For Zanele Cekiso, a nurse specialising in HIV care and the daughter of a former mine worker, her journey has been one of accomplishment. However, it’s the joy of caring for others and watching their health improve that truly feels like she’s living her purpose.
Cekiso spent her early years in Rustenburg, a mining town in the North West. Her father, Qangazane Cekiso, worked at the mine, while her mother, Nosingile Basetsana Cekiso, was a domestic worker.
When she was seven, her parents moved with her and her four siblings to a two-bedroom house in Elliotdale in the Eastern Cape. “While our situation mirrored that of many township households, I wouldn’t say we were poor.”
Cekiso adds, “My parents ensured that we had our basic needs and were able to attend school, giving us the foundation we needed to reach our goals.”
Serving with compassion
Like many in black communities, she once dreamed of becoming a doctor. Growing up in a place where HIV was simply called Aids with a heavy stigma attached to it, she felt a strong urge to help close the gap between being HIV-negative and HIV-positive.
“This respect for the medical profession influenced me, and I initially aspired to become a doctor.”
When she didn’t get into medical school, she pursued nursing instead. Once she stepped into the field, she found her place and realised it was where her heart truly belonged.
After matriculating, she completed a diploma in nursing science in 2015 at North West College of Nursing. In 2020, she obtained a postgraduate diploma in HIV management from Stellenbosch University.
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Closing the HIV gap
Cekiso tells Health For Mzansi that when she started practising nursing, she realised it resonated with her desire to care for and directly support people.
“Once I began practising, I realised that my younger self had wanted to be a nurse all along.
“The distinction between doctors and nurses became clear to me, and I found great fulfilment in my role as a nurse.”
She currently works as a clinical advisor for Strategic Evaluation, Advisory & Development Consulting (SEAD), where they are developing and digitising a quality assurance tool aimed at strengthening public health systems.
She says, “This role allows me to make a broader impact on healthcare, particularly for people living with HIV, beyond the confines of a consulting room or clinic.”
During her first four years in the profession, she worked in clinics, directly with patients, and found it very rewarding. However, she realised that her impact could be greater.
“My current position enables me to implement systems that improve healthcare services accessed by people living with HIV, fulfilling a long-held aspiration to affect change on a larger scale.
“While I’m not yet where I ultimately want to be, I am on the right path,” she says. Cekiso is currently in her second year of a master’s in HIV management at Stellenbosch University.
HIV testing: Why timing and follow-up matter
With the social media hype surrounding at-home HIV test kits, where people rely on them before engaging in unprotected sex, Cekiso says this approach is not inherently risky.
HIV self-screening tests are approved by the South African government for home use or in facilities with healthcare worker assistance, she says. However, she cautions that it’s important to understand how HIV works before solely relying on the results of these tests.
“One critical concept to be aware of is the ‘window period.’ The window period is the time between when a person becomes infected with HIV and when the body has produced enough antibodies to be detected by an HIV rapid test.”
She explains that in South Africa, the window period is typically around six weeks.
“If you test today, we recommend coming back in six weeks for a follow-up test to confirm your true status, especially if this is your first test.”
She adds that during the window period, someone who has contracted HIV might test negative because their body hasn’t developed enough antibodies yet.
“It’s essential to continue using protection during this time and retest after the window period has passed,” she advises.
Cekiso further adds that individuals in the window period are actually highly infectious, so precautions should be taken even if an initial test comes back negative.
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