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Doctors' union wants equal treatment for rural and urban medics

Published

The South African Medical Association Trade Union (SAMATU) says rural allowances attract doctors but fail to keep them. The union made the call on the eve of the 2026 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement.

SAMATU says the rural allowance has worked as a short-term recruitment tool. It says the allowance fails as a long-term retention strategy. The union wants the gap between urban and rural medical professionals addressed.

General Secretary Dr Cedric Sihlangu said financial incentives attract junior doctors to fill rural vacancies. He said inflation has eroded their impact. He also said doctors in rural facilities battle unreliable water and electricity and chronic shortages of medicine and equipment.

Sihlangu said: "Money is simply not enough to compete with severe workplace burnout and lack of career progression faced by doctors who work in rural areas." He also said the idea that doctors refuse to work in rural areas is not true.

Key facts

Who
Cedric Sihlangu (General Secretary of SAMATU); Enoch Godongwana (Finance Minister); South African Medical Association Trade Union (union calling for urban-rural equality)
What
SAMATU says rural allowances for medical professionals have worked as a short-term recruitment tool but are failing as a long-term retention strategy, and calls for urban-rural equality. Its general secretary, Dr Cedric Sihlangu, cites burnout, lack of career progression, inflation, and unreliable water, electricity and medicine supplies in rural facilities.
When
21 October 2026
Where
South Africa
Status
Reported

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