What South African Patients Actually Want from Healthcare Communication in 2026

There is often a significant gap between how South African healthcare practices communicate with patients and how patients actually want to be communicated with. Understanding this gap is the first step to closing it — and retaining more patients as a result.

The Channel Preference Shift

In 2018, most South African patients tolerated phone calls as the primary healthcare communication channel. By 2026, the majority actively prefer WhatsApp. A 2026 survey of South African private healthcare patients revealed: 78% prefer WhatsApp for appointment reminders, 71% prefer WhatsApp for recall messages, and only 12% prefer phone calls as their primary contact method.

Timing Matters as Much as Channel

South African patients want timely, relevant communication — not communication for the sake of communication. The highest-performing patient messages are: appointment reminders at 24 hours and 2 hours before (not days in advance), recall messages 1 month before the patient's next due visit, and post-treatment check-ins within 24 hours of a procedure.

What Patients Find Annoying

Patients report the following as their biggest healthcare communication frustrations: unanswered calls (72%), no follow-up after enquiries (68%), and receiving communications that are not relevant to their care (45%). AI-powered communication addresses all three — by responding instantly, following up consistently, and personalising every message to the patient's actual care history.

Book a Free Demo

Visit amzxtreme.com or WhatsApp +27 84 786 1663.