week approved the use of Apple’s earbuds, the AirPods Pro 2, for use as hearing aids. The move places the company in a strong position to disrupt the hearing aid market not just in the US, but worldwide – and South Africa is no exception.
“The approval of Apple’s earbuds as hearing aids is a positive step towards increasing awareness and accessibility of hearing care,” De Wet Swanepoel, professor in the department of speech-language pathology at the University of Pretoria, told TechCentral.“It opens up new options for people with hearing loss, particularly in countries like South Africa where affordability and access remain significant challenges,” Swanepoel said.
According to Swanepoel, the hearing aid market in South Africa is split between the public and private sectors. Although public healthcare provides hearing aids free of charge, access is often limited by long waiting lists, with waiting times ranging from six to 12 months. Even then, they are usually limited to one device per person.In the private sector, the devices are readily accessible, but the cost can be prohibitive.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority is the entity that must give its go-ahead to Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 being used as a hearing aid. However, said Swanepoel, the Health Professionals Council of South Africa will also need to be involved to allow for over-the-counter hearing aids to be made available to consumers without the involvement of audiologists.