Shaping the youth to become formidable African leaders is just one of the factors that set Dr Thandeka Ngcobo apart from her medical peers.
The practitioner’s sphere of influence goes beyond the health sector and injects itself within the world of youth empowerment and development.
Growing up in the rural community of Hluthankungu in KwaZulu-Natal, raised by a single parent and later becoming a teenage mother, Ngcobo has succeeded against the odds.
Instead of being defeated by a teenage pregnancy, she matriculated as one of the top 10 students for the region and obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree, becoming the second graduate in her family.
She is registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and currently practices as a medical intern doctor at Mafikeng Provincial Hospital in the North West province.
The 25-year-old works closely with established non-profit organisations in the North West and Kwazulu Natal.She is actively involved in community building projects with Godisanang Youth Empowering Foundation (GYEF). GYEF hosts career guidance workshops, girl talks, and health seminars. Meanwhile, in KZN, Ngcobo works closely with Phumlani M Foundation, where similarly, they participate in career guidance talks and the “school is cool” campaign, which aims to encourage young people to make education a priority.
