Leading voice on regulatory reform marks 85 years in care at 25th BHF Conference
Industry stalwart making strides in innovation and wellness at pivotal moment
As pressure mounts in the South African healthcare landscape, the question of what needs to change demands an urgent answer.
This pressing topic comes under the microscope next week as Universal Healthcare returns to the 25th Annual Board of Healthcare Funders Conference at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 4 to 8 July. The milestone gathering unites healthcare leaders, policymakers and innovators from across Africa for crucial conversations that shape the industry’s future.
Dr Johan Pretorius, Co-founder, Chairman and Group CEO of Universal Healthcare, will join industry peers on the panel session ‘Industry response: Industry perspectives on what must change’, which invites leaders to reflect on the regulatory environment and share practical recommendations to strengthen the system amid increased oversight and digital transformation requirements.
"The regulatory environment is one of the most consequential forces shaping South African healthcare today," Dr Pretorius noted. "With the NHI on the horizon and rising compliance demands, what this industry needs is an honest, operationally grounded conversation. What is working? What is not? Where can targeted change make the system more sustainable and equitable? Sitting around that table with peers and regulators, in the spirit of building forward together, is the kind of engagement BHF makes possible."
Universal joins the conference with a particular perspective, marking 85 years of operating within the realities of South African healthcare this year. The company’s digital health ecosystem, Universal.one, has been shortlisted for the Titanium Award for Best Innovator in Healthcare – an honour recognising organisations that expand access to healthcare across Southern Africa.
"85 years is a long time to be in business in an industry that never stops changing," Dr Pretorius added. "The Universal Group has its origins in a time before the internet existed, before penicillin was even mainstream. From being founded by three healthcare visionaries to becoming one of Africa’s fastest-growing healthcare brands in the decades that followed, and developing an international footprint that stretches from Africa to Europe and the United States, we have never lost our drive to push the boundaries and make the healthcare journey easier for individuals to navigate – and to own."
That ambition is reflected in Universal.one, the AI-powered ecosystem now competing for the Titanium Award. Built for modern health realities and aligned with global standards, this solution places members at the centre of a single, intuitive experience. It spans biometric health screening, unified clinical records, virtual care and wellness support. Universal.one is operational across major South African medical schemes and employer groups, with active deployments in 11 African countries.
"This is a pivotal time to pull up a chair and collaborate," Dr Pretorius concluded. "What sustains a company across 85 years is not the idea of legacy. It is the discipline of staying close to the people the system serves, and the willingness to keep evolving. That is what brings us back to BHF’s 25th anniversary conference this year. And that is what we will continue to do, whatever the next 85 years ask of us."
