History

IN THE BEGINNING

The Rembrandt Group (today Remgro Ltd) commissioned Dr Edwin Hertzog to investigate the feasibility of private hospitals in South Africa. As a result, Mediclinic was founded to provide multidisciplinary healthcare facilities that can act as a single destination for doctors and patients.

FIRST PATIENTS

Through the purchase of existing hospitals, Mediclinic established itself in Cape Town and Johannesburg and we began to provide our unique brand of quality care to patients

DEFINING MOMENTS

Mediclinic listed on the JSE in South Africa and the first facility built by the Group, Panorama Hospital in Cape Town, welcomed patients.

MEDICAL INNOVATIONS

At this newly established subsidiary, insights from our doctors and employees informed the design and manufacture of medical equipment.

STEADY GROWTH

Within five years, Mediclinic grew to more than eight hospitals where over 2 600 full-time employees looked after 1 600 beds.

HOMETOWN HOSPITAL

Our Stellenbosch hospital opened its doors in the town where the idea for Mediclinic was born. Today, Stellenbosch is the base for our Group Services division.

CONFIDENCE IN PRIVATE CARE

We made our ambitions clear with the acquisition of Medicor, a South African group of 11 hospitals, two of them in Namibia.

This effectively doubled our operations: in 20 hospitals, close to 4 500 employees cared for more than 2 900 beds. The following year, we added a further four hospitals with the takeover of Hydromed.

Established MHR (then Medi-nurse and Medi-staff), a medical and nursing recruitment and placement firm.

NURSES FOR THE FUTURE

In the first year of our formal training programme for nurses, the intake of students numbered a few dozen. Today, we train more than a thousand nurses every year.

GROWING THE GROUP

We acquired Auckland Health Limited, adding another 11 hospitals to Mediclinic’s footprint.

NEW ROUTES TO CARE

With the establishment of emergency assistance company ER24, we acquired a 50% stake, enabling Mediclinic to provide care even before patients arrive in hospital. In 2005, we purchased the balance of interest in ER24.

SUPPORTING OUR DOCTORS

We established Practice Relief, providing practice management services to affiliated doctors in Southern Africa.

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

We created a ZAR1.1b black ownership initiative with Phodiso Holdings and Circle Capital, putting 15% of the Group’s ownership in the hands of empowerment entities. Through the Mpilo Trust, Mediclinic employees held 4% of this interest.

EYE ON DUBAI

The first step towards expansion in the Middle East took place with an agreement for a stake in Emirates Healthcare, owner of the largest private hospital in Dubai.

TRUE MULTINATIONAL

Our acquisition of the Hirslanden group of 13 hospitals in Switzerland cemented Mediclinic’s status as a leading private hospital group. With the purchase of the controlling interest in Emirates Healthcare earlier in the year, it set the scene for a truly multinational Group. Across three operating platforms – in Southern Africa, Switzerland and the Middle East – we had around 17 000 employees and 8 320 beds.

MILESTONE MOMENTS

As Mediclinic marked its 25th birthday, there was cause for celebration. In Dubai Health Care City, our City Hospital opened as a model for multidisciplinary care of international standards. We also published our inaugural Clinical Governance Report, the first such report for the private hospital industry in South Africa.

NEW IDENTITY

We formally changed the Company name from the original Medi-Clinic to the current name, with new branding rolled out to create a uniform feel across the Group.

LONDON CALLING

We continued to expand our geographical footprint, obtaining a 29.9% stake in Spire Healthcare, a leader in the UK. We also listed on the London Stock Exchange by way of a reverse takeover of Al Noor Hospitals Group. The business combination further increased our presence in the Middle East by three hospitals and 29 clinics.

ALL-IN-ONE SERVICE

In Southern Africa, we purchased a stake in Intercare, a group that runs multidisciplinary medical and dental centres, forging closer connections between primary and secondary care points.

MAJOR PLAYER IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Parkview Hospital, our largest greenfield construction project by value, opened in Dubai. We acquired a stake in the holding company for Bourn Hall Fertility Clinic in the Middle East and added two Dubai-based clinics.

DIVERSIFYING

Across our geographies, we moved to add facilities that will support our clients throughout their health journey. We acquired the specialised mental health hospital, Denmar in Southern Africa, opened a dedicated paediatric outpatient clinic in the Middle East and, in Switzerland, entered into a partnership with the University Hospitals of Geneva to establish day case clinics.

BROADENING HORIZONS

We formed a strategic partnership with the Al Murjan Group to establish a new acute care hospital in Jeddah. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, we launched telemedicine solutions.

BUILT AROUND THE CLIENT

Our precision medicine offering, which uses genetic analysis for tailored prevention and treatment, launched in Switzerland and the Middle East. We kept clients at the centre with the introduction of our own apps in these geographies and the establishment of four dialysis centres in Southern Africa.

HEALTHCARE INTO THE HOME

By harnessing technology we brought clients care where needed, like in Switzerland, with the DOMO Go smartwatch supporting home care. Remote patient monitoring enabled our Hospital at Home pilot in Southern Africa and a hybrid care model for chronic disease management in the Middle East

MEDICLINIC OF TODAY

Our journey comes full circle as Manta Bidco Limited, a consortium of Remgro and SAS (Shipping Agencies Services), acquires Medlinic's entire share capital. Forty years after being founded as a private hospital group, Mediclinic is again a private company, now offering services to address all healthcare needs - prevention, treatment, recovery and enhancement - both physically and virtually. Every day we unite more than 37 000 employees in pursuit of our purpose: enhancing the quality of life.