X-Ray Cost in South Africa
What you actually pay at public hospitals under UPFS, at private walk-in radiology practices, and with medical aid — plus CT, MRI and ultrasound prices. Last reviewed October 2026.
Short answer: how much is an X-ray in South Africa?
A single-region X-ray at an independent private radiology practice costs roughly R425–R700 (about $24–$39) cash, based on published price lists from practices in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban; a chest X-ray is typically R450–R680. At public hospitals the national Uniform Patient Fee Schedule (UPFS) applies: free for H0 patients, included in a R55–R100 visit fee for H1, and roughly R40–R170 extra for H2 on top of the consultation. Private CT scans start around R1,500 and MRI around R6,000.
Quick Overview
South Africa runs two parallel systems. Public provincial hospitals and clinics bill under the UPFS, which sets fees by your income category (H0, H1, H2, or full-paying) — so the same chest X-ray can be free for one patient and cost a few hundred rand for another. The private sector consists of independent radiology practices (many based inside Netcare, Mediclinic and Life Healthcare hospitals) and walk-in X-ray rooms, billed either to your medical aid at scheme rate or as cash. The National Health Insurance (NHI) Act was signed in 2024 but is being phased in slowly, so in 2026 medical aid and UPFS still determine what most people pay.
🏥 Public hospital (UPFS)
- H0 (no income, social grants): free
- H1: imaging included in the ~R55–R100 visit fee
- H2: pay 20% of the full tariff for imaging
- Requires a referral and proof of income; waits can be long
🩻 Private walk-in practice
- Published cash price per body region
- Chest R450–R680; spine R500–R1,000
- Some practices add a consultation/referral fee
- Usually same day, no appointment
💳 Medical aid
- Outpatient X-rays usually paid from day-to-day benefits or savings
- Shortfalls if the practice charges above scheme rate
- MRI/CT out of hospital: co-payment rules apply
- PMB conditions covered by law
South African X-Ray Prices by Exam (2026)
The private column uses published cash prices from independent walk-in radiology practices (Johannesburg inner city, Pretoria and Durban north) as a benchmark. Hospital-based radiology practices that mainly bill medical aids usually quote higher self-pay rates, so always ask for a quote. The public column shows what a patient pays under the 2025/26 UPFS for a plain-film X-ray (the simplest imaging categories); the exact amount depends on your H-category and hospital level.
| Exam | Public hospital (UPFS) | Private walk-in (cash) | USD (≈, private) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain X-rays | |||
| Chest (PA or AP) | Free (H0) · in visit fee (H1) · ~R40–R65 (H2) | R450–R680 | $25–$38 |
| Chest PA + lateral | As above | R500–R700 | $28–$39 |
| Hand or wrist | As above | R425–R680 | $24–$38 |
| Ankle or foot | As above | R450–R680 | $25–$38 |
| Knee (standard views) | As above | R450–R700 | $25–$39 |
| Cervical spine (AP + lateral) | As above | R500–R650 | $28–$36 |
| Cervical spine, complete study / obliques | As above | ~R1,000 | ~$56 |
| Lumbar spine (AP + lateral) | As above | R500–R650 | $28–$36 |
| Lumbar spine with obliques / stress views | As above | ~R900 | ~$50 |
| Pelvis (or pelvis + hip) | As above | R500–R750 | $28–$42 |
| Abdomen (supine, or supine + erect) | As above | R500–R800 | $28–$44 |
| Dental panoramic (OPG) | Dental clinics at some hospitals; UPFS applies | ~R550 | ~$31 |
| Other imaging for comparison | |||
| Ultrasound (abdomen, pelvis, joint) | Higher UPFS category; H2 ~R110–R170 | R630–R1,200 | $35–$67 |
| CT scan (brain, spine, abdomen) | Billed at level-3 tariff; H2 approx. R790–R2,080 depending on category | R1,500–R6,500 | $83–$361 |
| CT chest, abdomen & pelvis with contrast | As above | ~R8,500 | ~$472 |
| MRI (single region) | Tertiary hospitals only; long waits | R6,000–R18,000+ | $333–$1,000+ |
Private plain-film prices from published cash price lists (Lister Clinic, Johannesburg; Naidoo X-Ray, Mount Edgecombe; Peermed, Pretoria). CT from Mistry Radiology's published cash list; MRI range as estimated by a South African radiology practice (Bergman Ross). Public figures calculated from the 2025/26 UPFS schedule (exact category per exam varies). USD at approximately R18 = $1. Prices change annually — confirm before booking.
Public Hospital Fees: UPFS by H-Category
Every provincial hospital classifies you before treatment. The 2025/26 UPFS income bands and what each group pays for imaging are below (figures from the Limpopo Department of Health's 2025/26 UPFS circular, effective 7 April 2025; Gauteng's revised tariffs took effect 1 April 2025 and match, e.g. R95 for an H1 specialist visit). Gauteng and the Western Cape consulted on 2026/27 tariff revisions early in 2026, so expect small annual increases.
| Category | Who qualifies (2025/26) | What you pay for an X-ray |
|---|---|---|
| H0 | No income, social grant recipients, pregnant women and children under 6, primary health care | Free |
| H1 | Individual income up to R70,000/yr (household up to R100,000) | Imaging included in the visit fee: ~R55 GP outpatient visit, ~R90–R95 specialist visit, ~R100 emergency visit |
| H2 | Individual R70,001–R250,000/yr (household R100,001–R350,000) | Visit fee plus 20% of the imaging tariff: plain film ~R40–R65; Cat B ~R110–R170; Cat D ~R790–R830; Cat E ~R1,980–R2,080 |
| Full-paying / H3 | Individual above R250,000/yr (household above R350,000) with no medical aid | 30% of the tariff (70% subsidy on radiology): plain film ~R90; Cat D ~R1,180–R1,240; Cat E ~R2,970–R3,120 |
| Funded | Medical aid members, RAF, COIDA, other third-party payers | 100% of UPFS: plain film ~R300; Cat D ~R3,940–R4,130; Cat E ~R9,910–R10,390 |
UPFS imaging has five categories (A–E) of increasing complexity, each billed as a facility fee plus a professional (radiologist) fee. CT and MRI are always charged at the level-3 (tertiary) tariff, regardless of which hospital performs them. Amounts above are rounded sums of facility + specialist fees from the 2025/26 schedule; your hospital may bill slightly differently.
How classification works
- Bring your ID, proof of income (payslip, SASSA letter, or affidavit) and proof of address
- Without proof you may be billed as full-paying
- Medical aid members are billed the full tariff and the hospital claims from the scheme
- Non-citizens may be classified differently — ask the admissions office
Medical aid basics
- Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) must be covered by every scheme
- Outpatient X-rays: day-to-day benefits or medical savings account
- Discovery: for MRI/CT not linked to an admission, roughly the first R3,850 comes from day-to-day benefits (check your plan's current rules)
- Gap cover pays shortfalls above scheme rate, mainly in hospital
How to get an X-ray
- Public: start at a clinic or casualty; you'll be referred to the hospital X-ray department
- Private: most practices want a doctor's referral; some provide one for a fee
- Walk-in practices usually need no appointment
- Visa/immigration chest X-rays: cash only at many practices
X-Ray Costs by Region
📍 Gauteng (Johannesburg, Pretoria)
- Public: Chris Hani Baragwanath, Charlotte Maxeke, Helen Joseph, Steve Biko Academic — UPFS fees (revised 1 April 2025, +4.4%)
- Private walk-in: Lister Clinic (Johannesburg CBD) lists most single regions at R500 and a chest X-ray from R450; Peermed (Pretoria) from R680 per region
- Hospital-based: practices such as Morton & Partners and Lake Smit & Partners bill at medical-aid rates; cash patients pay the practice's private rate
📍 Western Cape (Cape Town)
- Public: Groote Schuur, Tygerberg, and regional/district hospitals — UPFS fees apply
- Private: radiology practices at Netcare Christiaan Barnard, Mediclinic Cape Town and Life Vincent Pallotti and others; expect self-pay prices similar to or above Gauteng
- Western Cape reviewed its 2026/27 UPFS tariffs in early 2026
📍 Free State (Bloemfontein)
- Universitas Academic Hospital is a public tertiary hospital: chest X-rays and CT are billed under UPFS by H-category (CT at the level-3 tariff)
- Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital is the other main public referral hospital
- Private: radiology practices at Mediclinic Bloemfontein and other private hospitals — ask for a cash quote
📍 Northern Cape (Kimberley, Kuruman)
- Kuruman Hospital (public district hospital) — basic X-rays at UPFS rates; specialist care is often referred about 230 km to Kimberley
- Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital, Kimberley — provincial referral hospital; a new MRI scanner was installed in 2026
- Private: Mediclinic Gariep (Kimberley) has a diagnostic radiologist; private options in Kuruman are limited
📍 KwaZulu-Natal (Durban)
- Public: Inkosi Albert Luthuli, Addington, King Edward VIII — UPFS fees
- Private walk-in: Naidoo X-Ray (Mount Edgecombe) lists hand/wrist R425, chest R588, lumbar spine R500–R650, abdomen supine + erect R700
🏥 Netcare, Mediclinic & Life hospitals
- Radiology in private hospitals is usually run by independent radiologist practices that bill separately from the hospital
- If you're X-rayed via a private emergency unit, expect a separate emergency facility fee and doctor's fee on top
- Ask for the radiology practice's cash rate before the scan if you have no medical aid
Guide by Patient Type
🇿🇦 Medical aid members
- Check whether your plan pays X-rays from day-to-day benefits or savings
- Use a practice that charges scheme rate to avoid shortfalls
- Get pre-authorisation for MRI and CT
- Gap cover helps with in-hospital shortfalls
💼 Uninsured South Africans
- Public hospital: bring proof of income to be classified H0, H1 or H2
- For speed, a walk-in practice at R425–R700 per region is often affordable
- Compare prices — published lists differ by R200+ for the same exam
- Ask if a referral or consultation fee is added
✈️ Visitors and visa applicants
- Visa/immigration chest X-rays: about R370–R680 at walk-in practices, usually cash only
- Private hospitals may ask non-residents to settle accounts on the day
- Travel insurance recommended for emergencies
- Keep the report and invoice for claims
Practical Details
📋 What to bring
- SA ID or passport
- Medical aid card (if applicable)
- Proof of income for UPFS classification
- Doctor's referral / request form
- Card or cash for self-pay
⏰ Typical wait times
- Emergency: immediate
- Public routine: hours to weeks; CT/MRI can be months
- Private walk-in X-ray: same day
- Report: same day to 48 hours
💡 How to save money
- Get classified correctly at public hospitals — H1 is far cheaper than full-paying
- Use walk-in practices that publish cash prices
- Ask whether one view is enough before paying for a full series
- Keep images: copies at public hospitals cost about R287 per copy under UPFS
FAQ
How much does an X-ray cost in South Africa in 2026?
At independent private walk-in practices, a single-region X-ray costs roughly R425–R700 (about $24–$39) cash, based on published price lists in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban. At public hospitals the UPFS applies: free for H0 patients, included in a roughly R55–R100 visit fee for H1, and about R40–R65 extra for a plain film for H2 patients.
How much is a chest X-ray or CT scan at a public hospital in South Africa (2025/2026)?
Under the 2025/26 UPFS, H0 patients pay nothing and H1 patients pay only the visit fee (about R55 for a GP outpatient visit, R90–R95 for a specialist, R100 for emergency). H2 patients pay 20% of the imaging tariff: around R40–R65 for a chest X-ray and roughly R790–R2,080 for CT depending on its category. Full-paying patients without medical aid pay 30% of the tariff, and medical aid members are billed 100%.
What does a chest X-ray or CT cost at Universitas Hospital in Bloemfontein?
Universitas Academic Hospital is a public tertiary hospital in the Free State, so it bills under the national UPFS according to your H-category rather than publishing a cash price. Expect a chest X-ray to be free (H0), included in the visit fee (H1), or around R40–R65 extra (H2). CT is charged at the level-3 tariff — roughly R790–R2,080 for H2 patients, and more for full-paying or medical aid patients. Confirm with the hospital's billing office.
How much is an X-ray around Kuruman?
In Kuruman, the main option is Kuruman Hospital, a public district hospital that charges UPFS fees by income category (free for H0, roughly R55–R100 visit fee for H1). Private radiology is limited locally; many patients travel to Kimberley, where Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital (public) and private practices such as those at Mediclinic Gariep offer CT and specialist imaging. Phone ahead to confirm the X-ray room is operating.
How much does a chest X-ray cost without medical aid?
Published cash prices at walk-in practices range from about R450 (Lister Clinic, Johannesburg, chest AP) to R588 (Naidoo X-Ray, Durban north) and R680 (Peermed, Pretoria). A PA + lateral chest is around R500–R700. Hospital-based radiology practices usually charge more for cash patients.
What is UPFS and what do H0, H1, H2 and H3 mean?
The Uniform Patient Fee Schedule sets public-hospital fees. For 2025/26: H0 covers people with no income, social grant recipients, pregnant women and children under 6 (free); H1 is individual income up to R70,000 a year (household up to R100,000); H2 is R70,001–R250,000 (household up to R350,000); above that you're full-paying (H3). Medical aid members and other funded patients pay the full tariff.
Does medical aid cover X-rays?
Yes. Schemes such as Discovery, Bonitas, Momentum, Medihelp and Fedhealth pay outpatient X-rays from day-to-day benefits or savings, usually at scheme rate, and must cover Prescribed Minimum Benefit conditions. For MRI and CT out of hospital, Discovery pays roughly the first R3,850 from day-to-day benefits and the rest from the hospital benefit, according to its current published rules. If the practice charges above scheme rate, you pay the shortfall.
How much do CT and MRI scans cost privately in South Africa?
Published cash prices for CT start at about R1,500 for a non-contrast brain CT and run to R6,500 for abdomen and pelvis with contrast and R8,500 for chest, abdomen and pelvis with contrast. MRI is more expensive: a South African radiology practice (Bergman Ross) estimates R6,000 to R18,000 or more depending on body part and contrast.
Do Netcare, Mediclinic and Life hospitals charge more for X-rays?
Radiology in these hospitals is generally provided by independent radiologist practices that bill separately. They mainly charge medical-aid rates; cash patients are billed the practice's private rate, which is often above walk-in practice prices. If you come through a private emergency unit, the emergency facility and doctor fees are added on top.
How does NHI affect X-ray costs in 2026?
The National Health Insurance Act was signed in 2024, but implementation is phased and contested. In 2026 public patients still pay UPFS fees and private patients still rely on medical aid or cash, so NHI has not yet changed what you pay for an X-ray.
Compare X-Ray Costs Across Countries
Sources
- Limpopo Department of Health — Departmental Revenue Circular 13 of 2025: UPFS 2025/26 tariffs and patient classification (effective 7 April 2025)
- Gauteng Department of Health — revised Uniform Patient Fee tariffs, effective 1 April 2025 (media statement, March 2025), and 2026 public comment notice
- Western Cape Provincial Parliament — UPFS 2026/27 tariff review (February 2026)
- University of the Free State — study on radiology cost awareness at Universitas Academic Hospital (UPFS-based imaging costs)
- Lister Clinic, Johannesburg — published X-ray/radiology price list
- Naidoo X-Ray, Mount Edgecombe — published X-ray price list
- Peermed, Pretoria — radiology cash rates
- Mistry Radiology — published CT cash price list
- Bergman Ross Radiology — CT vs MRI cost estimates
- Discovery Health — tests and scans benefit rules (MRI/CT)
- Parliamentary Monitoring Group — Minister of Health reply on the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital MRI (April 2026); Health-e News on Kuruman Hospital referrals
- Council for Medical Schemes — Prescribed Minimum Benefits
Last reviewed: October 2026. UPFS tariffs are revised each April and private prices change without notice — always confirm with the hospital or practice before booking.