In a service economy, everybody promises great service. Delivering it consistently and with care is another matter entirely.
That is why Medihelp Medical Scheme’s latest recognition for customer experience in the Ask Africa Orange Index 2026/2027 is an accolade the Scheme does not take for granted.
The annual Ask Africa Orange Index is one of South Africa’s established benchmarks of customer experience, measuring how consumers experience the organisations they deal. (A total of 219 companies was measured.) For Medihelp, the latest award is particularly significant because it is not a once-off achievement.
Medihelp has been no stranger to the Orange Index podium over the years, with several wins or podium finishes – including taking first place.
“In a world where consumers have more choice, more information, and higher expectations than ever before, service with care has become one of the most powerful differentiators a brand can have,” says Varsha Vala, principal officer at Medihelp Medical Scheme. “For a medical scheme, that responsibility is amplified. Our members don't necessarily contact us on an ordinary day.
"They may be preparing for an operation, dealing with a diagnosis, trying to understand their benefits, or worrying about someone they love. In those moments, efficiency matters – but so do empathy, reassurance, and the feeling that there is a real person on the other side who wants to help.”
One award is wonderful. Consistency says more
The Ask Africa recognition follows another significant customer experience accolade for Medihelp. In the 2024/25 Customer Experience Index (CE-Index®), Medihelp was rankednumber one in the Client Care Contact Centre category for South Africa’s medical aid industry, as well as second overall in the industry.
Together, the awards tell a bigger story. They demonstrate that Medihelp’s focus on customer experience is not limited to one channel, one team, or one moment in time. It is reflected in how the Scheme engages with and supports its members across their healthcare journeys. And the numbers behind the service reinforce the story. Medihelp has previously achieved a first-contact resolution rate of more than 92%, meaning that the vast majority of member enquiries are resolved the first time they make contact.
“Awards are wonderful, and we are immensely proud of them,” says Vala. “But the real achievement happens every day – in the phone call that solves a problem, the employee who goes the extra mile, and the member who puts down the phone feeling that someone genuinely cared.”
Big enough to matter. Personal enough to care
The recognition also comes at a significant time for Medihelp. With some 195,000 beneficiaries at the end of 2025, Medihelp remains one of South Africa’s largest open medical schemes. The Scheme has also strengthened its financial position, reporting a solvency ratio of 27,01% for 2025, comfortably above the statutory requirement.
For Medihelp, however, scale and financial strength mean little if they come at the expense of the human connection that members value.
“Healthcare is deeply personal,” says Vala. “You can have excellent systems, sophisticated technology, and innovative benefits, but ultimately people remember how you made them feel when they needed you. That is why this award means so much to us. It comes from the experience of the people we exist to serve.”
After more than 120 years of providing healthcare cover to South Africans, Medihelp believes longevity brings with it a responsibility not simply to keep up with changing expectations, but to keep improving.
And while awards, rankings, and podium finishes are worth celebrating, Medihelp says the objective remains remarkably simple: To make every interaction count. Because in a service economy, good service may be expected.
Exceptional service with care is still worth winning for.
