South Africa is no longer simply a destination for pleasure or business, but also for a variety of cosmetic procedures

The typical tourist on a health holiday will seek medical attention for anything from an elective procedure, major surgery to cosmetic surgery. Of these, cosmetic tourism in particular has held the greatest drawcard for foreign tourists, certainly to South Africa – dubbed the hub of the nip ‘n’ tuck.

This flourishing niche market has been created due to the country’s unique offerings of sun, surgery and safari. The copious and diverse natural resources of the country, all-year round conducive climate, Cape Winelands, coastal regions and game parks make for popular luxury holidays which, combined with an excellent cosmetic surgery platform, create a package like no other product available in any of the other popular hubs such as Thailand or India. These packages are more popularly known as “medical safaris” or “scalpel safaris”.

This, coupled with the fact that South Africa boasts first-world technological capabilities, a favourable exchange rate and a multicultural people with the English language being used as the de facto language of communication, speaks to the fact that tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the country at the moment.

Medical tourists in South Africa were estimated to spend between US$30-40 million in 2003; and recent research by McKinsey estimates the medical tourism industry will be worth US$100 billion by the year 2012.

Although the private sector is the primary beneficiary of this market, regulated by private hospitals, clinics and a few travel agencies, and populated by high-income tourists, the government is starting to wise up to the benefits of exploring this niche market – which is set to grow even further – by seeking to find ways to accommodate the more cost-sensitive tourist. Its focus is on starting to market and involve more of the public sector, such as hospitals.

At the inaugural South African Health Tourism Congress held in 2009, it was estimated that of the 9.5 million tourists who visited our shores, 410 000 were medical tourists.

Congress chair Advocate Cawe Mahlati said South Africa could accommodate up to one million medical tourists, making it a destination of choice for those opting for medical and cosmetic procedures.

The greatest challenge facing the country at the moment is that the industry, in its innate state, is fragmented and thus inefficient – leaving room for more organised competitors to take over, said Deputy Minister of Tourism Tokozile Xasa. This has certainly been the case with Asian countries that in recent years have launched aggressive health tourism campaigns.

So what kind of person is typically a cosmetic surgery patient?

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), women made up 88% of all cosmetic surgery patients in the United States in 2004, with the majority aged between 35 and 50. This statistic, they found, mirrored patients who elected for cosmetic tourism, with the most popular procedures cited as breast augmentation, liposuction, face-lifts, tummy tucks, eyelid surgery, nose reshaping and dentistry.

Although women have historically dominated this demographic, more men are opting for cosmetic surgery, with the most popular procedures being facial rejuvenation and liposuction.

One of the United Kingdom’s largest chains of cosmetic surgery clinics, Transform, estimated that 15% of all cosmetic procedures carried out in Britain are now carried out on men.

It is interesting to note that with the increasing life spans of people in the West, it is estimated that one in six people is over 60 years of age and looking for quality of life, well-being and health. One in three people opting for cosmetic surgery is over 60 years of age, thus this age group is creating a burgeoning market.

It has increasingly been found that baby boomers are waiting until further on in life to have children, making cosmetic surgery crucial for an improvement in the quality of life.

With cosmetic surgery becoming a vogue 21st century phenomenon, it is no longer the young rich and famous alone clamouring for procedures, but people of all ages and ethnicity, as beauty has become an endemic feature in today’s society.

Recent advances in cosmetic surgery procedures and techniques mean it has become safer, more effective, involves less trauma and less recovery time, which may attribute toward its increased popularity. These advances include techniques such as laser-assisted surgery, used in such therapies as tattoo removal; and endoscopic surgery, which involves minute incisions.

Laser tattoo removal has today all but eradicated all other harsher traditional methods of tattoo removal such as chemical peels and dermabrasions, due to its proven safety and efficacy.

The importance of increasing knowledge in the cosmetic surgery/tourism industry as well as the importance of ongoing research cannot be stressed enough. Conferences are a platform for industry experts and participants to get together with the sole purpose of sharing knowledge.

One such conference was the COSMEDICA Cosmetic Medicine Congress of South Africa held in Sandton, Johannesburg from 30 to 31 July 2011. It was endorsed by the South African Association of Cosmetic Doctors.

There will no doubt continue to be many more conferences of this nature in the future.

For as long as the health systems of Western countries continue to employ a restrictive milieu of policies for their intended beneficiaries, and society continues to put emphasis on aesthetic appearance as the grounds for social acceptance – together with improvements in technological advancements and thus lengthening life spans – the cosmetic tourism industry will continue to grow and be around for the foreseeable future.

South Africa will remain uniquely placed to benefit from the influx of foreign tourists jetting down for a quick nip/tuck and a safari in the ultimate tourist destination; and its name will remain synonymous with cosmetic surgery.

Tafara Mavingire