Traditional African medicine in South Africa has made great strides in the past few years. Now that traditional African healers are accepted as informal health care workers, there is talk of consultations and medicines being paid for by medical aids in South Africa sometime in the future. With some 80% of South Africans utilising the services of traditional healers, traditional African medicine cannot be left out in the cold for much longer.
Psychic surgery or a psychic surgeon may be a new term to many South Africans but in time to come, psychic surgery will undoubtedly become a hot topic here as well. Recent media attention around Gary Mannion, a well known UK psychic surgeon, has brought the field of psychic surgery to the South African public’s attention. So what is psychic surgery and who are psychic surgeons?
Homeopathy has become a popular system of complementary medicine in South Africa as the number of practicing homeopaths have increased in the past decade. The field of homeopathic medicine has seen significant growth due to the increase in the number of homeopathy graduates from two leading universities within South Africa. Unlike other complementary therapies, homeopathy has enjoyed the benefits of mainstream medical aid recognition which has contributed significantly to its popularity.
Complementary medicine in South Africa encompasses a wide range of therapies ranging from traditional practices that have only recently been regulated to widely accepted alternative therapies that are recognised by medical aids within the country. It is estimated that up to 70% of the South African population will consult with a complementary health practitioner before seeking conventional medical help and traditional African medicine is by far the most popular alternative therapy in South Africa.
