South Africa Respiratory Devices Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

South Africa Respiratory Devices Market Trends and Insights

Rising Prevalence of COPD, Asthma, TB & Sleep Apnea

Tuberculosis notifications fell from 450,000 in 2015 to about 230,000 in 2022, yet drug-resistant strains sustain the need for portable nebulizers in community clinics. Sleep apnea affects 29.3% of rural older adults but remains underdiagnosed in urban areas, leaving a sizeable potential for PAP therapy expansion.^{[1]F. Xavier Gómez-Olivé et al., “Prevalence of Sleep Apnea in Rural South Africa,” BMC Public Health, bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com} Biomass-fuel exposure and post-TB airway damage elevate COPD risk, driving oxygen-concentrator rentals across informal settlements. The prevalence of urban childhood asthma, reaching up to 20%, signals an ongoing demand for peak-flow meters and inhalers as primary care infrastructure expands. Population aging and deteriorating air quality in industrial corridors ensure these diseases remain the main demand anchor through 2031.

Increasing Adoption of Home-Care & Portable Devices

The National Health Insurance (NHI) Act prioritizes decentralized care, promoting the use of portable concentrators weighing under 3 kg for enhancing mobility and load-shedding resilience.^{[2]Government of South Africa, “National Health Insurance Act 2024,” gov.za} Private medical schemes reimburse home PAP therapy at rates up to 50% lower than facility-based titration, incentivizing clinics to prescribe auto-adjusting devices that minimize follow-up visits. Nebulizer rentals bundled with nursing services cut readmissions by roughly 20% at leading hospital groups. Frequent power interruptions reported by 30% to 40% of home-care patients make battery backup a must-have specification. User-friendly interfaces and six-month filter-replacement intervals cater to caregivers in multigenerational households.

Technological Advances: AI-Enabled & Connected Devices

ResMed’s AirSense 11 utilizes machine-learning algorithms to tailor pressure delivery, resulting in lower early therapy abandonment rates, which are below the historical 30% mark.^{[3]ResMed Inc., “Annual Report 2025,” investor.resmed.com} Philips’ DreamStation 2 relays nightly usage to cloud dashboards, helping clinicians intervene when adherence drops under the 4-hour threshold for reimbursement. Fisher & Paykel’s Optiflow adjusts humidity based on real-time sensor data, improving patient tolerance in step-down units. Bluetooth-enabled spirometers automatically upload lung-function data to electronic records, although public-sector adoption lags due to gaps in Wi-Fi coverage. The South African Society of Anaesthesiologists offers training modules to bridge the digital literacy divide among clinicians.

Growth in Tele-Respiratory & Remote-Monitoring Services

Pulse oximeters with cellular chips alert clinicians when saturation falls below 88%, averting emergency visits for COPD patients. Medical schemes reimburse virtual monitoring at 60% to 70% of in-person rates, opening a viable revenue stream for pulmonologists. Western Cape pilots using connected nebulizers in TB care raised treatment completion by 15%. The 2025 Telemedicine Framework mandates HL7 FHIR compliance for device interoperability; however, only 4G coverage of below 60% in parts of the Eastern Cape and Limpopo hampers real-time data flow.

High Upfront Cost & Import Dependency of Advanced Devices

More than 90% of respiratory devices are imported, making landed prices vulnerable to currency swings and customs duties. ICU ventilators that leave factories at USD 25,000 to USD 35,000 reach USD 50,000 after taxes and logistics. Median household income constraints force many sleep-apnea patients to rent PAP units for ZAR 800–1,200 per month. The 2024 Medical Devices Localization Strategy offers tax credits to spur the assembly of ventilators and concentrators; however, uptake remains slow due to unclear regulatory pathways for locally built units. Rand depreciation averaging 8% to 12% annually further stretches replacement cycles to seven years and drives demand for refurbished imports.

Electricity-Supply Instability Impacting Device Uptime

Load shedding reached 6,342 hours in 2023, compelling facilities to purchase diesel generators and UPS systems, which increase total device costs by up to 20%. Home-based COPD patients risk hypoxemic events during four-hour blackouts because concentrators halt mid-therapy. Battery-equipped portable concentrators cost 20% to 30% more but posted 12% to 15% annual sales growth as patients seek uninterrupted care. Rural public hospitals lacking backup power often resort to manual bag-valve ventilation during outages, which increases caregiver fatigue and risks of complications. Eskom pledges to cut outages below 1,000 hours by 2027, yet funding and execution risks remain high.

Segment Analysis

By Product Type: Infection-Control Mandates Lift Disposables

The South Africa respiratory devices market size for disposables is growing faster than any other category, expanding at an 8.72% CAGR to 2031 as single-use masks and breathing circuits become mandatory in revised hospital protocols. Therapeutic devices retained a 46.31% revenue share in 2025, primarily driven by the installation of ventilators and PAP units during pandemic-era upgrades. Ventilators such as the Carescape R860 and Evita V800 lead ICU budgets due to their lung-protective modes, which lower the risk of barotrauma. CPAP systems, spearheaded by AirSense 11 and DreamStation 2, account for roughly one-third of therapeutic revenue as diagnostic labs double output. Portable battery-powered concentrators captured 40% of fresh home-therapy placements in 2025, underscoring consumer preference for mobility amid load shedding.

Private pulmonologists invest in handheld spirometers, shortening the diagnosis-to-treatment window from four weeks to same-day initiation. Smart inhalers with Bluetooth-enabled adherence logs are awaiting SAHPRA clearance, creating pent-up demand among asthma specialists. Local assembly of entry-level nebulizers could shave prices by 20%, positioning domestic firms for public tenders that favor local content. Overall, tightening infection-control rules and a push toward local manufacturing position disposables and basic therapeutic devices for above-market growth.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Application: Sleep Apnea Surges Ahead of COPD

COPD accounted for 39.73% of the revenue in 2025, driven by chronic oxygen therapy and nebulized bronchodilators. However, sleep-apnea revenue is climbing at a 9.29% CAGR as awareness and employer screening programs proliferate. Diagnostic polysomnography labs remain scarce, with fewer than 50 nationwide, so payers approving home sleep-test kits are catalyzing shifts in volume. Home studies cost ZAR 2,500–4,000 compared with ZAR 8,000–12,000 for in-lab tests, unlocking demand among middle-income groups.

Asthma affects up to 20% of urban children, resulting in substantial turnover of inhalers and nebulizers in primary-care clinics. Tuberculosis still underpins specialized demand for aerosol antibiotic nebulizers, with Omron and Drive DeVilbiss competing on ease of cleaning for community-based programs. Smaller segments such as cystic fibrosis obtain devices via SAHPRA’s Section 21 pathway, reflecting high-value but low-volume dynamics. Inclusion of chronic respiratory care in the NHI essential benefits package could add 50,000–70,000 new device users by 2028.

By End User: Home Healthcare Accelerates Under NHI

Hospitals and clinics generated 49.28% of 2025 revenue, yet home-healthcare spending is rising at a 7.64% CAGR as reimbursement models shift toward community care. Medical schemes now contract home-nursing agencies on a capitated basis, cutting per-patient cost by up to 40%. Gauteng and the Western Cape account for 60%–65% of home placements, thanks to their dense nursing networks and higher insurance coverage.

Ambulatory surgical centers utilize high-flow nasal oxygen systems to support procedural sedation, thereby creating a modest but growing market for advanced humidification platforms. Occupational health clinics in mining utilize spirometers for mandated lung-function surveillance, thereby establishing a recurring niche for diagnostic devices. Long-term care and rehabilitation centers, which collectively account for less than 10% of demand, seek battery-ready devices to hedge against power outages. Overall, the integration of portable device innovation and telehealth makes the home channel the most dynamic growth pocket through 2031.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase