All present members of the SAAFP in good standing shall be admitted to full membership of the SAAFP.

Any Family Physician as such registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa, and any medical practitioner who in the opinion of the Council of the SAAFP should be admitted as full member, may be awarded full membership.

This also means that any medical practitioner not registered as a family physician can also be admitted as full member if they have similar professional experience and performs a similar field of practice. All applicants qualifying for full membership must become/remain a full member and will not be admitted any other category of membership (e.g. associate).

The following criteria for full membership have been approved by the Council (17 February 2012):

Applicants must be  good standing with the HPCSA and not be registered in another specialty other than family medicine, and: 

1. 1. Be a current member of the Academy (in good standing before membership term exipration date 30 April 2012); or
   2. Be registered as family physician with HPCSA; or
   3. Hold a Fellowship of CFP(SA) or equivalent, or a Masters degree in family medicine or equivalent, but not be registered as family physician with HPCSA; or
   4. Hold one or more postgraduate diplomas/degrees (other than in point 3) in a domain relevant to family medicine, PLUS at least 6 years of professional experience  relevant to family medicine (independent-  or public practice); or
   5. Have eight (8) years or more years professional experience as medical practitioner relevant to family medicine (independent-  or public practice). 

Full members shall enjoy all the benefits and privileges of members of the Academy, including full voting rights at general meetings.

Type A: Any medical practitioner who otherwise does not qualify for full membership may be admitted as an associated member.

Type B: Health professionals other than medical practitioners and students in any health profession may be awarded associate membership.

Associate Members who subsequently registers with the Health Professions Council of South Africa as a Family Physician shall automatically become a Full Member. The member shall inform the Treasurer of such registration, and the applicable subscriptions will become payable with the rendering of the next account.

Associate Members shall enjoy all the benefits and privileges of membership of the Academy, but will not have voting rights at general meetings.

Family medicine registrars in an official training post may be awarded Trainee Membership during their period of official training.

Any Trainee Member who registers with the Health Professions Council of South Africa as a Family Physician shall automatically become a Full Member. The member must inform the Treasurer of such registration, and the applicable subscriptions will become payable with the rendering of the next account.

Trainee members shall enjoy all the benefits and privileges of membership of the Academy, but will not have voting rights at general meetings.

Undergrad students at a recognized medical faculty may register for the Student membership.

Student members shall enjoy all the benefits and privileges of membership of the Academy, but will not have voting rights at general
meetings.

Student members will not qualify for the discounted publication fees in the South African Practice journal.

Any person who has given exceptional service in the promotion of the objects of the SAAFP may be elected as an Honorary Member by the Council. Honorary Members need not be medical practitioners.

Honorary members shall enjoy all the benefits and privileges of membership of the Academy, but will not have voting rights at general meetings.

Members who have been Full Members of SAAFP for at least 35 (thirty five) years in the aggregate, shall automatically become Life Members, provided that the Council may, if circumstances justify it, and according to its discretion, grant Life Membership to a Member who does not meet the 35 (thirty five) years requirement.

Life members shall enjoy all the benefits and privileges of members of the Academy, including full voting rights at general meetings.

The term of membership corresponds with the financial year of SAAFP, that is from 1 April – 31 March. All members in good standing will be re-invoiced at the beginning of April , with payments due before the end of April. At the end of June unpaid invoices will, unfortunately, result in membership suspension.

Please contact us if you need any membership assistance, or do not receive a print copy of SA Family Practice, our flagship journal with an online CPD program. SA Family Practice is published bi-monthly. Members receive 6 issues of SA Family Practice per year, starting March/April until Jan/Feb the following year, to correspond with the term of membership (1 April – 31 March).