Government · Contact details
Department of Health Contact Details
The Department of Health head office in Pretoria is on 012 395 8000, at the Dr AB Xuma Building, 1112 Voortrekker Road, Pretoria Townlands 351-JR, Pretoria, 0187. The general email is info@health.gov.za. For health questions, complaints about care and services, the National Health Hotline on 0800 029 999 is the better line: it is free, answered 24 hours a day, and runs in five languages.
Department of Health contact details at a glance
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| Head office | 012 395 8000 |
| Head office address | Dr AB Xuma Building, 1112 Voortrekker Road, Pretoria Townlands 351-JR, Pretoria, 0187 |
| Postal address | Private Bag X828, Pretoria, 0001 |
| General email | info@health.gov.za |
| National Health Hotline | 0800 029 999, free, 24 hours, five languages |
| Health hotline email and WhatsApp | healthhotline@health.gov.za, 0600 123 456 |
| Office of the Director-General | 012 395 9150, DG@health.gov.za |
| Anti-Corruption Hotline | 0800 701 701 |
The health.gov.za security certificate has expired
Before you try to visit the department’s site: the security certificate for health.gov.za expired on 23 September 2026, the day before it was checked. The certificate is a genuine one, issued to the National Department of Health in Pretoria and covering health.gov.za. It has simply run out and not been renewed, and the plain address redirects to the secure one, so there is no way around the warning.
The practical effect is that a normal browser shows a full-page security warning instead of the site. The department is not offline and the site itself is still being served. While the certificate is invalid, do not submit personal or health information through the website, because the connection cannot be verified. Use the telephone numbers here instead. This may well be fixed shortly after it was checked.
The National Health Hotline number
0800 029 999 is free to call, runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the department states it operates in five languages. It also has an email address, healthhotline@health.gov.za, and a WhatsApp number, 0600 123 456.
Use the hotline rather than the Pretoria switchboard for anything about services, complaints about care, or health information. The switchboard keeps office hours; the hotline does not.
Specialist health helplines
The department publishes several dedicated toll-free lines, all separate from the general hotline.
- AIDS Helpline: 0800 012 322, which the department’s site also labels as the national helpline
- Mental Health Information Line: 0800 567 567
- Children’s Cancer Helpline: 0800 333 555
- Anti-Corruption Hotline: 0800 701 701
There is also a National Health System Ethics Line, published as “0800 20 14 144 14”. That is longer than a standard South African toll-free number and is grouped unusually, so if it does not connect as written, use the general hotline and ask to be directed.
The Health Minister’s two offices
This catches people out when writing to the Minister, because the correct address depends on where Parliament is sitting.
- Cape Town: Private Bag X9070, Cape Town, 8000. Telephone 021 466 7260, fax 021 465 1575.
- Pretoria: Private Bag X828, Pretoria, 0001. Telephone 012 395 8086, fax 012 395 9165.
Both use minister@health.gov.za. The Office of the Deputy Minister is on 012 395 9206, at Private Bag X828, Pretoria, 0001. The Office of the Director-General is on 012 395 9150, with DG@health.gov.za noted specifically for appointments.
When the national department is not the right place
Health services in South Africa are run provincially. A complaint about a specific hospital or clinic, or a query about treatment, belongs with the provincial health department rather than with Pretoria. The national site publishes links to all nine provincial health departments, and to the public entities and professional councils that handle specific matters, including medical schemes, laboratory services, communicable diseases, health standards compliance, health products regulation, and the nursing, pharmacy, dental and health professions councils. Going straight to the right body saves weeks. The national department does not run hospitals.
Before you call the Department of Health
Decide first whether your matter is national policy or a local service. If it involves a named facility, it is provincial. For the hotline, have the facility name, the dates and what happened. Use the WhatsApp number if you would rather have the exchange in writing. For anything urgent and medical, contact emergency services or your nearest facility. None of these numbers is an emergency line.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Department of Health contact number?
The head office switchboard is 012 395 8000. For health questions and complaints about care, call the National Health Hotline on 0800 029 999, which is free and answered around the clock.
What is the Department of Health email address?
The general email is info@health.gov.za. The hotline has its own mailbox at healthhotline@health.gov.za, the Minister’s offices use minister@health.gov.za, and the Director-General’s office uses DG@health.gov.za for appointments.
Does the Department of Health have a WhatsApp number?
Yes. The National Health Hotline’s WhatsApp number is 0600 123 456.
Where is the Department of Health head office?
Dr AB Xuma Building, 1112 Voortrekker Road, Pretoria Townlands 351-JR, Pretoria, 0187. The postal address is Private Bag X828, Pretoria, 0001.
Sources
- National Department of Health contact page, health.gov.za/contact-us/, for the head office address and number, the postal addresses, the ministerial, deputy ministerial and Director-General offices, and the National Health Hotline details (read 24 September 2026)
- National Department of Health home page, for the specialist helplines, info@health.gov.za, the provincial links and the public entities and professional councils (read 24 September 2026)
- Direct inspection of the health.gov.za security certificate, issued to the National Department of Health and expired on 23 September 2026 (checked 24 September 2026)