Keeping fit at the gym in 2025 is going to be challenging for many South Africans as Virgin Active has increased their memberships by up to 50% for some members.
Image: Leon Lestrade / Independent Newspapers
Virgin Active gym members are reeling at the increased monthly membership fees that have been deducted from their bank accounts this month.
The gym announced the hike in an email to members in November 2024, many gym-goers, however most only discovered the increase when their debit orders went through in January.
Many have taken to social media to voice their frustration with the unexpected increases and are frustrated with the call center staff who are not responding to their calls and complaining that the operators kill the call when they try to cancel their membership.
The fitness group left social media platform X last year after the backlash regarding their announcement that trans people would be able to use changing rooms which aligned with their legal gender.
On Reddit, user Yungdjerm posed the question:
How much did your Virgin Active fees increase this year?
I'm quite stunned with how much my fees are going up; for the last year I've been paying R240 a month for single club access (Milpark, JHB - which is tiny), I'm on vitality and have been going to that gym since I was a student (so for around 7 years).
I got an email on the 29th of November saying my fees are going up to R345; an almost 44% increase. I know its still not that much relative to what I'd be paying without vitality - but I'm still blown away that they can just somma increase it by nearly 50%. Has this happened to anyone else this last year?
Apparently trying to cancel a membership is also problematic, as in a Hellopeter post, one member, Jason H says:
As a result of the ridiculous price increases, I'm trying to cancel my membership. 5 calls today, 3 initiated from my side, 2 received as call backs due to high call volume - all resulted in the agent putting down when I say I want to cancel. I've been with them since 2010 and it's gone downhill. It's a shame since I look back at good times, but there seems to be a new management regime in town and this is unacceptable. Stay AWAY. I was paying R402 in 2021, R531 in 2023. Now in 2025 it's almost R800. This is with Vitality.
The company is not responding to emails either, as Michelle T, posted on Hellopeter:
I had arrangements regarding my account payments. So Virgin Active is deducting the wrong amount. I called the head office and they told me to send an email. So I did they said they will get back to me in 48 hours. Still nothing.
Others are complaining about the automated response on social media platforms when they raise their grievances about the membership increases:
Simangele posted on Hellopeter:
Premium increases with zero communication: Virgin Active South Africa should tell us if it goes with the consumer protection act to just increase premiums without ever contacting customers! They also have a huge ego now, they just give a scripted response when we ask on platforms like Facebook. Somebody should focus on the comments there & how unhappy customers are about this, then you might advise your agents to tone down on the ego.I am escalating this with the ombudsman too.
At the time of publishing Virgin Active has not responded to IOL.
IOL Lifestyle
Related Topics: