Would you travel out of South Africa for cheaper healthcare somewhere else?

Anele and the Club on 947 · Oct 14, 2026 · 12m · transcript

There’s growing chatter that some travellers (especially Americans) are booking cruises partly because the onboard medical centres or ports of call offer cheaper doctor visits, dental work or basic procedures than they can get at home.

Medical travel (also called medical tourism) is when people travel to another country specifically for cheaper or faster treatment. Some are even using cruise holidays for basic check-ups or dental work in the ports.

In the United States a routine dental check-up can cost you three or four times what it costs in South Africa. A simple tooth filling that…