This Tuesday, 25 November, 2025, Roche SIX: RO, ROG OTCQX: RHHBY announced that its Accu-Chek SmartGuide continuous glucose monitoring CGM solution is now available in South Africa. This significant milestone means that people living with diabetes over the age of 18 can now benefit from the solutions enhanced glucose monitoring and artificial intelligence AI-enabled predictive insights 1,2 .
Diabetes is one of todays most urgent healthcare challenges. In South Africa, 4.2 million people are living with the condition as of 2024 3 . If left unmanaged, diabetes can lead to secondary complications including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, blindness, lower limb amputation and mental health issues 4 . In a study conducted by GWI in partnership with Roche, 58 of people living with diabetes stated that they feel a mental burden associated with managing their diabetes.
Since it was introduced, CGM technology has significantly improved diabetes care 5 , yet a significant number of people still have difficulty keeping their glucose in the right range when using current systems. 6 Hypoglycemia is common amongst persons who have type 1 diabetes, with an annual incidence of severe hypoglycemia ranging from 3.3 to 13.5. 7