Background <p>Access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved substantially in resource-limited settings in Africa, Asia, and South America, where 90% of people living with human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) reside. Despite the effective roll-out of free life-prolonging antiretroviral therapy (ART) in public clinics of South Africa since 2004 and the proven efficacy of ART, some people living with HIV (PLHIV) become lost to follow-up (LTFU) from treatment for various reasons. This study aimed to explore and describe the follow-up care experiences of clients on antiretroviral therapy in South Africa.</p> Methods <p>The researcher selected a qualitative research approach, used an exploratory and descriptive research design, collected data using in-depth unstructured interviews, and analysed data using thematic analysis. The ART clients were selected using purposive sampling, and data were collected from a sample of fifteen individuals at a primary healthcare facility to a point of data saturation.</p> Results <p>The study revealed two categories of findings, personal experiences and healthcare services experiences. On a personal level, ART clients experienced fear of disclosing HIV status, stigma, increased non-adherence to HIV treatment influenced by alcohol use, communication problems with healthcare providers, medication side effects, and challenges with transportation to access primary healthcare (PHC) facilities. The healthcare systems were negatively experienced due to factors such as prolonged waiting times, a shortage of healthcare providers, staff attitude, facility operating hours, and a lack of integration in clinical healthcare services.</p> Conclusion <p>The study showed that ART clients choose alternative treatment sites where they receive better services, including non-biomedical settings.</p>