Conventional wisdom has seen Africa as a growth market for medical travelers, particularly targeted by the Gulf and Asian countries. Many African politicians have also gone at the expense of the state, to the UK or the US, even for simple medical treatment.

In the short term, just like China today and the Gulf in the past, a small boom in outbound international medical tourism is likely to occur, where Africans choose to go to Asia, the Gulf, Europe or other African countries.

This will likely fade as more medical tourism remains in Africa. As Africans get richer, medical tourism will change from need-based to choice-based for the middle classes, while the poor remain driven by the need and free care available.

The potential for medical travel to Africa is often confused. Often, whenever some countries open a new hospital, the headlines state that "hospital X will make country Y a destination for medical tourism". Mostly this is not true, as unless the hospital is properly funded, it will struggle to help the locals, let alone people from all over the country or other countries.

However, Covid-19 has taught many African countries that they need to accelerate the delivery of local health care. Several countries have opened hospitals that offer care to locals, people from all over the country and even beyond international borders.