Growing up on a farm, Dr Nsovo Mayimele experienced a childhood marked by simplicity and resilience. Her journey began in the small town of Giyani, Limpopo, within the old Gazankulu region. Little did she know where her path would lead.
Mayimele comes from a family of six, with four siblings. She highlights how her upbringing in Afrikaans schools during the dawn of democracy played a crucial role in developing her strong personality.
“It was a challenging experience that made me have a strong personality. At the same time, it gave me a more positive outlook on life and made me want to make a difference,” she reflects.
Landing in pharmacy
Initially, Mayimele had aspirations to study fashion. However, life had different plans for her.
“I wanted to study fashion and then took the step to study mathematics. However, while in the process of registration, I received a scholarship to study health sciences. I was luckily accepted for pharmacy, which was the only health science course I had applied for, and I am now a pharmacist.”
Mayimele, who has been a pharmacist for over a decade, says her passion for chemistry, physical sciences, and mathematics drew her to the profession. Now residing in Gauteng, she specialises in public health pharmacy, with a master’s of pharmacy in public health and management.
“I just landed in the pharmacy profession. I enjoyed chemistry, physical sciences, and mathematics. I had an idea that this profession involved most of that.”
“Furthermore, I am an introvert, and I enjoy my space. So I had to choose a profession that limits talking to people. I have overcome those fears, but I still enjoy the professions. At some point in time, I left to study another course, i.e., medicine. I registered and then came back to pharmacy. So I always give it a laugh that pharmacy chose me.”
Her day-to-day work life is dynamic and impactful, as she is mostly involved in teaching and engaging in research.
“I work with patients when supervising students. I am further involved in policy discussions and research on pharmaceuticals within the African continent.
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The best of both worlds
“Being a graduate of healthcare and social sciences makes my work fulfilling because I get to have an eagle’s view of how our people benefit from access to quality medicines and technologies.”
Beyond her professional duties, Mayimele is actively involved in charity and advocacy with multiple organisations. “These are unpaid roles,” she notes, emphasising her commitment to giving back to the community.
Throughout her career, Mayimele says she has learned the critical role pharmacists play in the healthcare system.
“Being a custodian of medicines at all levels of care is an essential part of the healthcare system. Ensuring the availability of medicines to patients, clinicians, and communities rests on this profession globally.
“The profession has been around for a long time but is not well-established in Africa. Therefore, so much red tape exists that limits the people in it. I do my bit to contribute to the profession and make it thrive.”
When speaking about her strongest influence in life, Mayimele credits her faith. “It has to be my Lord Jesus. I read about him every day and try to do what he would do,” she says.
“What I’m also proud of is being able to be a mom to my children while not limiting my career.”
Her advice to aspiring pharmacists is simple yet profound: “If it is your dream, then pursue it. You will find yourself in the system whether you are an entrepreneur, innovator, researcher, or just a practitioner; there is room for everyone.
“Looking ahead, I would like to nurture more students and help them become health leaders who lead with passion, love, and compassion. I would like to see the reduced commercialisation of healthcare and greed in the industry, and clinicians charging reasonable rates that promote health and wellbeing.”
“I would also love to see tax compliance from the industry and a more people-centred pharmaceutical industry that does not exploit the smaller companies and the users of their products.”
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