Thakgalo Thibela, a Medical Doctor at Mapulaneng Hospital, recently posted on LinkedIn:

“From a 17-year-old mother to a remarkable Medical Doctor.

Meet – Dr. Thandeka Ngcobo. At age 17 she fell pregnant, instead of being defeated by a teenage pregnancy, she worked very hard to become a remarkable Medical Doctor.

Dr, Thandeka hails from a small village called Hlutankungu in Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She and her seven siblings were raised by a single mother.

Against all odds, she matriculated as one of the top 10 students in the region and obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, becoming the second graduate in her family.

‘My late mother is my heroine. She could have told me to stay home and raise my daughter, but instead, she gave me the chance to thrive. And thrive I did,’ said Dr. Thandeka.

Dr. Thandeka Ngcobo is registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as an Independent Medical Practitioner and currently practices as a Medical Officer.

She is a married mother of two and believes that proper primary health care services are a vital tool to fight the burden of diseases and illnesses in the health sector. She also has great interest in rural medicine.

In November 2023, Dr. Thandeka Ngcobo was crowned HCP Media Educator of the Year at the Health Excellence Awards.

Join me in celebrating her.”

Source: Thakgalo Thibela/LinkedIn