Nurse-owned clinics are helping expand access to affordable primary healthcare in underserved South African communities while creating businesses, jobs and new opportunities for women.
South Africa’s public healthcare system serves about 84% of the population, placing sustained pressure on facilities and making convenient access to primary healthcare difficult for many communities.
For people living in rural, township and peri-urban areas, accessing basic healthcare can mean travelling long distances, taking time away from work or relying on public facilities experiencing high demand.
The Unjani Clinic Network is addressing part of this challenge through a model that enables qualified nurses to own and operate primary healthcare clinics within the communities they serve.
Co-founded with the support of Motus Holdings, the network has grown from six pilot clinics twelve years ago to more than 280 care sites across South Africa. During that period, it has delivered more than eight million healthcare consultations and created over 880 permanent jobs.
The majority of clinics are owned and operated by qualified black female nurses, with the network aiming to expand to 600 clinics by the end of 2031.
As one of Unjani Clinics’ two co-founding partners, Motus has contributed approximately R20 million towards clinic infrastructure, interest-free loans and skills development.
Its support also includes youth learnerships through the YES for Youth programme, placing young people at clinics where they gain exposure to basic administrative skills.
Research into nurse-led social entrepreneurship in South Africa has identified several challenges confronting nurses who establish healthcare businesses. These include limited access to funding and mentorship, as well as gaps in financial management, marketing, technology and regulatory compliance skills.
The transition therefore requires nurses to take on responsibilities extending well beyond providing healthcare.
Berenice Francis, Group Executive for Risk, Sustainability and People at Motus Group and Chairperson of the Unjani Clinics NPC Board, said nurse-led enterprises can contribute to both healthcare access and local economic participation.
“Nurses already understand the healthcare needs of the communities they serve, but running a clinic also requires them to become employers, financial managers and business leaders,” said Francis.
“This Women’s Month, it is important to recognise women who are using their professional skills to build enterprises, create employment and provide healthcare closer to where people live.”
For Sister Mokgadi Modiba, who owns two Unjani Clinics in Katlehong and Sebokeng, improving healthcare access is connected to her own childhood experiences.
Modiba grew up in a small Limpopo village many hours away from the nearest clinic, giving her first-hand experience of the difficulties families can encounter when trying to obtain basic healthcare.
“My journey has shown me that nursing can create impact beyond the consulting room,” she said.
“Running two businesses, supporting my teams, and ensuring that our patients receive the care they need is a great responsibility, but it is also a privilege to see the difference healthcare close to home can make.”
Her experience demonstrates how nurse-led clinics can combine healthcare delivery with social entrepreneurship, enabling healthcare professionals to establish sustainable businesses rooted within the communities they serve.
Lynda Toussaint, CEO of Unjani Clinics NPC, said financial support alone is not sufficient to build sustainable nurse-owned healthcare businesses.
“Giving a nurse access to funding is not enough on its own,” she said. “Building a sustainable clinic requires business knowledge, operational systems, and people who can provide guidance when challenges arise.”
Beyond expanding healthcare access, the model creates employment and develops entrepreneurial capacity among nurses who become business owners and employers.
“We can measure the Unjani Clinic impact in consultations, services, clinics, and jobs, but these figures only tell part of the story,” Francis said.
“The real story is about the nurse who gains the confidence to lead her own business, the employee whose job supports a family, and the patient who can now receive quality care quickly and conveniently.”
With plans to reach 600 clinics by 2031, the network illustrates how investment in women-led social enterprises can simultaneously expand primary healthcare access, develop entrepreneurs and create employment in underserved communities.
