Africa to explore how evolving policy and regulatory frameworks are shaping – and in some cases, stalling – healthcare transformation. With rising costs, regulatory uncertainty, and growing workforce shortages, the healthcare environment is increasingly drifting away from the core principles of equity and solidarity.
The session will critically examine the impact of recent policy shifts, including the proposed NHI
regulations, ongoing court cases, the block exemption, hybridisation of healthcare products, and the
stagnation around the introduction of low-cost benefit options. Speakers will reflect on what has
driven these changes, how the system can be redirected to prioritise inclusive access, and what it will
take to create a regulatory environment that truly enables transformational partnerships. The
discussion will also focus on what must change if South Africa and the region are to make real progress
toward Universal Health Coverage UHC.
PART 1: Addressing regulatory gaps
PART 2: Policy Framework for Effective Health Partnerships
12:30 Closing Ceremony