South Africa: Health Budget Vote - Infrastructure High On the Agenda

14 May 2026
SAnews.gov.za (Tshwane)

The Department of Health will submit more than 10 bids to the expanded Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) starting in the July 2026 bid window.

This is according to Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, during the tabling of the department's Budget Vote on Wednesday.

The bids are aimed at accelerating implementation of government's commitment to undertaking substantial investment in health infrastructure, prioritising the construction and revitalisation of academic hospitals as spelt out by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier during the State of the Nation Address this year.

"In February this year, during the Budget Speech, the Minister of Finance announced the increase in the capacity of the BFI, an instrument for managing large public infrastructure projects.

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"Treasury has pronounced 4 bid windows in this financial year for Departments to bid for any infrastructure more than R 1 billion. We as Health will be sending 11 bids starting in July bid window," Motsoaledi said.

The 11 bids are as follows:

· Dr George Mkhari Academic Hospital in Gauteng

· Victoria Mxenge (King Edward VIII) academic hospitals in KZN

· Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Eastern Cape

· Tshilidzini Regional Hospital in Limpopo (Replacement of a completely aged facility)

· Elim Hospital in Limpopo (another replacement of a completely aged facility)

· Soshanguve District Hospital in Gauteng

· Diepsloot District Hospital in Gauteng

· Thabang District Hospital in Dobsonville in Gauteng

· Eldorado Park Hospital in Gauteng

· Holomisa Hospital in Holomisa Informal Settlement in Westonaria in Gauteng

· Mpumalanga Mental Health Hospital in Mpumalanga

"The other facilities are six community health centres which will be announced in due course," the Minister added.

He noted that the department is not "necessarily starting from ground zero" with the following health infrastructure already under construction:

· Limpopo Central Hospital - 488 bed teaching hospital is already at 43% completion, and it is worth mentioning that it is ahead of schedule.

· Siloam District Hospital in Limpopo - a 224-bed replacement facility is at 92% completion.

· Dihlabeng Regional Hospital in Bethlehem in the Free State is at 57% completion.

· Bambisane District Hospital in the Eastern Cape OR Tambo District is at 69% completion.

· Bophelong Psychiatric Hospital is at 38% completion.

· Mapulaneng Hospital is at 92% completion.

· Middleburg Hospital in Mpumalanga is just waiting for a date from the President for an official opening.

The budget

Motsoaledi reflected that the department has "suffered austerity measures over a long period of time - a decade long austerity".

"Last year, the Minister of Finance decided to start a move to take us out of the austerity slowly but surely.

"He allocated to Health R6,7 billion. He decided to utilise it to perform four very important functions," he said.

Those functions were:

· Hire 1 200 post community service doctors, 200 nurses and 250 other health workers.

· Hire 27 000 community health workers on a permanent basis so that they no longer come through NGOs.

· Acquire 1.4 million articles worth R1.3 billion to spice-up public hospitals - these are beds, bassinets, mattresses, ICU beds, linen, towels, blankets.

· Lastly, to pay for quarrels which accumulated for over a decade. You know what it means? Chair, it means a complete revolution.

"On the hiring of 1 200 post community service doctors, 200 nurses and 250 other health professionals. [Some] 933 doctors post-community service were employed from January to March 2026.

"On the hiring of 27 000 community health workers, 22 856 community health workers with matric verified had been appointed by the end of January 2026.

"On acquiring the beds, linen and other articles, 25 589 beds, 8 8333 mattresses and 73748 linen articles had been procured by the end of March 2026. On accruals of specific vulnerable products, R1.04 billion accruals were paid by the end of March 2026," Motsoaledi announced.

The budget of the National Department of Health for this financial year is R64.8 billion.

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