Doctor and Nurse Shortage Worsens: 6,000 Leave South Africa Each Year

South Africa loses about 6,000 doctors and nurses each year. This exodus threatens both public and private healthcare systems. Health leaders and the Department of Health admit that staffing gaps make adequate care impossible.

ALSO READ: Randburg Clinic Crisis: Overcrowding and One Doctor for 400 Patients Highlight Healthcare Struggles

Vacancy Rates Reach Unmanageable Levels

By April 2025, South Africa reported over 27,000 unfilled healthcare posts 2,147 for doctors and 16,870 for nurses. Nationally, doctor vacancies hit 9.4%; nurse vacancies, 14.2%. The health minister confirms the system cannot recruit or retain enough staff. “Vacancy rates are unmanageable,” a department official stated before Parliament.

Decades of Underinvestment Fuel the Shortage

South Africa’s crisis stems from years of underfunding health workforce training and retention. The country needs nearly 100,000 more health professionals by 2025 to meet basic needs a target unreachable without massive new investment. “If health workforce spending only matches inflation, the shortfall will worsen,” warns a leaked government analysis.

Why Doctors and Nurses Are Leaving

Professionals cite poor working conditions, heavy workloads, low pay, limited advancement, and better opportunities abroad. South Africa has just 0.3 doctors and 1.3 nurses per 1,000 people far below WHO targets. Dr. Mvuyisi Mzukwa, chair of the South African Medical Association, says, “South Africa has way fewer doctors per population than WHO recommends”.

Training and Policy Bottlenecks Worsen the Problem

Medical and nursing education has not kept pace with demand. Only 0.16 active medical schools exist per million people a fraction of peer countries. Curriculum and accreditation delays slow new graduates. Dr. Dumisani Bomela notes, “The nursing profession has long struggled to attract new recruits… stalled reforms could leave us 34,000 nurses short by 2025”.

Rural and Public Sectors Suffer Most

Rural healthcare workers often handle far larger patient loads than their urban counterparts. Many rural clinics lack basic equipment, reliable transport, and specialist support. Staff burnout is common, yet few incentives exist to attract or retain skilled professionals in these regions. As a result, patients in rural towns and villages face longer travel times and slower access to care putting lives at risk for treatable conditions.

The public sector’s struggles also fuel a cycle of decline in rural health. When doctors and nurses leave public clinics for cities or private jobs, remaining staff face even heavier workloads. This pushes more professionals to quit, deepening the crisis. Without urgent investment in rural facilities, competitive rural postings, and fast-tracked policy reforms, South Africa’s health inequities will keep growing. The nation risks leaving rural communities behind as urban centers absorb scarce resources.

Recent Hiring Efforts Fall Short

April 2025’s hiring initiative began after widespread protests and public pressure demanded more healthcare jobs. The health minister announced 1,200 new doctor posts, 200 nursing jobs, and 250 roles for other health professionals totaling 1,650 new positions funded at R1.78 billion. Officials say recruitment will start soon, once logistics are finalised. This move responds to frustration over unemployed qualified doctors and rising vacancy rates across the system.

Even so, critics stress that these new posts barely dent South Africa’s annual healthcare worker losses and growing demand. The 200 new nursing jobs, for example, fall far short of the more than 16,000 current nurse vacancies. Similarly, the 1,200 doctor posts will not replace the thousands of doctors leaving each year, nor will they address the backlog of unemployed new graduates. Experts warn that without much larger, sustained hiring and better working conditions, staffing gaps will keep widening jeopardising care quality and patient safety nationwide.

Burnout, Emigration, and the Human Cost

Exhausted professionals, overcrowded facilities, and poor patient outcomes define the crisis. Many young doctors see emigration as their only option. Specialization paths are clogged, with unpaid internships and a decade-long freeze on registrar posts. Prof. Hester Klopper observes, “The effects of this shortage are seen in the tired eyes of nurses working double shifts, and in the frustration of patients waiting for care”.

A Retirement Wave Looms

Randburg Clinic’s struggles highlight Johannesburg’s stretched public health system. Patients often wait hours for care. Some wait outside in tough weather. The clinic still uses paper records. Medicine shortages happen often. Staff face low morale. Most Gauteng clinics share these problems. They lack enough workers for fast-growing communities. Without more staff and better systems, clinics may lose public trust.

Authorities must act quickly to fix Randburg Clinic. Leaders have not increased funding or staff. The clinic’s unused top floor could help if opened. Officials blame tight budgets. Critics say delays risk worse overcrowding and health outcomes. Blaming migrants distracts from real solutions. South Africa needs urgent clinic upgrades, digital systems, and more doctors. Without these steps, preventable harm will grow.

Solutions: Policy, Investment, and Retention

Experts urge massive investment in training, competitive salaries, rural incentives, rapid policy reform, and strong support for staff well-being84. Without bold action, the workforce gap could hit 150,000 by 2030. “The COVID-19 pandemic showed how vulnerable our health system is to these shortages,” Dr. Bomela adds.