St Mary’s Private Hospital Joins GEMS Network, Expands Healthcare Access in Mthatha Region

Mthatha, Eastern Cape

31 March 2025

St Mary’s Private Hospital has officially joined the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) as of 1 March 2025 to improve healthcare access for government employees in Mthatha and surrounding areas.
The GEMS inclusion strengthens the hospital’s role in bridging healthcare disparities and delivering team-based, patient-focused care.
Crestcare’s network model secures better rates from medical aids and service providers, passing cost savings on to patients.
St Mary’s offer a wide range of specialist services including cardiology, neurosurgery, maternity, orthopaedics, radiology and more.
Crestcare’s vision is to redefine healthcare in South Africa through affordable, high-quality and collaborative medical services.

31 March 2025: Mthatha, Eastern Cape – St Mary’s Private Hospital, part of the Crestcare Hospital Group, has officially joined the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) Hospital Network as of 1 March 2025. This inclusion enhances access to affordable, high-quality healthcare for government employees in Mthatha and the surrounding region.

A portfolio company of private equity group Summit Africa, Crestcare acquired a 55% stake in St Mary’s from Life Healthcare Group in late 2024, with plans to transform the hospital into a key healthcare hub in the Eastern Cape. The fast-growing private hospital group, with facilities in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and the Western Cape, aims to expand to 800 beds within two years, focusing on peri-urban, rural and township areas.

Hospital Manager Phinda Ndlodaka welcomed the move, emphasising its significance for affordable healthcare.

“Joining the GEMS network allows us to provide accessible medical services to government employees at National Health Network rates, which are lower than standard private hospital fees. By leveraging our network, we secure better rates from medical aids and service providers, passing these savings on to our patients.”

To join the GEMS network, hospitals must meet strict evaluation criteria, including efficiency, service offerings, and accessibility. St Mary’s met all these requirements and provides a wide range of specialist services, including anaesthetics, cardiology, dermatology, ear nose and throat, fertility specialists, gastroenterology, general physician, general surgery, gynaecology, maternity, maxillofacial surgery, neurosurgery, neuro medicine, ophthalmology, orthodontics, orthopaedics, paediatrics, pathology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, psychiatry, radiology and urology.

St Mary’s will over time add 30 to 50 new beds to its current total, introduce a catheterisation lab and enhance radiology services. These improvements will provide essential support for patients requiring heart and diagnostic care, addressing gaps in local healthcare provision.

Crestcare CEO Kit Wostenholm commented:

“The GEMS inclusion is a major step toward making St Mary’s a regional healthcare hub. This inclusion reinforces Crestcare’s commitment to collaborative, team-based medicine, aiming to bridge gaps in South Africa’s healthcare system and improve patient outcomes.”

Crestcare’s portfolio includes 752 beds (work in progress) across its hospitals and clinics, including Crestcare Zoutpansberg in Limpopo, Crestcare Surgi Clinic in Mpumalanga, Apex Soweto Day Hospital in Soweto, Crestcare Malmesbury in the Western Cape and St Mary’s in Mthatha. The group is focused on expanding access to quality, affordable healthcare nationwide.

“By integrating centres of specialisation and structured team-based care, we are enhancing lives, empowering healthcare professionals and uplifting communities,” Wostenholm added.

About Crestcare

Dating back to 2004, Crestcare is a portfolio company of the Summit Private Equity Fund I, which is managed by Summit Africa, a black-owned and managed private equity and impact investment manager focusing on investing in sectors that are pivotal to the economic and social prosperity of South Africa.

The Crestcare Hospital Group currently includes Crestcare Zoutpansberg in Louis Trichardt, Limpopo; Crestcare Surgi Clinic Nelspruit, a specialist hospital serving patients in the broader Mpumalanga, Mozambique and Swaziland regions; Apex Soweto Day Hospital in Soweto, Gauteng; as well as Crestcare Malmesbury in the Western Cape and Crestcare St Mary’s Hospital in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape.

The group aims to have at least 800 beds within the next two years, specifically in peri-urban, rural and township areas.