How Much Does a Biokineticist Cost in South Africa?
Updated: Oct 19
If you are weighing up seeing a biokineticist, cost is a fair thing to ask about first. The honest answer is that there is no single national price, and anyone quoting you one is guessing. What this post can do is explain what actually drives the cost, how medical aid cover for biokinetics usually works, and exactly how to get a firm figure for your own situation before you commit to anything.
Why there is no single price for biokinetics
Biokinetics is a private allied health service, so each practice sets its own fees. There is no state-mandated tariff that every biokineticist has to charge, and rates move over time like any other professional fee. Two practices a few kilometres apart can differ, and the same practice will charge differently for different appointment types.
This is why we do not publish a price list in a blog post. A figure written here would be out of date before long, and an out-of-date figure is worse than no figure at all. We would rather tell you how to get the current one.
What affects what you pay
Appointment type. An initial assessment is a different piece of work from a follow-up session, and is usually charged differently.
Appointment length. Longer or more intensive sessions cost more than shorter ones.
Where the practice is. Fees in major metros tend to sit above those in smaller towns.
What the programme involves. Specialised rehabilitation, post-surgical work or chronic disease programmes may be structured and priced differently from general exercise rehabilitation.
Whether sessions are individual or in a small group, where a practice offers both.
Whether the practice bills your medical aid directly or you pay and claim back yourself.
How medical aid cover for biokinetics usually works
Most South African schemes treat biokinetics as allied healthcare. In practice that usually means it is paid from a day-to-day or medical savings benefit rather than from hospital or risk cover, so it comes out of a pot that is also paying for your GP visits, dentist and medicines.
Beyond that general shape, the detail genuinely varies: which plans include it, whether a referral or pre-authorisation is required, whether any limit applies, and whether you claim yourself or the practice bills the scheme. Those rules also change from year to year. We are deliberately not going to characterise any particular scheme's rules here, because the only answer that will be correct for you is the one your own scheme gives you about your own plan.
Where biokinetics forms part of the treatment plan for a qualifying chronic condition, some schemes handle it differently again. That is worth asking about specifically if it applies to you.
What to ask your scheme before you book
Ten minutes on the phone beforehand saves a lot of irritation later. Ask:
Is biokinetics covered on my specific plan?
Which benefit does it come out of, and how much of that benefit is left?
Do you need a referral from a doctor, or pre-authorisation, before you will pay?
Is there a limit on the number of appointments or the amount per year?
Do I claim myself, or can the practice bill you directly?
Does anything change if this is part of managing a registered chronic condition?
Note the date, the consultant's name and a reference number. Keep any referral letter and your invoices.
Think about a course of care, not a single visit
The more useful question is usually not what one appointment costs but what the whole course of care will cost. Rehabilitation works through repeated, progressive sessions, so a single assessment on its own rarely changes much.
At your assessment, ask the biokineticist what they expect the programme to look like and roughly how long before you would be reviewing progress. That, together with the fee per appointment and what your scheme will pay, gives you a real budget instead of a guess. A good practitioner will be straightforward about it, and will tell you if they do not think the expense is justified in your case.
Is it worth the money?
That depends entirely on what you are trying to fix. Where biokinetics earns its keep is in the gap between no longer being in pain and actually being strong enough to go back to what you were doing. That gap is where people re-injure themselves, and a repeat injury is more expensive in both money and time than the rehabilitation would have been.
Where it is less likely to be worth it is if you are healthy, uninjured and chasing a general fitness goal. A good coach or trainer is a better fit for that, and usually cheaper. If you want the longer version of what the profession does and does not cover, see what a biokineticist actually does, or biokineticist vs physiotherapist if you are not sure which one you need.
Getting an exact figure for your situation
For our current fees, and what your appointment would involve, the quickest route is to ask us directly. Email hello@peakmovement.co.za or phone +27 67 369 0593 and we will give you the figure for the appointment type you need.
You can also start a biokinetics booking, where the fee for each appointment type is shown before you confirm anything, or browse all our services and availability. We are at 94 Strand Street in the Cape Town CBD.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a biokineticist cost in South Africa?
There is no single national fee. Rates are set by each practice and differ by region, by the length and type of appointment, and by whether it is an initial assessment or a follow-up. For our current fees at Peak Movement, contact us directly or start a booking, where the fee for each appointment type is shown before you confirm.
Is the initial assessment charged differently from follow-ups?
Usually yes, because an assessment and a follow-up are different appointments doing different work. Ask any practice to confirm both figures up front so you can plan, rather than only asking about the first visit.
Does medical aid cover biokinetics?
Many South African schemes do pay for biokinetics, and it typically comes from a day-to-day or medical savings benefit rather than from hospital or risk cover. Whether it is covered on your plan, from which benefit, and under what conditions all vary between schemes and between plans within the same scheme, so your scheme is the only reliable source for your own answer.
How do I find out exactly what I will get back?
Phone your scheme before your first appointment and ask whether biokinetics is covered on your plan, which benefit it is paid from, whether a referral or pre-authorisation is needed, and whether there is any limit. Ask for the answer in writing or note the reference number of the call.
Do I need a referral to see a biokineticist?
Not to book an appointment. You can come directly. Some schemes do require a referral or a treatment plan before they will reimburse, which is one of the things worth confirming with them beforehand.
How many sessions will I need?
That depends on the injury or condition, how long it has been there, and what you are getting back to. A good biokineticist will tell you what they expect at the assessment and review it as you progress, rather than selling you a fixed block of sessions up front.
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