Scores reflect the Overall AI Score for each category
Based on recent customer reviews, Virgin Active South Africa is described by members as a brand with strong facilities in places but severe administrative failure everywhere else. Reviews are dominated by cancellations that are not processed, debit orders that continue for months, Vitality discounts never applied, and complaints that disappear into unanswered inboxes. Praise, where it appears, is almost always attached to individual named staff rather than to systems.
Top Strengths:
- •Customer Service, Staff & Experience: Members single out named staff such as Siya, Nomthandazo, Itumeleng and Ntabiseng for warmth and effort, and clubs like Steenberg, Milpark and Bel Air for cleanliness. This is undercut by locker thefts, rude reception teams and long unrepaired equipment.
TrustIndex
1.8
NPS Score
-87
Recommended: Unlikely
Oct '25 - Sep '26
Frequently Asked Questions About Virgin Active South Africa
What do customers say about Virgin Active South Africa?
Based on recent customer reviews, Virgin Active South Africa is described by members as a brand with strong facilities in places but severe administrative failure everywhere else. Reviews are dominated by cancellations that are not processed, debit orders that continue for months, Vitality discounts never applied, and complaints that disappear into unanswered inboxes. Praise, where it appears, is almost always attached to individual named staff rather than to systems.
What is Virgin Active South Africa's biggest strength?
Virgin Active South Africa's biggest strength, according to Hellopeter's AI analysis, is Customer Service, Staff & Experience. Members single out named staff such as Siya, Nomthandazo, Itumeleng and Ntabiseng for warmth and effort, and clubs like Steenberg, Milpark and Bel Air for cleanliness. This is undercut by locker thefts, rude reception teams and long unrepaired equipment.
What are the most common complaints about Virgin Active South Africa?
The most common complaint about Virgin Active South Africa, based on Hellopeter's AI analysis of recent customer reviews, is Communication & Complaint Resolution. A recurring theme is silence. Emails go weeks without reply, call centre agents drop calls mid-query, promised call backs never arrive and managers are described as permanently unavailable. Members report being cycled between branch and Head Office without resolution.
Is Virgin Active South Africa trustworthy?
Virgin Active South Africa has a TrustIndex of 1.8 out of 10 on Hellopeter, based on 488 reviews in the last 12 months. Hellopeter has tracked Virgin Active South Africa across 8,403 total reviews. How is the TrustIndex calculated? →
Recent reviews (488)
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Share Your Experience1 reviews | Active since Jun 2023
Virgin Active SA has the most hopeless call center
It will be such a relief once i am able to cancel my membership. I have been dialing their call line ***and even that does not work. What a hopeless call center!!
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2026
Virgin Active Flexi membership is a ****
I was ****med into a contract by Virgin Active in a name of a flexi membership. No terms and conditions read to me and i'm now liable for 2 months arrears and it another month notice to cancel.
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2026
Virgin Active Flexi membership is a ****
I was ****med into a contract by Virgin Active in a name of a flexi membership. No terms and conditions read to me and i'm now liable for 2 months arrears and it another month notice to cancel.
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2013
***** by Virgin Active
I have learnt that I owe 3k on a membership I have never taken.i was at the branch today and the team was helpful to show my innocence. Even the joining fee was paid by someone not me...the headpffice does not take my calls. Virgin Active has an active ***** happening
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2013
***** by Virgin Active
I have learnt that I owe 3k on a membership I have never taken.i was at the branch today and the team was helpful to show my innocence. Even the joining fee was paid by someone not me...the headpffice does not take my calls. Virgin Active has an active ***** happening
1 reviews | Active since Dec 2013
Virgin Active Brackenfell poor quality !!
absolutely disgusted in the management of Virgin active in Brackenfell I train every morning and then get ready to go to work but the showers as gone from bad to worse out of 8 showers there's only 3 that is working the other 5 hardly has any water coming out. The tiles are broken and some missing and a risk for cutting your feet. Mold and dirt on the silicone.Every other day the drain is blocked so water cant run away into the drains
1 reviews | Active since Dec 2013
Virgin Active Brackenfell poor quality !!
absolutely disgusted in the management of Virgin active in Brackenfell I train every morning and then get ready to go to work but the showers as gone from bad to worse out of 8 showers there's only 3 that is working the other 5 hardly has any water coming out. The tiles are broken and some missing and a risk for cutting your feet. Mold and dirt on the silicone.Every other day the drain is blocked so water cant run away into the drains
1 reviews | Active since Jun 2020
Bad service
I can’t believe the horrible customer service the call centre just gave me, hung up in my ear without resolving the problem.
1 reviews | Active since Jun 2020
Bad service
I can’t believe the horrible customer service the call centre just gave me, hung up in my ear without resolving the problem.
1 reviews | Active since Jul 2012
Extremely disappointing cancellation experience with Virgin Active
Extremely disappointing cancellation experience with Virgin Active I have been a paying Virgin Active member and took out memberships for my wife and three children. At the end of July, I called Virgin Active specifically to cancel the memberships. The call was recorded, yet at no point was I clearly informed that individual members of my family would supposedly have to personally cancel memberships that I had originally arranged and paid for. What followed was almost three weeks of repeated calls to members of my family, including my wife and children, attempting to get each of them to cancel individually. The calls became incredibly frustrating and unnecessary. When I eventually called again to confirm that everything had been cancelled, I was told that some of my children’s memberships were still running. I was even told that my eldest son was supposedly liable for a month-to-month membership, despite the fact that I was the person who originally arranged and paid for the contract. My frustration is not simply about the cancellation policy. It is about the way the situation was handled. If Virgin Active requires each individual family member to cancel separately, that should have been clearly explained to me during my original recorded cancellation call. A customer should not have to make repeated calls, chase different departments and have their family contacted continuously simply to cancel memberships. I expected much better communication and customer service from Virgin Active. The joining process is easy. Unfortunately, my experience of trying to leave has been unnecessarily complicated, frustrating and disappointing. I hope Virgin Active reviews both the recording of my original call and the way family memberships are handled when the paying member requests cancellation.
1 reviews | Active since Jul 2012
Extremely disappointing cancellation experience with Virgin Active
Extremely disappointing cancellation experience with Virgin Active I have been a paying Virgin Active member and took out memberships for my wife and three children. At the end of July, I called Virgin Active specifically to cancel the memberships. The call was recorded, yet at no point was I clearly informed that individual members of my family would supposedly have to personally cancel memberships that I had originally arranged and paid for. What followed was almost three weeks of repeated calls to members of my family, including my wife and children, attempting to get each of them to cancel individually. The calls became incredibly frustrating and unnecessary. When I eventually called again to confirm that everything had been cancelled, I was told that some of my children’s memberships were still running. I was even told that my eldest son was supposedly liable for a month-to-month membership, despite the fact that I was the person who originally arranged and paid for the contract. My frustration is not simply about the cancellation policy. It is about the way the situation was handled. If Virgin Active requires each individual family member to cancel separately, that should have been clearly explained to me during my original recorded cancellation call. A customer should not have to make repeated calls, chase different departments and have their family contacted continuously simply to cancel memberships. I expected much better communication and customer service from Virgin Active. The joining process is easy. Unfortunately, my experience of trying to leave has been unnecessarily complicated, frustrating and disappointing. I hope Virgin Active reviews both the recording of my original call and the way family memberships are handled when the paying member requests cancellation.
1 reviews | Active since Mar 2015
horrible service at Virgin active SA. Consumers are being exploited.
How is it that when you call to cancel membership, they tell you 20 business days, but when they want to charge you prorata they count the weekends, i had an irritating call from one of their sales people, i ended up asking her to cancel my contract. i wanted to move my membership from a different gym to the one close to me since i moved. I told the lady i will go and view the gym first since they are 2 in my area, i would like to make a choice after, this lady billed me for club change before i could even go to the gym, then they call me to say I'm owing R295, i said i have not been to the gym to change, mind you i paid a high premium of my previous Club and the ones close by are lower and its okay. i requested to change on the 1st in the afternoon. now i'm getting this call and i have not even had the chance to go view the 2 Clubs, the lady was so rude, stressing that its our clubs our rules. Virgin active, keep your gym and your rude employees.
1 reviews | Active since Mar 2015
horrible service at Virgin active SA. Consumers are being exploited.
How is it that when you call to cancel membership, they tell you 20 business days, but when they want to charge you prorata they count the weekends, i had an irritating call from one of their sales people, i ended up asking her to cancel my contract. i wanted to move my membership from a different gym to the one close to me since i moved. I told the lady i will go and view the gym first since they are 2 in my area, i would like to make a choice after, this lady billed me for club change before i could even go to the gym, then they call me to say I'm owing R295, i said i have not been to the gym to change, mind you i paid a high premium of my previous Club and the ones close by are lower and its okay. i requested to change on the 1st in the afternoon. now i'm getting this call and i have not even had the chance to go view the 2 Clubs, the lady was so rude, stressing that its our clubs our rules. Virgin active, keep your gym and your rude employees.
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2026
🚨 VIRGIN ACTIVE POLOKWANE: 7 MONTHS OF REPORTING FAULTY CYCLING BICYCLES – STILL NO SOLUTION 🚨 I am extremely disappointed with Virgin Active Polokwane and the way they have handled the ongoing problem with the cycling bicycles. For the past 7 months, m
🚨 VIRGIN ACTIVE POLOKWANE: 7 MONTHS OF REPORTING FAULTY CYCLING BICYCLES – STILL NO SOLUTION 🚨
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2026
🚨 VIRGIN ACTIVE POLOKWANE: 7 MONTHS OF REPORTING FAULTY CYCLING BICYCLES – STILL NO SOLUTION 🚨 I am extremely disappointed with Virgin Active Polokwane and the way they have handled the ongoing problem with the cycling bicycles. For the past 7 months, m
🚨 VIRGIN ACTIVE POLOKWANE: 7 MONTHS OF REPORTING FAULTY CYCLING BICYCLES – STILL NO SOLUTION 🚨