The Health Professions Council of South Africa HPCSA is warning that unregistered practitioners are putting lives at risk. New cases of “bogus doctors” continue to surface.
“If you’re in the hands of an unqualified person, you’re as well as dead,” says. The council is responsible for registering medical doctors and other health professionals. Additionally, it investigates complaints about practitioners practising without the required credentials.
Public attention spiked in late 2023 after “TikTok doctor” Matthew Lani was exposed for falsely presenting himself as a medical doctor while appearing in scrubs and with a stethoscope. He was arrested at Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg. The National Prosecuting Authority later decided not to prosecute. However, the episode heightened concerns about patient safety and verification weaknesses.
How The Scams Work
The label “bogus doctor” is now used broadly. It can refer to anyone providing care without proper registration, including physiotherapists, interns, and other professionals.
Misrepresentation can take several forms. Some people use forged certificates. Others use another practitioner’s registration details. Some are suspended or erased from the register but continue practising. In other cases, a person may have studied medicine but did not fully qualify. Alternatively, they may have failed to keep their registration current.
Dr Magome Masike, registrar of the HPCS) cites a striking scenario: a family member taking over a deceased practitioner’s practice without being registered.
The problem is ongoing. In early February, the HPCSA said it facilitated the arrest of a woman in Midrand, north of Johannesburg. She was allegedly working at a medical facility without proper registration.
Bogus Doctors and the Wider Fraud Economy
Bogus qualifications form part of a larger fraud ecosystem. A report by risk management firm D-Finitive estimates that healthcare fraud costs African countries more than $50 billion in 2012. In South Africa’s private sector, it estimates annual losses of roughly R22-R28 billion. The report describes patterns that go beyond impostors, including inflated billing and manipulated procedure codes. It also describes claims submitted in the name of of deceased doctors.
Dr Katlego Mothudi, Managing Director of the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), warns that a small number of bad actors can cause outsized harm. Medical schemes are also seeing more suspicious provider activity through claims analysis and credential checks. That can include practising outside an approved scope or using legitimate practitioners’ details to submit claims. In some cases, bogus providers allegedly collude with registered professionals in exchange for payment.
Masike says 49 bogus practitioners were caught and arrested from March 2024 to February 2025. From April to December 2025, the figure was 17. He argues the overall trend is upward. The HPCSA’s 2024/2025 annual report shows that 589 investigations into unregistered persons were concluded that year. In addition, 3,708 complaints were received over five years.
Most cases are detected in Gauteng, the Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal. But rural communities are also targeted. A common pattern is the use or forging of details belonging to legitimately registered practitioners.
Patients and Providers Can Verify Credentials
The risks are immediate. The Department of Health warns that unregistered practitioners can cause misdiagnosis, injury, and death. Dr Zanele Bikitsha of the South African Medical Association adds that procedures may happen in unsafe, non-sterile settings. This is because impostors avoid registered facilities where they could be exposed.
There are practical checks patients can use. Registration information should be visible in practice, on letterheads, and on prescriptions. The public can also search the HPCSA’s online register by surname to confirm whether someone is registered.
Enforcement is carried out by the HPCSA Inspectorate, often in partnership with SAHPRA, the Office of Health Standards Compliance, the SIU, and the police. Masike says conviction rates have been around 77%, though updated figures are still pending. This is because many 2023–2025 cases remain in court.
Under Section 17(1) of the Health Professions Act 56 of 1974, practising without proper registration is illegal. Sentences can include fines or imprisonment. In a 2017 case, a man who treated nearly 1,000 patients over six years was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Bikitsha argues that stronger digital systems, including biometrics, could reduce fraud where verification is still paper-based. Masike agrees that public awareness is essential.