Obesity Community Fund

08/01/2026

When we first met Sithembile, she joined the interview while hiking a trail near Krugersdorp. Just that moment already challenged a common bias: the idea that people living with obesity do not like moving or being active. She loves the outdoors. She loves being busy. But her body has not always allowed her to live the way she wants to.

From high school, weight was a constant battle. Her first diet was as a teenager. Since then she has tried almost everything: low-carb plans, intermittent fasting, working with dietitians, HCG injections, Saxenda, pushing herself harder at the gym, even periods of near-starvation. Each time the pattern repeated: some weight lost, then more weight gained back.

By the time she came to the Obesity Health Centre, she was living with high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, allergic reactions and was already pre-diabetic, with a strong family history of diabetes. She was successful in her IT career and as a mom of three, but felt she was “failing” at her own body, despite doing everything that is usually prescribed.

Her research for her mother’s diabetes led her to bariatric surgery. She learned it was not cosmetic, but a well-studied treatment that can dramatically improve health. Two barriers held her back: worries about fasting for religious reasons, and the simple fact that R170 000 was completely out of reach.

This is where the Obesity Community Fund enters her story.

Follow this space to see what happened next.

31/12/2025

Step-by-step process.

Here is the typical pathway to funded surgery through the Obesity Community Fund:
1) Submit a complete application and become a contributing member.
2) Our team reviews your medical and financial information against the criteria.
3) If selected, you start a structured work-up: tests, pre-surgery diet, counselling and education.
4) Surgery is done in our partnered bariatric centre, followed by ongoing follow-up and support.

Interested? Visit our website for full details and to download the application form.

27/12/2025

Eligibility and selection.

We look at three things when selecting patients for funded surgery: medical factors (BMI, obesity-related health conditions and overall risk); financial factors (income, dependants and ability to access care without support); and the whole person (readiness, commitment and support at home).

Not everyone who applies will be selected. The board’s decision is final – but every membership and donation grows the number of lives we can change.

22/12/2025

The journey to surgery.

Bariatric surgery is not a quick fix. It is an evidence-based treatment for a complex disease, delivered by a specialised team. Through the Obesity Community Fund, carefully selected members can access surgery in a high-volume bariatric centre with full multidisciplinary support. If you are considering surgery, the first step is understanding the process and criteria. Save this post – in the next two we break it down step by step.

19/12/2025

What your membership fee does.

Your monthly membership fee does a lot of heavy lifting: it helps fund life-saving bariatric surgery for selected patients; it supports education about obesity as a disease, not a personal failure; and it strengthens our advocacy work to change how obesity is funded and treated in South Africa. If you are living with obesity or care about someone who is, membership is one of the most powerful steps you can take.

17/12/2025

16/12/2025

Membership in 3 simple steps.

Becoming a member is simple:
1) Download and complete the Obesity Community Fund application form.
2) Attach your supporting documents (ID, proof of residence, basic financial and medical details).
3) Sign the agreement to support the fund with your monthly contribution.

Once we receive your completed form, we confirm your membership and keep you updated on the fund’s impact.

16/12/2025

The numbers are staggering. How do you make a change? You start.

We have started.
We will continue.
Join us.

Obesity is a big driver of healthcare spending in South Africa, yet most medical schemes still limit cover for effective treatments. The gap between the scale of the problem and the funding response is widening, with long-term consequences for patients, insurers and the public purse.

12/12/2025

What does it mean to be an OCF member?

When you become a member of the Obesity Community Fund, you are joining a community of people who believe obesity deserves proper medical care. Your monthly contribution helps us fund bariatric surgery and ongoing care for people who cannot afford it. Membership does not guarantee surgery – it powers the fund so that more people can access life-saving treatment.

Learn more about what membership means on our website.
www.obesitycommunityfund.co.za

11/12/2025

Yes!

10/12/2025

Four South Africans living with obesity have received sponsored bariatric surgery through the Obesity Community Fund (OCF)’s first official theatre list at Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital.

This milestone comes as South Africa’s first national clinical guidelines for obesity treatment are released in the South African Medical Journal, recognising obesity as a chronic, complex disease that deserves compassionate, evidence-based care.

These surgeries are made possible through a powerful partnership model that includes:
- Respiratory Care Africa (RCA)
- Vertice
- Innovative Surgery Fund (ISF)
- Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital
- OCF patient funding and advocacy

By combining device sponsorship, hospital support, affordable technology, and patient-led funding, world-class treatment becomes accessible to more South Africans, without compromising on safety, clinical standards, or multidisciplinary care.

“Obesity is not a personal failure – it’s a medical condition,” says Mari Lee, OCF trustee and bariatric patient. “These guidelines bring South Africa in line with international best practice.”

This is the beginning of a more compassionate and sustainable future for obesity treatment in South Africa.

Read the full press release on our website:
https://www.obesitycommunityfund.co.za/_files/ugd/8515d1_176a15a9de0a45b088ce3f096882d30f.pdf

Join us. Support. Learn. Advocate.

30/06/2025

Join us for a FREE Webinar Info Session!
Date: Wednesday, 24 July 2025
Time: 19:00

Are you or a loved one considering bariatric surgery or wanting to better understand obesity and treatment options? Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more and ask your questions in a safe, supportive space.

The theme of this month’s q&a is: Navigating the emotional and relational journey of bariatric surgery.

Register via the link on the Obesity Community Fund website.
Let’s walk the journey to better health together! Co