Photo: Helenus Kruger
Many things some of us take for granted, such as visiting a doctor or local clinic, are often not easily accessible to others, especially farmworkers in rural areas of the country.
Now, in the Mopani District of Limpopo, in the towns of Hoedspruit and Letsitele, a new option is available. At the Hlokomela clinics in the area, professional staff welcome patients with open arms, whether they need general medical support for an ailment, a Pap smear, ultrasound, or eye test.
Hlokomela means ‘to care’ in Sepedi, and this is precisely what these clinics stand for: caring for people in need.
What makes these clinics special is the staff members’ dedication. Their involvement doesn’t end with a diagnosis; instead, they take patients through screening processes and then, in most cases, maintain supportive relationships during difficult journeys of biopsies, treatments, and recovery.
“We strive to make each patient who enters the clinics feel welcome, safe, and important,” says Christine du Preez, founder and managing director of Hlokomela.
Community-based healthcare
Du Preez founded Hlokomela, an award-winning HIV treatment and prevention programme, in 2005. In 2017, with the support of the Breast Health Foundation and the Discovery Fund, she opened the Hlokomela Women’s Clinic in Hoedspruit.
Since then, Hlokomela has been a prominent and respected role player in the health and well-being of local communities in Limpopo, serving about 60 000 people every year (direct and indirect beneficiaries) through the services offered at the Hlokomela Women’s Clinic, the Hlokomela Blyde Clinic, the Hlokomela Junction Clinic, and various other satellite clinics.
Hlokomela’s geographical focus is on Hoedspruit and the surrounding communities in the Maruleng and Greater Tzaneen municipalities, within the Mopani District. The district, adjacent to Kruger National Park, is predominantly a fruit and game farming area, with a large population of seasonal and migrant workers.
Du Preez explains that apart from farm and game lodge owners, managers, and permanent workers in the area, the clinics also serve seasonal workers employed in the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region.
Hlokomela is an internationally recognised model of community-based healthcare, with 49 staff members, 74 community health workers known as Nompilos (‘mothers of life’ in isiZulu), and 100 volunteers known as HlokoMiere, a name derived from Hlokomela and miere, the Afrikaans word for ‘ants’. According to Du Preez, miere was chosen because, like ants, the volunteers are essential for maintaining the health of ecosystems.
Their mission, according to Du Preez, is to provide quality, all-inclusive healthcare to targeted communities in South Africa, building resilience and sustainability.
“Our services cover the continuum of care ranging from prevention to treatment and retention, as well as sexual and reproductive health. Social programmes include psychosocial support and programmes to reduce gender-based violence and human rights violations,” she adds.
Hlokomela, in particular, seeks to contribute to the reduction of HIV prevalence and the impact of AIDS among farmworkers and their families by working with farm management to create a healthier work environment, supported by workplace HIV policies and wellness programmes.
The clinic personnel also provide education on-site and on farms about HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment while mentoring male role models to address gender-based violence, transactional sex, and poor health-seeking behaviour in men.
Awards
Hlokomela was awarded the Silver Prestigious Impumelelo Innovation Award in 2008 and a Star reward in 2010. Impumelelo recognises innovations in government and public-private partnerships that enhance the quality of life of poor communities and address key developmental issues of national concern.
In 2013 Du Preez won South Africa’s Most Influential Women in Civil Society Organisations & Related Services award, and in May 2015, she received a Recognition Award in the category International Community Workers Recognition at the Women4Africa Awards UK in London.
In November 2018, the Hlokomela Women’s Clinic won gold at the Community Chest Impumelelo Social Innovations Awards ceremony in Cape Town. Two years later, Du Preez and the Hlokomela team were awarded the 2020 Women’s Day award by the DA Women’s Network.
In 2024, Du Preez named a Paul Harris Fellowy the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International in recognition of her efforts to promote the better understanding of and friendly relations among people around the world.
In 2025, Hlokomela was named First Runner-up in the Health Institution of the Year category at the African Health Excellence Awards. The awards recognise health institutions throughout Africa.
Partnership with farmers
After many years of preparation, the Hlokomela Clinic opened its doors on the premises of Mahela Group in Letsitele on 9 February 2024. Mahela Group is a leading citrus and subtropical producer.
The opening of the clinic enables local farmworkers, employees of the packing houses around Letsitele, and their families to receive clinical care without having to endure long journeys and endless waiting times.
The PPO Foundation, based in Switzerland, supported Mahela Group in the construction of the clinic from the beginning and is also handling some of the long-term operating costs to guarantee a sustainable operation.
“The PPO Foundation has been supporting us since 2007 with their involvement at the Junction School situated on Mahela’s Letsitele Junction Farm. The clinic was established in an existing building that we renovated to make it suitable for use as a clinic,” explains Pieter Vorster, director of Mahela Group.
In addition, Mahela Group has also made a generous donation towards the clinic staff’s uniforms.
Vorster says the facility is already making a huge difference in the lives of many people in the community. “When farmworkers in the Letsitele area need medical attention, they can visit the Hlokomela Junction Clinic.
Extensive list of services
“The clinic offers a wide range of services, from medicine collection and blood sugar or blood pressure testing to consultations with a general practitioner for more serious ailments.”
These services are open to all people in the area.
“Although the clinic is located on Mahela’s Junction Farm, its doors are open to all farmworkers in the Letsitele area. By sharing costs between employers and workers, quality healthcare has become more accessible and affordable for the community,” adds Vorster.
What truly makes this clinic exceptional is the dedication and compassion of the staff. Professional nurses and other staff stand ready to welcome everyone, and their care extends beyond diagnosis, counselling, and health education, as they also provide ongoing support as part of every patient’s journey.
“Walk-ins are welcome, even if they are not farmworkers, and every patient will receive proper, professional care. Our facility is designed to provide quality, efficient, and professional care in a clean and welcoming environment,” says Sister Suzan Sape, a professional nurse.
Services rendered also include access to chronic medication at the clinic.
“Members of the community can even receive pre-packed parcels with their chronic medication at Hlokomela Junction Clinic,” Sape adds.
Clinic visits and screenings are available at walk-in rates, via monthly subscription, or through the Hlokomela Health Card available at all Hlokomela clinics.
Medical aids are also accepted for optometry services, which are available on Thursdays.
Other services offered are:
- Management of chronic conditions (hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and so on)
- Acute illness treatment
- Malaria screening and treatment
- HIV testing services and pre-exposure prophylaxis, a preventative strategy for individuals at high risk of HIV infection
- Tuberculosis screening and treatment
- Rabies post-exposure treatment
- Immunisations (children and adults)
- Women’s health
- Men’s health
- Tension-releasing exercises
- Wound care
- Primary eye clinic
The Hlokomela Junction Clinic operates from Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 4pm.
Eye tests are done by an optometrist from Hoedspruit but must be booked for the following times:
- Hlokomela Blyde Clinic: Tuesdays, 8am to 2pm
- Hlokomela Junction Clinic: Thursdays, 8am to 2pm
Additional support for Hlokomela
Since 2010, Discovery has been supporting Hlokomela’s efforts to treat and prevent HIV among farmworkers. The Hlokomela Women’s Clinic takes this vision further and aims to improve women’s health by giving them access to critical healthcare services such as Pap smears, ultrasound screening, and breast health services.
In 2018, realising the need for Hlokomela to remain in service of the community, the Discovery Fund stepped in to provide additional funding and commissioned a pilot study, in collaboration with the Hlokomela team, to introduce an innovative funding model called a partial payment system, which has three approaches: the Hlokomela Health Card, Hlokomela Employers Health Club, and walk-ins.
Hlokomela has governmental and international partners, including the National Department of Health, the Limpopo Department of Health, Limpopo Department of Social Development, the Mopani District Municipality, the South African Police Service, the Dis-Chem Foundation, Discovery Fund, Adcock Ingram Healthcare, the Tshemba Foundation, the Social Employment Fund, the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region, the Maruleng Local Municipality, the Timbavati Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, as well as the support of local commercial farmers and the safari industry.
For more information phone Hlokomela on 087 550 0387, Junction Letsitele Clinic on 087 550 0387, or visit hlokomela.org.za.
