Driving Efficiency. Empowering Excellence.
Meet Our Exceptional Team
The NHN team drives innovation and collaboration across South Africa’s independent private hospitals. Through strategic leadership, data-driven insights, and administrative support, we empower our members to focus on what matters most – delivering exceptional patient care, from maternity and urology to general and palliative services.
CEO
Neil Nair
Neil Nair brings decades of leadership and strategic expertise to his role as CEO of the National Hospital Network. From 2001 to 2019, he served as Principal Officer of SAMWUMED, guiding the medical scheme from its inception to a thriving organization of approximately 80,000 members. Under his stewardship, SAMWUMED achieved financial stability, with a net claims ratio of 80%, reserves exceeding 80%, and assets surpassing R1.5 billion. Nair’s leadership transformed SAMWUMED into a recognizable brand in South Africa’s competitive medical scheme sector, earning accolades such as consistently ranking among the top three most sustainable medical schemes by Alexander Forbes (2015–2017) and being named BHF Scheme of the Year in 2015.
Before his tenure at SAMWUMED, Nair’s career was marked by a strong commitment to social and labor activism. Beginning as a student activist in the 1980s, he later joined the trade union movement in 1993, advocating for employee benefits, particularly in the local government sector. He contributed to shaping policy through his involvement in the SALGBC Employee Benefits Working Group and held influential national roles, including Director and Deputy Chairperson on the Board of Healthcare Funders of Southern Africa. Nair also served as a Technical Advisor to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s NHI Ministerial Advisory Sub-Committee and represented medical schemes on the Council for Medical Schemes Task Team, reflecting his enduring dedication to advancing healthcare policy in South Africa.
Group Operations manager
Loedt Zemanay
Loedt Zemanay joined the National Hospital Network (NHN) in July 2019 as the Finance and Administration Manager. A graduate of the University of Cape Town (UCT), he holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree with a major in Economics.
His career began at Grassroots Educare Trust (GET), a Cape Town–based non-profit organization dedicated to early childhood development, where he honed his skills as a Financial Administrator. Loedt later advanced to the trade union sector, where he held several leadership positions, culminating in his role as Head of Department: Finance and Administration. Prior to joining NHN, he served as Senior Manager: Corporate Services at a restricted medical scheme for municipal employees, overseeing financial operations, governance, and organizational support functions.
With almost 30 years of experience in financial management, corporate governance, and administrative leadership, Loedt brings extensive expertise and sound judgment to NHN’s operational and fiscal strategy. His work is guided by a strong commitment to accountability, efficiency, and sustainable growth within the healthcare sector.
Tariff Specialist
Glynis King
Glynis King joined the National Hospital Network (NHN) in July 2021 as the Tariff Specialist. With more than two decades of experience in healthcare management and operations, she brings extensive knowledge of both the private and public healthcare sectors.
Her career began at Groote Schuur Hospital, after which she held key roles at Bankmed, Liberty Health Group, and several leading administrators. During her tenure at Metropolitan Health, she advanced from Claims Manager to Medical Scheme Fund Manager and later to Senior Claims Manager, gaining a deep understanding of healthcare funding, claims processes, and operational efficiencies.
Glynis has also played a pivotal role in Provider Relations for one of South Africa’s largest medical schemes, working closely with the Department of Health, private hospitals, bureaus, provider societies, and key opinion leaders across the sector. Her expertise includes medical claims assessment, medical scheme administration, pre-authorisation, case management, and claims submission processes.
Through her extensive engagement with healthcare stakeholders, Glynis has developed a strong grasp of hospital management fundamentals, including revenue optimisation, cost containment, and risk management. Her ability to bridge technical detail with strategic insight makes her an invaluable contributor to NHN’s tariff and provider relations initiatives.
BACK OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Jade Stemmet
Jade joins the NHN Team with a wealth of medical aid experience and is a dedicated and results-driven customer service professional with over 15 years of experience in delivering exceptional support and fostering positive relationships with clients. She has worked for Medscheme as a Specialist Management Support Agent where she honed her skills.Â
She is highly proficient at handling escalated inquiries and ensuring customer satisfaction through effective communication and problem-solving skills. She has a proven ability to work in fast-paced environments and adapt to changing customer needs, consistently exceeding performance targets and contributing to team success.
AdministratIVE ASSISTANT
Olona Hlwatika
Olona joins the NHN in the capacity of Administrative Assistant. She has completed a Medical Secretary Course (N6) and has worked as a medical receptionist. She is keen to further develop her administrative skills, communication and time-management abilities through working at the NHN.Â
Olona completed her matric at Manyano High School. Olona is enthusiastic, an active marathon runner and is keen to use this discipline in her work