Insurance & Medical Aid · Contact details
SAMWUMED Contact Details
The SAMWUMED contact number is 0860 104 117. WhatsApp is 060 019 3547 and the fraud hotline is 082 450 9539. The scheme is at the corner of Trematon and Lascelles Streets, Athlone, Cape Town. We read this on samwumed.org on 24 September 2026.
Official contact details
| Call centre | 0860 104 117 |
|---|---|
| 060 019 3547 | |
| Fraud hotline | 082 450 9539 |
| Ambulance and emergency | 082 911, Netcare 911 |
| Physical address | Corner Trematon and Lascelles Streets, Athlone, Cape Town, 7760 |
| Postal address | PO Box 134, Athlone, 7760 |
| Weekends and public holidays | Contact centre closed |
Most SAMWUMED services are run by someone else
This is the single most useful thing to understand about contacting SAMWUMED. The call centre is not where most queries are answered.
SAMWUMED contracts its major benefit areas to outside administrators and providers, and each has its own number and mailbox.
| Benefit | Provider | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital authorisation | Medscheme | 0860 33 33 87 or 0861 100 220, samwumed.authorisations@medscheme.co.za |
| Claims submission | Medscheme | samwumedclaims@medscheme.co.za |
| General enquiries | Medscheme | 086 111 2666 (Monday to Friday 08h00 to 17h00) |
| Mental Health Programme (rehab and substance dependency) | Medscheme | 0860 106 155, membercare@medscheme.co.za |
| Ex-gratia requests | Medscheme | smuexgratia@medscheme.co.za |
| Pharmacy and chronic medication | Medscheme | 0860 33 33 87 or 0861 100 220, samwumedcmm@medscheme.co.za |
| Dental | DENIS | 0860 104 932, customercare@denis.co.za |
| Optometry | PPN | 041 065 0650, Info@ppn.co.za |
| Maternity | Tshela Healthcare | 021 003 0256, samwumed@tshela.co.za |
| HIV management | Aid for AIDS | 0860 100 646 or 021 466 1700, afa@afadm.co.za |
| Emergency | Netcare 911 | 082 911 |
So a hospital authorisation is a Medscheme call, not a SAMWUMED one. Ringing 0860 104 117 about it means being redirected.
Medscheme also holds several further SAMWUMED mailboxes: samwumedenquiries@ for general enquiries, samwumedcomplaints@ for complaints and samwumedmotivation@ for motivations, all on medscheme.co.za.
SAMWUMED claims contact details
Submit SAMWUMED claims to Medscheme at samwumedclaims@medscheme.co.za. For claim queries, call Medscheme general enquiries on 086 111 2666, Monday to Friday 08h00 to 17h00. Ex-gratia requests go to smuexgratia@medscheme.co.za.
SAMWUMED medical aid rehab: mental health and substance dependency
SAMWUMED lists a Mental Health & Substance Dependency benefit among its 2026 healthcare benefits, with the details in the 2026 Member Guide. To use it for rehab:
- Get a motivation or referral letter. The Member Guide lists the mental health and substance dependency benefit among benefits that need motivation and/or referral letters.
- Register on the Mental Health Programme. Call Medscheme on 0860 106 155 or email membercare@medscheme.co.za. Registration is subject to eligibility criteria, and registered members get direct access to a Care Manager and an individualised care plan.
- Pre-authorise any admission. Call Medscheme on 0860 33 33 87 or email samwumed.authorisations@medscheme.co.za at least three working days before a planned admission, or on the first working day after an emergency admission. Without pre-authorisation a R1,000 co-payment applies, and non-network providers carry a 25% co-payment.
Out-of-hospital mental health cover is limited to R3,290 per family per year on Option A and R5,480 on Option B. It is unlimited at PMB level of care or when you are registered on the Mental Health Programme. SAMWUMED does not name a rehab facility network on its website, so ask Medscheme which facility is covered when you pre-authorise.
Two numbers that differ by three digits
Take care with these, because they are easy to transpose.
0860 104 117 is the SAMWUMED call centre. 0860 104 932 is DENIS, the dental provider. Both begin 0860 104.
The scheme’s own footer writes the call centre number as 086 010 4117, spaced differently from the 0860 104 117 on its contact page. Those are the same digits and the same number, just broken up differently.
The published opening time is inconsistent
SAMWUMED gives two different opening times for the same contact centre on the same website.
The site footer says 08:00 to 16:00, Monday to Friday. The contact page says 08:30 to 16:00.
Both agree on 16:00 closing and on weekends and public holidays being closed. If you need the earliest slot, assume 08:30 to be safe rather than turning up on the line at eight.
Note that the outsourced providers keep their own hours. Aid for AIDS runs 08:00 to 17:00, an hour later than the scheme itself.
Emergencies and fraud
For an ambulance, SAMWUMED directs members to Netcare 911 on 082 911. That is a national emergency number and is not restricted to scheme hours.
The fraud hotline is 082 450 9539. Note that this is a mobile number rather than a toll-free line, which is unusual for a scheme fraud line but is what SAMWUMED publishes. There is also a forensic reporting address at fraudreport@qforensic.co.za.
Medical scheme fraud affects members directly through contributions, so this is worth using if you see a claim on your statement for treatment you did not receive.
Who SAMWUMED is for
SAMWUMED is a closed medical scheme, which shapes who can contact it about membership.
It grew out of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union and serves the local government sector. Its website carries a Join SAMWUMED route and a quote request, along with member contributions for the year and a published complaints process.
If you are not eligible, the sales team contact on the scheme’s contact page is the right first stop to establish that, rather than the member call centre.
Before you call
Have your membership number and the dependant code for the person the query concerns.
Work out first which of the providers above your query belongs to. SAMWUMED publishes regional walk-in centres as well as the Athlone head office, so ask on 0860 104 117 whether there is one near you before travelling to Cape Town.
SAMWUMED office in East London
SAMWUMED says it has 19 walk-in centres across all nine provinces. The East London regional walk-in centre is at Unit 5, Vincent Balfour Road, Vincent, East London, 5247. The other Eastern Cape centre is in Gqeberha, at Block 6, Greenacres Office Park, 2nd Avenue, Newton Park. The contact page lists no separate phone number for walk-in centres, so call 0860 104 117.
Frequently asked questions
Does SAMWUMED medical aid cover rehab?
SAMWUMED has a Mental Health & Substance Dependency benefit. You need a motivation or referral letter, and you register on the Mental Health Programme by calling 0860 106 155 or emailing membercare@medscheme.co.za. Pre-authorise any admission on 0860 33 33 87.
Where do I send SAMWUMED claims?
Email claims to samwumedclaims@medscheme.co.za. For claim queries, call Medscheme on 086 111 2666.
Is there a SAMWUMED office in East London?
Yes. The walk-in centre is at Unit 5, Vincent Balfour Road, Vincent, East London, 5247. Call 0860 104 117 for help.
What is the SAMWUMED contact number?
The call centre is 0860 104 117. WhatsApp is 060 019 3547 and the fraud hotline is 082 450 9539.
Sources
- SAMWUMED contact page, samwumed.org/contact, for the call centre, WhatsApp, emergency and fraud numbers, the physical and postal addresses, the contact centre hours and every outsourced provider’s name, number and mailbox (read 24 September 2026)
- SAMWUMED website footer, for the call centre number and the alternative published opening time (read 24 September 2026)
- SAMWUMED contact page, samwumed.org/contact, for the claims, Medscheme general enquiries and ex-gratia contacts and the regional walk-in centres (read 26 September 2026)
- SAMWUMED Hospital benefit cover page, samwumed.org/health-care-benefits/hospital-benefit-cover, for pre-authorisation rules and co-payments (read 26 September 2026)
- SAMWUMED 2026 Mental Health and Substance Dependency benefit page and 2026 Member Guide (PDF), samwumed.org, for the Mental Health Programme and limits (read 26 September 2026)