Land that was once a playground and gathering place for tsotsis is now the site of a private clinic in Khayamandi.
The Unjani Clinic, located behind the Anglican church in Masitandane Road, is run and managed by Sister Nobulali Mavis Gxagxisa.
Before starting the clinic last February she was a nurse at Tygerberg Hospital, but decided to work for herself within her own community. “It wasn’t easy going from employee to employer, but business has been going well,” Gxagxisa explained.
“We see about 50 patients a day. At first it was mostly just the sick, but now patients are returning for chronic care, family planning and care during pregnancy.”
More than 800 patients visited the clinic in April alone.
Unjani Clinic is part of a network of black women-owned and -operated primary healthcare clinics. Although the service is private, consultations and medication are more accessible and affordable for lower-income communities, with consultations costing R300.
“The state clinic is starting to send patients who don’t want to wait as long to be helped our way,” Gxagxisa said. These include mothers with sick children to taxi drivers, who say they have limited time and appreciate the relative privacy of the clinic.”
Gxagxisa is one of two nurses attending to patients, the rest of the staff form the clinic’s administrative team. “I started my nursing studies late, at age 35, but I told my husband we needed to create a better future for our kids. We were both working at a restaurant then,” the passionate nurse recalled.
“During my studies we were shown the different types of nursing, and already the idea of having my own practice started germinating. I also had a friend and fellow nurse who opened her own Unjani Clinic.”
On Tuesday (7 May) Gary Hudson and Brian Smith of Oxford Partners, along with Riaan van Heerden of Valeo Capital South Africa and Lee-Ann Pillay, trustee of the Valeo Capital Empowerment Trust, visited the clinic. An additional wing was recently completed, which was funded by dividends received from Oxford Partners, in conjunction with the Valeo Capital Empowerment Trust.
“We are delighted to contribute to a project that has such a positive economic and social impact on the community,” said Hudson.
Gxagxisa hopes to leave a legacy with her business, as she will have full ownership of the clinic in four years. However, the practice will remain part of the Unjani family, for which she is thankful as they continually provide guidance and assistance.
The clinic will soon offer eye and hearing tests as well, and in the new wing the paediatric care services can also be expanded. Load shedding also isn’t a problem thanks to the installation of a solar-power system.
Gxagxisa’s big dream is to eventually set up a local mobile clinic to service more residents in the township.
