Netcare is significantly increasing its investment in mental healthcare, driven by a surge in demand evidenced by a 3.4% rise in patient paid days to 129,357 in the first half of its 2026 financial year. The Akeso mental health division, which includes 15 hospitals with 1,094 beds, saw occupancy increase to 70%. The company recently opened the Akeso Polokwane hospital and has plans to launch two more facilities in Ballito and Tshwane next year, aiming to expand its national reach. This expansion aligns with Netcare's commitment to enhancing mental healthcare access and its broader strategy of leveraging digitisation and AI to improve patient care and operational efficiency, with a potential global pilot of wearable monitoring technology.