- There aren’t enough doctors working in South Africa’s rural areas. To fix this, the Umthombo Youth Development Foundation has trained hundreds of health workers, the majority of whom end up working in the country’s far-flung areas.
- Now, the project’s success is being undermined by hiring freezes as provincial health departments battle to balance a shrinking public purse and increasing salaries.
- In the fourth episode of Health Beat, our Mia Malan asks the head of the National Health Insurance, Nicholas Crisp, whether the scheme could solve the problem.
Jessica Pitchford is Bhekisisa's TV and multimedia editor. She's been a journalist since the early nineties and has reported on some pivotal events in South Africa’s political history, such as the country’s transition to democracy and the work of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission.
Yolanda Mdzeke was a junior multimedia reporter and multimedia reporter at Bhekisisa between March 2021 and June 2025.
Mohale Moloi worked at Bhekisisa as a television producer and health journalist from July 2021 to March 2024.
Ntuthuko “Lolly” Gumbi-Fakude is a freelance video editor. She has almost 20 years experience in the news and broadcast media industry on projects like the coronation of King Misuzulu Zulu.
Mia Malan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Bhekisisa. She has worked in newsrooms in Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington, DC, winning more than 30 awards for her radio, print and television work.
