Buying Medical Scrubs in South Africa (2026 Price Guide)

This guide is for nurses, doctors, dentists, radiographers and practice managers who want to know what medical scrubs in South Africa really cost and where the extra money goes. It covers price tiers, what different fabrics cost, cost per wear, and how to budget for a whole team. Every koi price below comes from the live Scrubs Rx store on 30 September 2026.

How much do medical scrubs in South Africa cost in 2026?

Medical scrubs in South Africa fall into three price tiers:

• Budget (about R180–R350 per piece)
• Mid-range (about R300–R490 per piece)
• Premium/designer scrubs (about R490–R990 per piece)

One top plus one pair of pants makes a full set, so a set costs anywhere from roughly R360 to R1,880.

Tier	Price per piece	Typical full set	Typical fabric	Best for
Budget local brands	R180–R350	R360–R700	Poly-cotton, little or no stretch	Students, occasional wear, spare sets
Mid-range local brands	R300–R490	R600–R980	Poly-cotton or light stretch blends	Part-time shifts, clinic work
Premium performance & designer brands (koi Scrubs, FIGS)	R490–R990	R1,180–R1,880	Polyester-spandex or polyester-rayon-spandex stretch	Full-time and 12-hour shifts, theatre, active roles

Want to know more about the best scrubs brands in South Africa? Compare Scrubs Rx with TANC, GreensMedi and more.

Scrubs ordered from overseas brands can look similar in price, but customs duty, VAT and international shipping are added on top. Customs for apparel is generally 45-50% of the order value so that R1000 set quickly becomes R2000+ A locally stocked premium brand is the cheaper way to get your hands on designer medical scrubs in South Africa.

What’s the difference between budget and premium medical scrubs?

The difference between cheap and premium medical scrubs is mostly the fabric and styling. Budget scrubs tend to use rigid poly-cotton or thin 100% polyester. Premium scrubs use engineered stretch blends that move with you, pull sweat away from your skin, and resist fading, shrinking and creasing.

Feature	Budget poly-cotton scrubs	Premium stretch scrubs
Stretch	Little or none	Spandex blends, up to 4-way or 360-degree stretch
Moisture-wicking	Rarely	Yes
Ironing	Yes – prone to wrinkles	No-iron finish on koi Scrubs
Fade and shrink resistance	Varies	Yes, on koi Cureology and koi Next Gen
Pockets and details	Basic chest and hip pockets	Multiple pockets, ID badge loops, side slits
Size range	Varies	Women’s XXS–3XL and men’s XS–2XL across the collections in the Fitting Room
Fabric weight	Thin, shapeless, often see-through (80 GSM)	Crisp, tailored, retains shape (115 – 150 GSM)

For someone doing 12-hour shifts in a Durban summer, stretch and moisture-wicking make a real difference to comfort. For a student who wears scrubs twice a week, they’re a nice extra rather than a must. Learn more about the best scrubs for doctors here.

Which koi Scrubs collection fits your budget?

Scrubs Rx stocks several koi collections at different prices. Cureology by koi is the entry point for performance fabric. koi Next Gen and Solis are at the top of the range.

koi collection	Tops	Pants	Set from	Fabric
Cureology by koi	R590–R650	R690	R1,280	100% polyester stretch twill, 360-degree stretch, moisture-wicking
koi Basics	R690	R790	R1,480	95% polyester / 5% spandex microfibre, no-iron
koi Classics	R750–R790	R890	R1,640	55% cotton, 45% polyester
koi Next Gen	R790–R890	R990	R1,780	73% polyester / 22% rayon / 5% spandex, 4-way stretch
Solis	R790–R890	R990	R1,780	ExoFlex Ripstop Fabric 97% polyester and 3% spandex

Prices from the Scrubs Rx women’s scrubs and men’s scrubs collections as of September 2026

Are premium medical scrubs worth the price?

Premium medical scrubs are worth the price for anyone who wears them full-time, because the fair comparison is cost per wear, not the price tag. Cost per wear is the price of the set divided by the number of shifts you get out of it before it looks tired or stops fitting.

The break-even point is simple to work out. An entry-level koi Cureology set costs R1,280, and R1,280 ÷ R500 = 2.56. So the koi set only has to last about 2.5 times as long as a R500 budget set to cost the same per shift. A koi Next Gen set at R1,780 has to last about 3.5 times as long. Shrinking, fading, bagging at the knees and splitting seams are what send budget sets to the bin early, and those are the problems performance fabrics are built to resist.

Set	Price	Must outlast a R500 budget set by
Budget poly-cotton set	R500	1× (baseline)
Cureology by koi set	R1,280	2.6×
koi Basics set	R1,480	3.0×
koi Next Gen set	R1,780	3.6×

Our verdict: if you wear scrubs four or more shifts a week, buy performance stretch scrubs and fewer of them. Budget poly-cotton only makes sense for students, occasional wear, or a spare set in your locker.

How many sets of scrubs do you need, and what will they cost?

Most healthcare workers in South Africa need three to five sets of scrubs. That gives you a clean set for every shift in the week, with a buffer for laundry days and accidents.

Work pattern	Sets needed	Budget tier (R500/set)	Cureology by koi (R1,280/set)	koi Next Gen (R1,780/set)
Student or part-time (1–2 shifts/week)	2–3	R1,000–R1,500	R2,560–R3,840	R3,560–R5,340
Full-time (4–5 shifts/week)	3–4	R1,500–R2,000	R3,840–R5,120	R5,340–R7,120
12-hour shifts or theatre	4–5	R2,000–R2,500	R5,120–R6,400	R7,120–R8,900

You can bring the cost down by mixing collections. Buy pants from Cureology by koi, which is the lowest-priced performance range, and spend more on one or two statement tops from Next Gen or the printed koi ranges. Tops get seen and pants take the wear, so that’s where the money counts.

How much does it cost to kit out a practice or hospital team?

A practice team of 10, each with three koi sets, costs about R38,400 on Cureology by koi and about R53,400 on koi Next Gen. The biggest cost for teams is usually not the price per set but getting sizes wrong, which is why Scrubs Rx lets practices try before they order.

Team size (3 sets each)	Cureology by koi (R1,280/set)	koi Basics (R1,480/set)	koi Next Gen (R1,780/set)
5 staff	R19,200	R22,200	R26,700
10 staff	R38,400	R44,400	R53,400
20 staff	R76,800	R88,800	R106,800

Budget for embroidery separately and confirm every size before you add logos. Under the Scrubs Rx exchange policy, embroidered or altered items can’t be exchanged.

What should you check before paying for scrubs online?

Before you pay for scrubs online, check three things: the size chart, the exchange policy and the delivery time. Scrubs Rx’s rules are below, so you know exactly what you’re agreeing to.

• Sizing: koi sizes run by collection, so use the Scrubs Rx size charts for the specific product rather than guessing from another brand.
• Exchanges: email info@scrubsrx.co.za within 5 business days of receiving your order. Items must be unworn, with tags and individual bags intact, and the customer pays the courier costs. See the full refund and exchange policy.
• Final sale items: sale items, special orders, surgical caps, compression socks, face masks and accessories can’t be exchanged.
• Refunds: where a refund is approved, shipping costs are excluded and a R100 admin fee is deducted.

For the most common buying pitfalls, see 7 mistakes to avoid when buying scrub uniforms in South Africa.

Can you get medical scrubs delivered in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria?

Yes! Scrubs Rx is based in KwaZulu-Natal and ships koi medical scrubs nationwide, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria. Delivery typically takes 1–2 business days to major centres and 3–5 business days to outlying areas. Our guide to where to buy scrubs online in South Africa compares delivery options in more detail.

Frequently Asked Questions