The new AirPods Pro 2 cost $249 in the US (about R5 000 in South Africa including VAT but excluding import duties; official local pricing is expected soon), while hearing aids typically cost multiples of that - up to about R100 000. The hearing aid functionality will arrive as a software update in the coming weeks, Apple has said.
"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.
"While South Africa's regulatory environment may still need to adapt, this development signals a shift in the global hearing care landscape, offering more choice for individuals and fostering broader advocacy for hearing health."
The result is that many South Africans who need hearing aids remain without them. The problem is just as severe abroad, with 2021 estimates by the World Health Organisation concluding that fewer than one in four of the 460 million people living with disabling hearing loss and who need hearing aids actually use them.
