MEDICAL OFFICERS

The backbone of care, these doctors are multi-skilled generalists. Many are already part of the furniture, adding the kind of stability that makes sustained growth possible.
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Dr Pierre-Andre Mans
Pierre-Andre studied at Stellenbosch and did his internship in George. He did his community service year here in 2011 and is now part of the medium term core. His interests range widely – his passion is ultrasound (he has a post-grad diploma in it), but he also enjoys things from surgery or stumbling across rare diseases, to preparing good food with his wife, creating a new garden and exploring the nearby beaches. Fortunately there’s chance for all of that here, despite having six young children!
Dr Jen Minnaar
Jen is a Wits graduate who joined us for community service in 2013 and has stayed on. She obtained her diploma in HIV in 2014. She's a teacher turned doctor, so also has a BSc and PGCE to her name. Unsurprisingly, health education is a passion of hers, as well as woman and child health and HIV medicine. She is mom to a young daughter and married to John, who is a multi-talented contributor to the village.
Dr Suretha Cilliers
Suretha graduated from Pretoria and did her community service in the Eastern Cape before a stint in Cape Town. Her love for the people and area didn’t leave her though and she returned in 2013. Her professional interests are in infectious diseases; she has a diploma in HIV. Together with her husband Ruan, who works for Axium Education, she enjoys a variety of outdoor pursuits. She has two young daughters.
Dr Gareth Meyer
Gareth is a Wits graduate who did community service in Kimberley and then worked at Steve Biko Academic before joining us in 2014. With an interest in emergency medicine (he has a DipPEC), he is a strict generalist at heart, with a bias to medical things, but also likes cooking, English literature and general DIY. He is married to Nadisha.
Dr Nadisha Meyer
Nadisha grew up in Lesotho, but studied at Wits and worked in Kimberley before joining us. She is currently working as a part-time volunteer. When faced with a medical problem she is happiest if she can cut it out and also really enjoys orthopaedics. She enjoys eating delicious food or watching cricket when their three boys and new daughter aren't keeping her hands full. (Oh, and she's studying an MPH on the side!)

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Dr Bianca Moffett
Bianca graduated from UCT and completed her internship at the East London Hospital Complex. She did community service with us in 2016. She enjoys most aspects of medicine, particularly child health, adult general medicine and mental health care. She also loves hiking, trail running, meeting and spending time with a diverse group of people. And when she's not doing that practicing yoga and making delicious mostly-vegetarian food with her husband Jacques.
Dr Jacques du Toit
Jacques graduated from UCT, married Bianca and did his internship in East London. He joined our team in 2016 for community service and has stayed on. He's interested in infectious diseases and surgery. Outside the hospital his passions are music and surfing. He's also inspiring a generation of skateboarders amongst clinical staff kids!
Dr Nomthandazo Bikitsha
NomT joined us for community service in 2017. She's a Stellenbosch graduate and did her internship at the Pietermaritzburg Hospital Complex. She's most passionate about paediatrics - she recently obtained her DCH - and family medicine. Relaxation involves music or travel and she's a keen cyclist.
Dr John Michell
John also did his community service at Zithulele in 2017, after graduating from Pretoria and doing internship at Ngwelezana Hospital in Kwa-Zulu Natal. He is excited to finally be in genuinely rural practice. He has pioneered the era of blood donation at Zithulele. Passionate about his faith, he's also a keen sportsman and married to Jenny, who's helping out with the NGO Jabulani.
Dr Phatheka Ntaba
Phatheka did her community service at Zithulele in 2015 and stayed on in 2016, but took 2017 off for a round-the-world mission trip. Now she's back! She's a UCT graduate and interested in aspects of medicine as diverse as paediatrics, psychiatry and primary care. Faith and friends are important to her, as are relaxing with music or a good book.