More Tourists Flocking to South Africa For Plastic Surgery

The number of foreigners having plastic surgery in South Africa has shot up dramatically in the past year, despite the strengthening of the rand.

"In December 2004 we had six patients and last month we had 25," said Peter Rodway, managing director of Mediscapes, which sells cosmetic surgery packages, mostly to foreigners on holiday in Cape Town.

The packages include the procedure, accommodation, tourist excursions, and the assistance of therapists and nurses during recovery.

Although the range of procedures foreigners wanted was wide, Rodway said: "Without question the most popular is breast augmentation."

The next most popular procedures are tummy tucks, rhinoplasty, liposuction and facelifts.

Although the rand has strengthened, Rodway says the cost of plastic surgery in South Africa remains 60% to 65% cheaper than in Britain or the US.

The Johannesburg company Surgeon and Safari has also noted a marked rise in demand...