Continuous glucose monitoring has existed for more than two decades. Yet for much of that time, it remained a technology that was available to relatively few with it being too expensive for most, too complex for some, and not well enough integrated into the clinical systems that primary care practitioners use. That is changing. And the change matters enormously for how diabetes is managed in South Africa.
The Barriers That Have Limited CGM Adoption
To understand what simplification means for CGM adoption, it helps to be clear about what the barriers have been. Three stand out: cost, complexity, and clinical pathway. Each has historically limited the reach of CGM to a relatively narrow patient population, typically younger adults with Type 1 diabetes who are engaged in their own management and supported by specialist care.
Cost is the most commonly cited barrier. Until recently, the monthly expense of CGM sensors placed them out of reach for most patients managing diabetes in South Africa without significant medical aid support. The launch of Dexcom One+ at R1,620 per box of three sensors (approximately R540 per sensor covering 10.5 days) changes this meaningfully for a larger group of patients.
Complexity is less discussed but equally important. Early CGM systems required multiple calibrations per day, transmitter pairing, and a familiarity with device management that not every patient had the support to develop. Modern systems have addressed much of this but perception often lags reality, and many patients and GPs still imagine CGM to be more complicated than current devices actually are.
How Dexcom One+ Is Designed for Simplicity
Dexcom One+ is a sensor-transmitter unit that requires no finger-prick calibration during the wear period. It connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth and displays readings every five minutes in the Dexcom One+ app. Trend arrows show the direction and rate of glucose change. Alerts are set to notify the patient and an optional follower when readings fall outside the configured range.
That is, substantively, the user experience. There is no pump to configure, no complex interoperability to manage, no clinical software to install. For a patient who has been self-monitoring with a glucometer and four to eight finger-prick tests per day, switching to Dexcom One+ means receiving more information, more continuously, with less effort.
For a GP who has not previously recommended CGM to patients, perhaps because the devices seemed expensive or complex, Dexcom One+ offers a straightforward entry point. A prescription generates a sensor order. The patient downloads the app. The clinical team accesses aggregated data via Dexcom Clarity without requiring the patient to bring a device in or manually log their readings.
Broader Patient Access: Beyond the Specialist Clinic
One of the most significant implications of Dexcom One+’s availability in South Africa is its potential to extend CGM beyond the specialist diabetes clinic. The majority of patients with Type 2 diabetes in South Africa are managed at primary care level by GPs, general practice nurses, and in community health settings. These are the practitioners who will determine whether CGM reaches the patients who could benefit most from it.
Real-time CGM at an accessible price point, combined with the data depth of Dexcom Clarity, creates a pathway for primary care practitioners to use glucose pattern data in a way that was previously only practical in specialist settings. A GP can review a patient’s Time in Range and glycaemic variability ahead of a consultation, identify patterns that inform medication adjustment, and have a more precise clinical conversation without adding significant complexity to their practice workflow.
The Follow App: Extending Support Beyond the Individual
Dexcom One+ includes access to the Dexcom Follow app, which allows a designated follower (a family member, carer, or partner) to receive real-time glucose data and alerts on their own device. For parents managing a child’s Type 1 diabetes, this is a life-changing feature. For elderly patients who may not reliably check their own phone, a family member becomes an additional safety layer.
Simplicity in CGM is not just about the device. It is about building a monitoring ecosystem that fits into real lives that are varied, complex, and often shared with the people who care about the patient’s health as much as the patient themselves.
Broader CGM adoption in South Africa depends on removing the barriers that have historically confined it to a narrow group. Dexcom One+ addresses the cost barrier directly, and its design addresses the complexity barrier equally.
