The Department of Health announces an extraordinary second Single Exit Price Adjustment (SEPA) for medicines and scheduled substances for 2026. This adjustment introduces a uniform increase of 2.88% to the Single Exit Price (SEP) of all registered medicines listed on the national database as at 30 September 2026.
The adjustment takes effect on 1 October 2026 and forms part of the Government’s commitment to respond to exceptional domestic and geopolitical pricing pressures affecting the pharmaceutical sector.
The 2.88% increase is intended to provide manufacturers with relief to sustain medicine supply, while maintaining affordability for patients and medical schemes. This extraordinary price adjustment applies to all medicines registered and listed in the national database as at 30 September 2026, including all related pack sizes.
This decision follows sustained engagement between Government and the pharmaceutical sector, which identified rising input costs, supply chain pressures, and geopolitical factors as key risks to medicine availability.
The adjustment is part of ongoing efforts to balance affordability with sustainable supply. It is expected to provide temporary relief to manufacturers facing cost pressures arising from, among other factors, geopolitical tensions. The Single Exit Price (SEP) is South Africa’s regulated maximum price for medicines sold in the private sector. It is the only price at which a manufacturer or importer may sell a medicine to any buyer, including pharmacies, dispensing doctors, hospitals. The SEP does not apply to the State.
The SEP framework is designed to improve the affordability and predictability of medicine costs, while preventing different buyers from paying different prices for the same medicine.
For more information and media enquiries, please contact:
Mr Foster Mohale
Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 072 432 3792
E-mail: Foster.mohale@health.gov.za
Mr Sello Lediga
Health Ministry Spokesperson
Cell: 082 353 9859
E-mail: Sello.Lediga@health.gov.za
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