Virgin Active: Membership fees, discounts and specials

Virgin Active offers tailor-made fitness plans for clients who intend to join the gym to lose weight, keep fit, tone their bodies, or build muscle. The health club offers various affordable membership types with different facilities for each. You can pay as little as R720 per month under the Club option.

Key takeaways

• Monthly payments at the gym depend on your membership. The more you pay, the more you get unrestricted access to the gym’s facilities.
• Virgin Active provides membership for people of all ages, from kids as young as 6 weeks to adults. They also have numerous locations across the country such as Mpumalanga, Eastern and Western Cape.
• Obtain a discount for referring a friend through the Virgin Active app.

What is Virgin Active?

Virgin Active is a health and fitness club operator with a footprint in 9 countries. It was founded by billionaire business magnate, Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group. Here are details on the club's fees, discounts and special offers in South Africa.

Virgin Active membership fees

The Virgin Active membership prices vary depending on the chosen plan and location. For example, if you select the club membership in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, you can expect to pay a monthly premium of R910, or R720 during off-peak.

An initial joining fee of R399 also applies. So you can choose any Virgin Active club near you. Here are some of the club’s plans:

Club for Kids (under 14 years)

In Beacon Bay, Eastern Cape, you can join the Club-V with just R155 monthly. The club is tailored for kids from 6 weeks to 7 years old. It is in a secure and safe environment with scientifically developed gym programmes for younger kids. Nursery and care facilities are also available for little ones.

Premier for Youth (14-23 years)

This membership category allows members full access to all Virgin Active clubs in South Africa and abroad (apart from collection clubs), allowing you to keep fit even when not at home.

Members between the ages of 14 and 17 pay R450 per month, while those who are 18 to 23 years old pay R950 per month.

Collection for adults (above 25 years)

A collection membership allows its members to get the full Virgin Active experience, which includes working out in any club at any time. R3400 per month at the club in Melrose Arch brings you a heated lap pool, sauna & steam bath, nutrition benefits, functional training, ride studio, pilates reformer studio, and many more.

Virgin Active's Vitality discount

Discovery Bank and Discovery Vitality clients can save up to 75% off their monthly gym membership fees when they join Virgin Active with Vitality Active. Once the membership has been activated, clients must visit the gym at least 36 times in a rolling 12-month period and exercise for 30 minutes or more to get this discount.

How to get 50% off at Virgin Active

• Download the Virgin Active app on Play Store.
• If you have an iPhone, you can also find the app on App Store.
• Go to 'invite a friend' on the home screen or profile tab.
• Follow the instructions to copy your referral code. Send this to your friends, letting them know to reference it when they join.
• Lastly, your friend references your code when starting their membership online or in person.

Note: Terms and Conditions apply.

Virgin Active specials

If you join Virgin Active in May 2025, you get the first two months for free. Moreover, you can unlock 25% off from Premier membership for the whole year, and no kids joining fees.

Virgin Active app

The Virgin Active app is an endorphin-releasing tool that gives you real rewards for hitting your goals at the gym. Here are some of the app's benefits:

• Easy access to Virgin Active gyms by scanning in and out of the club using the app while earning points.
• Access to class timetables and the ability to book your spot in advance.
• 800+ class videos.
• Invite a friend and earn a discount.
• View and book sessions with various fitness experts such as personal trainers, physiotherapists and dieticians.

If you have any problems with the Virgin Active app login, you can get in touch with them through their contact numbers below.

Virgin Active contacts

• South Africa: 0860 200 911
• Outside South Africa: +27 21 180 3566
• Virgin Active call centre hours: 7:30 am to 6:00 pm (5:00 pm on Fridays). Closed on public holidays.

Virgin Active careers

If you aspire to have a career at Virgin Active then you can visit their careers page to find a role that best fits you.

Virgin Active membership cancellation

You can contact Virgin Active through their official contact channels above to cancel your membership. However, if you are within your initial membership period, a cancellation fee is likely to apply.

How much is Virgin Active per month?

Virgin Active membership depends on the plan and location. Check out the membership fees above to find one that suits you.

Who is Virgin Active owned by?

Virgin Active is owned by South African investment firm Brait. They acquired an 80% stake in 2015 for $1 billion. The founder of the Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson, retains a 20% stake.

Sir Richard Branson had this to say following the deal:

Virgin Active is a business that we are proud to have been associated with from the very beginning, over 15 years ago.

We are delighted that we will continue to play a part in this alongside Brait, another long-term investor with a strong track record in growing businesses.

What is the minimum age to join Virgin Active?

Virgin Active offers programs for children as young as 6 weeks old.

What does Virgin Active do?

Virgin Active is a company that operates health and fitness clubs, offering a variety of services and facilities to help members achieve their fitness goals. It is one of the most popular gyms in South Africa, alongside Planet Fitness and Zone Fitness.

Virgin Active provides access to spas, gyms, swimming pools, group fitness classes and other wellness amenities. They also offer personal training, nutrition coaching, and family activities.

Can you bring someone to train with you at Virgin Active?

The Virgin Active guest pass option allows members to bring guests they may wish to train with. However, you must send your request to get a guest pass in advance and make the necessary payments.

Furthermore, one of the requirements of this option is that all guests must produce their identity documents and take a recent photo for identity purposes.

Virgin Active allows its clients to stay healthy and fit through various membership options with varying access to club facilities. The prices in this article are updated for 2025.

DISCLAIMER: This article is not sponsored by any third party. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!

Briefly.co.za published an article about activities you can do at Maropeng and how much they cost. Situated in Magaliesburg, Gauteng, Maropeng is the official visitors' centre for the Cradle of Humankind.

It is a World Heritage Site located about an hour's drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria. Maropeng, which means returning to the place of origin in Setswana, is believed to be the birthplace of humankind.

Source: Briefly News