South Africa’s healthcare debate is shifting. In a system strained by skills shortages, rising demand and uneven governance, Regenesys has launched its new School of Health Sciences to develop healthcare professionals who can lead ethically, run efficient operations and navigate reform and modernisation.
The launch marks a decisive step toward building a new generation of healthcare professionals who are not only clinically competent, but equipped to lead ethically, manage complex systems, and respond to a rapidly evolving policy and technology landscape.
In a keynote address, Netcare group CEO Dr Richard Friedland said: “Healthcare as we know it, in South Africa and globally, in public and private, is fundamentally flawed and broken. In real terms, costs have risen around 700% over the last 50 years, but outcomes have improved only marginally. We’re spending more, and we’re not getting commensurate health.”
Dr Rowen Govender, Head of the School of Health Sciences at Regenesys, says the institution was created to address a fundamental disconnect between traditional healthcare training and the realities of modern health systems: “What we have realised is that within healthcare, we have theory and notes for students to go through, but how healthcare systems actually work in reality is very different.
“It is important for us to develop healthcare leaders in society now. We need people with management skills, ethical grounding and a solid understanding of policy and administration issues within healthcare.”
According to Dr Govender, South Africa does not lack capable clinicians. What it lacks are leaders who can guide institutions through complexity, reform and change: “We have skilled clinical professionals, but we lack individuals with the skills in management and leadership that the system urgently requires. We need to develop people who can thrive in an ever-changing healthcare landscape and who can roll out healthcare in an ethical and dignified manner.”
A central pillar of the new School is the concept of conscious leadership.
“If you are looking at a leader, you need a conscious leader,” says Dr Govender. “You need somebody with empathy, somebody who leads not by dictating but by guidance. Within the healthcare sector there has been corruption and governance failures. We need leaders who can guide teams with integrity and restore trust in the system.”
This is imperative according to Friedland who said: “Everyone talks about AI disrupting healthcare, but the real disruption is the intelligent health consumer. People now judge healthcare against the convenience and personalisation they get everywhere else. The future of healthcare is wearable and untethered and it’s on us to integrate that live data into care in a way that empowers patients, not confuses them.”
Importantly, the school is not positioned as a traditional medical or nursing faculty. It is designed to complement and strengthen existing institutions: “We are not trying to compete with traditional medical schools. We are trying to supplement and complement them. There are critical skills and techniques necessary for healthcare leadership and this is our opportunity to equip individuals with the knowledge and practical skills to be work ready.”
Speaking at the event in Sandton, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube said: “I’m excited to learn that this institution will include 100 students from disadvantaged backgrounds. You are trailblazers. We are already looking at this model as part of the amendments to the education legislation currently in process.
“My presence here signals that the Department recognises and supports the work being done by private institutions such as this one. We must strengthen alignment between private and public institutions so that students are not disadvantaged and to ensure that access is widened.”
At launch, the school offers three key learning pathways. The first is a suite of short learning programmes ranging from three days to six weeks. These include mental health awareness, sexual and reproductive health, National Health Insurance readiness and strengthening, telehealth, digital health and the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
The second pathway includes QCTO-aligned skills programmes such as disability attendant, social worker support, and home care worker qualifications, ranging from NQF Level 3 to Level 5. These qualifications include structured workplace placements to ensure strong practical exposure.
The third pathway integrates health electives into the Regenesys MBA and Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management. Modules such as healthcare management and healthcare services operations and quality management are designed to equip current and future executives with the tools to run efficient, ethical and financially sustainable health institutions.
Problem based learning, real world case studies and the strategic use of artificial intelligence form part of the teaching model: “It is very important that theory is guided by practicality. We centre our learning around real scenarios happening in South Africa and globally. With artificial intelligence we can now mimic real world healthcare environments and allow students to engage with operational challenges in a controlled and measurable way.”
Access and widening participation remain core priorities for the School. With multiple entry points and articulation pathways across NQF levels, the institution aims to attract school leavers, NGO practitioners, healthcare workers seeking to upskill and professionals looking to transition into health leadership roles.
“Ultimately we need people who want to make a difference,” says Dr Govender. “Healthcare is a calling. We want individuals who have a passion for giving back to society and who are prepared to lead with empathy and accountability.”
Strengthening healthcare in South Africa demands a new generation of ethical, agile and system literate leaders capable of steering the sector through reform and renewal.
