Prof Julia Blitz

Julia Blitz became a Family Physician in 1989! Her practice over the next few decades spanned public and private practice
in both rural and urban areas, eventually landing in academia in 1997. She remained an academic Family Physician for the next twenty years, including international opportunities. About 10 years ago she moved into Health Professions Education,
subsequently being awarded a PhD on a topic that bridged Family Medicine and Medical Education. Her last full-time job
was as Vice-Dean: Learning and Teaching in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University. She
is now retired and balances looking after her grandson, with her ongoing involvement, through a number of institutions, in
undergraduate medical curriculum design and health professions education.

Prof Francois Venter

Professor WD Francois Venter, MD, FCP, PhD is Executive Director of Wits Ezintsha at the University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, where he received most of his training. His work involves health systems research and clinical trials, most
recently involving the antiretrovirals dolutegravir, tenofovir alafenamide, cabotegravir, and doravirine. He leads multiple
antiretroviral treatment optimisation studies and is currently working on new access programmes through private pharmacies within South Africa, patient linkage-to-care interventions, self-testing projects, as well as most recently on new large-scale primary care delivery platforms addressing hypertension, diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidaemia and HIV. He has led large PEPFAR-funded HIV programmes in South Africa, focusing on men, women, children, young people, truckers, sex
workers, and LGBTI communities. For over 20 years he has been an advisor to bodies such as the South African government, UNAIDS, and WHO, contributing to international, regional, and national HIV guidelines, and more recently WHO’s obesity guidelines. He has an active interest in medical ethics and has been involved in several human rights cases within the southern African region. He supervises post-grad students and has over 300 publications, including first-author articles in major journals.

Prof Lucille Blumberg

Professor Lucille Blumberg is an infectious diseases physician and medical microbiologist. She currently has honorary
appointments at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, the Universities of Stellenbosch (Medical Microbiology) and University of Pretoria (Faculty of Veterinary Sciences), South Africa. Her focus is on outbreak prevention and response, emerging diseases, travel- related infections, the viral haemorrhagic fevers, malaria and zoonosis especially rabies. She is the current chair of the Strategic Advisory Group for Infectious Hazards for the WHO Emergencies Programme and a member a member of the scientific advisory group for the WHO Neglected Tropical Diseases programme. She is a longstanding member of the National Rabies Advisory Group in South and is the previous chair of the South African Malaria
Elimination Committee (SAMEC). Prof Blumberg has been involved in the prevention, detection and responses to a number of communicable disease outbreaks including cholera, typhoid, rabies, the Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers (Lujo, Rift Valley fever, Ebola), influenza (pandemic A H1N1, and Avian Influenza A H5N2) and diphtheria. Her special interests are in malaria, rabies, other zoonoses, East African Trypanosomiasis, travel and tropical medicine and border health issues. She has worked with Right to Care as a Technical Scientific Advisor since 2021.

Prof Nicholas Crisp

Prof Crisp is a medical doctor and public health specialist and Honorary Professor in Public Health Medicine at University of
Pretoria. He was Superintendent General (HOD) of the Department of Health and Welfare in Limpopo where he served from 1995 to 1999.  Prof Crisp was then a self-employed consultant and has worked on projects in several African countries including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania. In 2009 he served as Special Adviser to Minister Barbara Hogan. He was intimately involved in the establishment of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), the transfer of the medicolegal mortuaries from police to health and the creation of the Forensic Pathology Services, and in the establishment of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). During COVID-19 he was responsible for managing the vaccination programme. He is now employed as Deputy Director General: National Health Insurance and is responsible for establishing the governance and administrative capabilities of the entity that will manage the Fund.

Prof Vanessa Burch

Prof Vanessa Burch obtained an MBChB degree (cum laude) at the University of the Witwatersrand and completed training as a specialist physician and rheumatologist at Groote Schuur Hospital. She also holds a PhD in health professions education (HPE) from Erasmus University in Rotterdam. She has received numerous awards for academic excellence and four lifetime awards for teaching excellence. She was the first woman Chair of Clinical Medicine at the University of Cape Town and has more than 30 years’ experience as a specialist physician and rheumatologist. Vanessa Burch plays a leading role in advancing HPE in sub-Saharan Africa and has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. She is a regular speaker at national and international meetings and was the founding editor of the African Journal of Health Professions Education. She is a fellow of the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) in the USA and was also awarded a Teaching at University (TAU) fellowship from the Council for Higher Education in SA. In 2020 Vanessa was appointed Executive Director of Education and Assessment at the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. In this position she plays a critical leadership role in all specialist and sub-specialist examinations conducted in South Africa.  Vanessa’s passion for HPE extends to all walks of life. She is keen to share her understanding of the human body and how this can enhance health and wellness in the 21st century

Dr Madeleine Muller

Dr. Madeleine Muller is a Family Physician at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital in Mdantsane and a senior lecturer at Walter Sisulu
University. She provides clinical services and teaches and mentors medical students, registrars, and medical officers. Dr.
Muller graduated with a Master’s in Health Professional Education from Stellenbosch University in March 2025. Dr Muller is convenor for the CMSA Diploma in HIV Management and she serves on the National CMSA/SACOMD committee, responsible for rolling out workplace-based assessments in postgraduate medical education in SA.  Dr.Muller is part of the CMSA/SAAFP team rolling out the Supervisor Workplace Assessment and Teaching Training (SWAT) for clinical supervisors across the ten South African medical universities.  Dr Muller is on the steering committee for the South African Association of Health Educationalists Eastern Cape Chapter and is an executive committee member of the Rural Doctors Association of Southern Africa, where she oversees the mentoring portfolio and manages the Rural Onboarding program. She also serves on the executive board of the Professional Association of Transgender Health in South Africa.  With a strong passion for inclusive clinical care, sexual and gender health, and medical education, Dr Muller is dedicated to curriculum development and fostering the growth of emotionally competent, patient-centred clinicians.

Mikayla Van Welie

With a love of emergency medicine and critical care, Mikayla has spent many years both on the road and in the air as an Emergency Care Practitioner, fulfilling her goal of providing best practice to every patient. From being operational, she saw the need for best practice medicine to be taught and since, has obtained her Master’s degree in emergency medicine and has become a “Meducator”, specialising in the ability to teach various advanced life support courses and bringing simulation-based learning into the teaching space.

Dr Tshegofatso Mabelane

Dr. Tshegofatso Mabelane is the first HPCSA certified Family Physician Allergist in South Africa and also an author of the book, ” Basics of Allergy in Primary Care”. She obtained her subspecialist qualification in Allergology through the University of Cape Town and College of Medicine South Africa. She also did the allergy exam with the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology under the European Union of Medical Specialists.  Dr. Mabelane serves as an Chairperson of the Diploma in Allergy for the College of Medicine South Africa. Her research in allergy led to the diagnosis of the 4th largest cohort in the world with red meat allergy.  We offer support and educational services on managing allergic disorders for primary clinicians in South Africa. Educational services are extended to patients and family members to empower self-management strategies.
The organisations conduct research as clinical trials in different fields of medicine but especially asthma, allergy, and other
immune diseases.

Prof Leon Snyman

Prof Klaus von Pressentin

Assoc Prof Klaus von Pressentin is an academic, primary care researcher, and clinician-educator based in Cape Town, South Africa. He is the head of the Division of Family Medicine and the deputy head of the Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care (FaCE) in the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Cape Town. His research focuses on primary care service strengthening (including chronic conditions and palliative care in primary care), human resources for health, and health professions education. He teaches primary care research methods, leadership development, clinical governance, evidence-based practice, and consultation skills. His current volunteer activities include serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the South African Family Practice Journal, serving on the Council of the College of Family Physicians of South Africa and chairing the Research Committee of the South African Academy of Family Physicians.

Dr James Porter

James Porter is a rural Family Physician trying to make it in the city. He is based at False Bay Hospital (Western Cape
Department of Health & Wellness) in Fish Hoek. He is also a senior lecturer in the Division of Family Medicine, Department of
Family, Community & Emergency Care, University of Cape Town. He chairs the SAAFP Point-of-Care Ultrasound Special
Interest Group

Prof Mergan Naidoo

MBChB, M.Fam.Med, FCFP, M.Sc (Sports Medicine), Dip HIV Man, DipPEC, PhD, PG Dip (HPE)  is an Associate Professor and Head:Clinical Unit in the Discipline of Family Medicine (FM) at UKZN and Wentworth Hospital (WWH). He coordinates the FM intern programme at WWH, the FM registrar programme at UKZN and a module for the Postgraduate Diploma in FM at UKZN. He is a practising clinician doing clinical work at WWH and supervising interns, medical officers and registrars. He is also involved in various clinical governance activities in the hospital.. His special interest includes infectious diseases, NCDs, maternal health and primary emergency care, and he has a keen interest in Health Professions Education, especially assessment and workplace-based training. He worked as a rural family physician in private practice and a sessional public sector doctor for 13 years earlier in his career. He has supervised Masters and PhD students and has published in various journals locally and internationally. He currently chairs the eThekwini Family Medicine forum, is the Honorary Secretary for the College of Family Physicians (CFP), and chairs the MCQ committee for the CFP. He is a member of the Education and Training Committee of the SAAFP and an active member of the Next5 Initiative and the SAAFP PhD interest group.

Dr Deidré Pretorius

I joined Family Medicine at the then called Medical University of South Africa as lecturer in 2000. In 2013 I moved to Family Medicine at the University of Witwatersrand as a lecturer and MMed (Family Medicine) post graduate and research coordinator. My teaching and research foci are medical communication and counselling, sexual health, abuse, and violence as well as social determinants of health.  I serve in various school, Faculty, and provincial research related committees. I am part of the Colleges of Medicine Sexual Health diploma development and am a member of the International Society for Sexual Medicine, and the International Sexual Medicine Network.  I am the section editor for the sexual health section in the African Journal for Primary Care and Family Medicine (PHCFM) and founding editor of a new journal for sexual health in Africa. I am a Council Member of South African Academy of Family Physicians (SAAFP) and serve on the national Education and Training committee improving teaching and learning in Family Medicine. I also serve as a Faculty Mentor for the fourth cycle of the AfriWon Research Collaborative.

Dr Gail Ashford

Gail is a passionate clinician, who advocates for improved patient care and consultation skills. She is an HIV Clinician with
over 20 year’s experience in treating people living with HIV. She has a wealth of experience in caring for HIV positive pregnant
women through conception to breastfeeding. Gail is also interested in management of chronic conditions that include Diabetes, Obesity, Hypertension, Mental Health and Autoimmune conditions. Gail is a wife, mom of two humans, and dog mom too. She
loves to cook, run and read.

Dr Chantelle van der Bijl

Dr Chantelle is a recently qualified family physician working in Bloemfontein. After graduating, she identified the need of newly qualified family physicians requiring mentoring and support in this transitional period in their careers. The Next5 initiative of the SAAFP was born and has since 2022 it has provided newly qualified family physicians with a mentorship program as well as support through various initiatives.

Dr Hanlie Pitout

Dr. Hanlie Pitout qualified as occupational therapist at University of Pretoria, obtained a Master’s degree at University of Limpopo and a PGCHE at the University of Pretoria. She completed her PhD at University of Witwatersrand. The topic of her thesis is “Development of an IPECP module for final year health science students. She works as a lecturer in the Occupational Therapy Department. She is passionate about research and supervises both undergraduate and post -graduate occupational therapy students. She initiated Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University. She is part of the African Virtual Interprofessional Education (AfriVIPE) planning team which brings students and facilitators from African and countries together to discuss case studies. She is responsible for making videos that show students the context of the case study

Darren Sweidan

Darren Sweidan is the Head of the Health Professional unit at Discovery Health. His undergraduate training was in clinical physiotherapy. Following training in business administration Darren joined the Netcare Hospital group in 1999. He spend 3 years in hospital administration and a further 2 years in group hospital finance. He entered the field of healthcare funding when he joined Discovery Health in 2004. Until the end of 2014 Darren was responsible, with the support of the Health Professional strategy team, for engagement with Medical Specialists, General Practitioners, Dental and Dental specialists’ as well as Allied and Therapeutic Professionals. Darren now heads the Health Professional unit with continued responsibly for engagement with medical professionals in addition to the Discovery Health Value Based Care, Professional Billing Intelligence, Health Quality and Auditing Risk Management units.

Dr Suzan Nnanile Nyalunga

Dr Suzan Nnanile Nyalunga is a Family Physician and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Practice of Medicine at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU), a position she has held since January 2024. From 2011 to 2023, she served as ajoint appointee at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital and SMU.  She is currently involved in the training of MBChB undergraduate students from the first to the fifth year of study.  She also actively participates in the Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) programme. Since 2016, she has served as a BLS Instructor under the auspices of Lebone Emergency College.  As a clinician, she has conducted teaching ward rounds and seminars aimed at improving the quality of patient care. In addition to providing clinical services, she assisted in coordinating the teaching and learning of MBChB VI students from 2011 to 2020 and served as a coordinator for the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) meeting from 2022 to 2023.  Between 2006 and 2010, she was involved in vaccine clinical trials, serving as either a Principal Investigator or Sub-Investigator in various projects. She has presented scientific papers both institutionally and nationally and was awarded Best Poster Presenter at the Annual Family Practitioners Congress in 2019. She remains actively engaged in research involving medical students and collaborates with other academics on independent research projects.

Dr Andres Lasn

Dr. Andres Lasn is a family physician and digital health leader with a strong track record in clinical care, medical software
development, and innovation strategy. He serves as Chief Executive Officer at Certific, where he helps shape the future of
patient-clinic communication. Andres also founded a private weight management clinic and actively lectures at the University
of Tartu and TalTech, guiding the next generation of healthcare professionals. With over a decade of involvement in national
medical societies and large-scale health IT projects, he brings deep expertise in primary care transformation, medical translation, and digital product leadership

Prof Sumaiya Adam

Prof Sumaiya Adam is an obstetrician and health professions education leader at the University of Pretoria. She led the curriculum review of the MBChB and FCOG programs, aligning medical training with national health needs and global best practices. Her work ensures graduates are prepared to address South Africa’s burden of disease, equipped with the skills to provide patient-centred, context-relevant care in complex healthcare environments. In parallel, she contributes to the development of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for specialist training in South Africa through the SACOMD/CMSA WBA Steering Committee. This work supports the move towards workplace-based assessment to ensure that specialist graduates are competent, confident, and ready for independent practice at the end of training.  An enthusiast for AI in education, she explores innovative tools to enhance clinical reasoning, case-based learning, and practical readiness in trainees. She is passionate about shaping medical education to foster lifelong learning, adaptability, and resilience in graduates, preparing them to contribute meaningfully in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape

Dr Simon Mashudu Marcus

Dr Simon Mashudu Marcus is a medical doctor with a Master’s degree in Inequalities and Sociology from the London School of
Economics. He is currently a Family Medicine registrar at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), working in urban township settings, where he combines clinical practice with a deep commitment to addressing the structural determinants of health.

Dr Marcus brings an interdisciplinary perspective that bridges frontline healthcare, sociological insight, and public health systems thinking.

Dr Mareike Rabe

Dr Mareike Rabe is a Cape Town–based Family Physician with a dynamic portfolio spanning both public and private healthcare. She currently practices at Vita Oncology in Cape Gate and Bellville, where she is actively involved in oncology and palliative care, contributing to multidisciplinary cancer management and patient-centered end-of-life support. Dr Rabe has a strong academic and advocacy background, having authored guidance on telehealth in primary care published in the South African Family Practice Journal. Her clinical interests include integrated palliative care, digital health innovation, and health equity. She remains committed to advancing family medicine through evidence-based practice, compassionate care, and collaborative learning.

Dr de Sá

Dr de Sá is a Family Physician and an Integral Coach. She has an interest in strengthening health systems through supporting
healthcare workers in their leadership roles. Her other interests include implementing proactive interventions to minimise the impact of work stressors on healthcare workers as well as improving safety for patients

Dr Ramprakash Kaswa

Dr. Ramprakash is a committed family physician passionate about delivering comprehensive, compassionate care to patients of all ages. With a solid background in practice-based research and academic teaching, Dr. Kaswa aims to build lasting relationships with the community and promote universal healthcare access. He is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health at Walter Sisulu University, South Africa. Additionally, he is a specialist Family Physician at Mthatha Regional Hospital. He actively participates in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, including Family Medicine registrar training, as well as clinical supervision, assessments, and curriculum development. A primary healthcare scholar, he has a particular interest in healthcare system research. He also serves as an assistant editor for the South African Family Practice Journal (SAFPJ). At SAFPJ, he is dedicated to advancing scientific research, academic growth, and social accountability.