Section 21 of the Medicines and Related Substances Act allows SAHPRA to authorise access to medicines that are not yet registered for general sale in South Africa. Medical cannabis products are dispensed under this pathway. Each Section 21 authorisation is patient-specific, product-specific, and valid for 6 months.

Is this legal in South Africa?

Yes. Doctor-prescribed medical cannabis dispensed under a SAHPRA Section 21 authorisation by a licensed pharmacy is fully legal under South African law. Docto24 operates only within this regulated pathway — we do not facilitate any access outside it.

How long does SAHPRA approval take?

SAHPRA typically issues Section 21 authorisations within 2 to 3 business days of a complete submission. We do not control SAHPRA timing, but we ensure each application is filed correctly first time to avoid avoidable delays.

Can I claim this on medical aid?

Consultations may be claimable under medical aid code 0130 depending on your scheme and plan. Section 21 fees and dispensed product are typically not covered by medical aid. Check directly with your provider before booking — every scheme handles this differently.

What does the full process cost?

R500 for the doctor consultation. R400 per product for each SAHPRA Section 21 application. Medication and delivery are priced by the dispensing pharmacy and shown before you confirm. There are no Docto24 subscription fees, monthly memberships, or platform mark-ups.

Quiet morning routine with a book and warm light — the calm setting in which many South African patients consider medical cannabis therapy.

South Africa · telemedicine

Legal medical cannabis, prescribed by South African doctors.

Section 21 authorised. HPCSA-reviewed. Dispensed by licensed pharmacies. From consultation to delivery in 3–7 days.

CHECK ELIGIBILITY How it works

Consultation R500 · SAHPRA Section 21 R400 per product · No subscription

Live consultation

Encrypted

Patient

Chief complaint

Prior treatment

Eligibility check

HPCSA-reviewedPOPIA-secure

patients reviewed

partner pharmacies

HPCSA-registered doctors

SAHPRA Section 21 pathway

How it works

From consultation to delivery in 3–7 days

Four steps, fully telemedicine. You never need to visit a clinic.

Sign up

1 min

Create your secure patient account with your email — we send a magic link, no passwords to remember.

Consult

15–20 min

A HPCSA-registered doctor reviews your case via secure video or text — your choice.

SAHPRA approval

2–3 business days

Section 21 application is filed per product and reviewed by SAHPRA — no patient action required.

Pharmacy delivery

3–5 days

Your chosen partner pharmacy dispenses and arranges courier delivery anywhere in South Africa.

See the full process →

Over-the-shoulder view of a patient holding a tablet on a video call with their doctor

What it looks like

A quiet kitchen-table consultation

No waiting rooms. No travel. You speak to your HPCSA-registered doctor over an encrypted video call on your own device, at a time that fits your day. Typical session runs 15–20 minutes.

How the video call works →

Pricing

No subscriptions. No platform fees.

You pay the doctor for clinical time, SAHPRA for the Section 21 application, and your chosen pharmacy for medication and delivery. Docto24 takes nothing in between.

See full pricing breakdown →

Transparent pricing

What you pay, line by line

No subscriptions, no hidden fees. You pay the doctor and SAHPRA — never us.

Medical consultation
with HPCSA-registered doctor (video / text)
R500
SAHPRA Section 21 application
per product, valid 6 months
R400
Prescription validity
dispensed by your chosen pharmacy, monthly
6 months
Delivery
arranged directly with the dispensing pharmacy
pharmacy-set

Medical aid: consultations may be claimable under code 0130. Check with your provider before booking.

START ASSESSMENT

Dispensed by pharmacy

Your medication is prepared by a licensed SA pharmacy

Once your Section 21 authorisation is approved, we route the prescription to one of our partner pharmacies. They verify stock, dispense under the authorisation, and courier the parcel directly to your door. Docto24 never holds medication.

See the full pricing path →

Pharmacist's gloved hands placing an amber prescription bottle into a paper bag at a dispensing counter

Conditions treated

Common reasons patients consult us

Eligibility is decided per individual case. The list below is not exhaustive.

Chronic pain

Lasting pain that has not responded to first-line therapy.

Insomnia

Difficulty falling or staying asleep, when sleep hygiene has not worked.

Anxiety

Generalised or situational anxiety disorders evaluated alongside conventional care.

Neuropathic pain

Nerve-related pain from diabetes, injury, or post-herpetic neuralgia.

Endometriosis

Pelvic pain and inflammation associated with endometriosis.

Multiple sclerosis

Spasticity and pain symptoms of MS, alongside neurology care.

Epilepsy

Treatment-resistant seizure disorders, particularly in paediatric care.

Cancer-related pain

Pain, nausea, and appetite loss from cancer or its treatment.

All conditions we treat →

Our doctors

HPCSA-registered, SAHPRA-familiar

Every doctor on our panel is HPCSA-verified and routinely files Section 21 applications. Independent prescribing, no corporate scripts.

Dr. Placeholder A

HPCSA MP0XXXXX

General Practice

“Cannabis medicine sits inside primary care — same diligence, same record-keeping, same patient relationship.”

Dr. Placeholder B

HPCSA MP0XXXXX

Pain Medicine

“For chronic pain that has not responded to first-line therapy, a structured cannabinoid trial deserves consideration.”

Dr. Placeholder C

HPCSA MP0XXXXX

Psychiatry

“Cannabinoids are an adjunct, not a replacement, for evidence-based psychiatric care. The boundary matters.”

Real names, photos, and HPCSA numbers go live with the public launch.

Meet the full panel →

Flat-lay of a clinical prescription form with a signature, rubber stamp, fountain pen and stethoscope

Regulated end-to-end

SAHPRA Section 21 · HPCSA-registered · POPIA-secure

Every consultation, every application, every dispense happens inside the South African regulatory framework. Each Section 21 authorisation is patient-specific, product-specific, and valid for 6 months. Every data field is POPIA-aligned.

Read the compliance details →

FAQ

Common questions

What is Section 21?
Section 21 of the Medicines and Related Substances Act allows SAHPRA to authorise access to medicines that are not yet registered for general sale in South Africa. Medical cannabis products are dispensed under this pathway. Each Section 21 authorisation is patient-specific, product-specific, and valid for 6 months.
Is this legal in South Africa?
Yes. Doctor-prescribed medical cannabis dispensed under a SAHPRA Section 21 authorisation by a licensed pharmacy is fully legal under South African law. Docto24 operates only within this regulated pathway — we do not facilitate any access outside it.
How long does SAHPRA approval take?
SAHPRA typically issues Section 21 authorisations within 2 to 3 business days of a complete submission. We do not control SAHPRA timing, but we ensure each application is filed correctly first time to avoid avoidable delays.
Can I claim this on medical aid?
Consultations may be claimable under medical aid code 0130 depending on your scheme and plan. Section 21 fees and dispensed product are typically not covered by medical aid. Check directly with your provider before booking — every scheme handles this differently.
What does the full process cost?
R500 for the doctor consultation. R400 per product for each SAHPRA Section 21 application. Medication and delivery are priced by the dispensing pharmacy and shown before you confirm. There are no Docto24 subscription fees, monthly memberships, or platform mark-ups.

All questions →

Ready to start?

Take the eligibility assessment in under five minutes. No upfront payment until you confirm a consultation.

CHECK ELIGIBILITY See how it works