Now in its fourth season, Profmed is returning to the roots of telling the stories of ordinary people with extraordinary stories – our Profmed members – who all have one thing in common: We Are South African.
Stories connect us. They are universal. They bridge generations, cultures, and societies. When Profmed launched its first podcast series during lockdown in 2020, it attracted more than 26 000 listeners and became a virtual support system for professionals hustling to keep their heads above water during the lockdown months. Profmed was simply sharing the stories of South African professionals, but it was clear that the power of human connections was a driving force behind the series’ popularity.
Over the past few years, we’ve shared insights from some of the most inspiring innovators, idea shapers and professionals that South Africa has to offer.
Follow our YouTube channel to be the first to see each new episode!
Click here to watch the first episode.
Now in its fourth season, Profmed is returning to the roots of telling the stories of ordinary people with extraordinary stories – our Profmed members – who all have one thing in common: We Are South African.
Stories connect us. They are universal. They bridge generations, cultures, and societies. When Profmed launched its first podcast series during lockdown in 2020, it attracted more than 26 000 listeners and became a virtual support system for professionals hustling to keep their heads above water during the lockdown months. Profmed was simply sharing the stories of South African professionals, but it was clear that the power of human connections was a driving force behind the series’ popularity.
Over the past few years, we’ve shared insights from some of the most inspiring innovators, idea shapers and professionals that South Africa has to offer.
Follow our YouTube channel to be the first to see each new episode!
Click here to watch the first episode.
EPISODE 1
Profmed Member Desmond Murphy – Orthodontist & Early Childhood Development Champion
Meet Desmond Murphy (Orthodontist & Early Childhood Development Champion), one of our extraordinary Profmed members and episode 1 of our We Are South African video series. Desmond’s story is an inspiring one. One of triumph against all odds, and most importantly, one of giving back.
Thank you Desmond for all that you do and have done!
EPISODE 2
Profmed Member Sylvia Shapshak – The 14th woman architect in South Africa
Meet Sylvia Shapshak, another of our extraordinary Profmed members and episode 2 of our We Are South African video series. Watch the full episode to discover Sylvia’s wit, inspiring story and advice for her fellow South Africans!
“I heard my mother say, we will let her study for a year, and I’m quite sure she will fail, and then she will do something sensible like shorthand typing.” – Sylvia Shapshak
This Women’s Month we celebrate Sylvia, and all the women who came before us! Thank you Sylvia!
EPISODE 3
Louzanne Coetzee, Paralympian
We return to one of our favourite South African athletes, Paralympian Louzanne Coetzee who we first featured in Mind & Field in 2022. Louzanne is back from the World Championships in Paris, and once again preparing for the Paralympics after winning medals and breaking records at Tokyo 2020. Nothing can keep this inspirational athlete down – not even tearing her ACL tendon three weeks before competing! As Louzanne says – “Ultimately game day is game day, there is no other way.”
Nothing can keep this inspirational South African down!
EPISODE 4
Dr Lesego Ndhlovu – Paediatric Gastroenterologist and Co-Founder of Marotholi Outreach
Meet Dr Lesego Ndhlovu, another of our extraordinary Profmed members and episode 4 of our We Are South African video series. Watch the full episode to discover what Lesego is doing to save South Africa’s youth, one child at a time. Even one child dying from malnutrition is one child too many!
“We need to cling on to the beautiful moments and not lose hope. We have more people who are good and care than people who don’t. We just need to find each other.” – Dr Lesego Ndhlovu
The Story Behind the Story…
“We’ve spent three years building on the narrative that professionals are the cornerstone of society. They are the thinkers, shapers, innovators and doers who make our society possible,” says Craig Comrie, Profmed Principal Officer and Chief Executive. We’ve shared their personal journeys, spoken to gamechangers in their field, and last year, the Mind & Field docuseries that also aired on SuperSport was a testament to the mental aspects of success and that anything great is achieved through team-work, collaboration and the transfer of skills and knowledge. We focused on the professionals behind the professionals.
We watched some truly remarkable stories, but what shone through, and what has really influenced what we are doing this year, is that each of these incredible athletes who had overcome so much were just ordinary South Africans. What other stories could we find and share? That was the question.
The Profmed team started calling on Profmed members to share their proudly South African stories. Three individuals were selected, and Profmed partnered with The Good Things Guy himself, Brent Lindeque, to help tell their story.
“There is a narrative construct called the Hero’s Journey,” says Comrie. “It is typically structured in three main phases: the Departure, where the hero leaves their familiar world after receiving a call to adventure; the Initiation, where they face trials and tribulations, often gaining allies and encountering enemies; and the Return, in which the hero comes back to their ordinary world, fundamentally changed by their experiences.”
At the heart of the We Are South African series is the idea that we are all heroes. We are surrounded by heroes. Sharing insights from some of the most inspiring innovators, idea shapers, professionals and athletes that South Africa has to offer has been a remarkable journey. But South Africa isn’t built and moved forward by the few.
Every single day, South Africans from all walks of life are striving to make South Africa a better place.
Their story is our story. It is the story of South Africa, and more importantly, South Africans. It is also the story of Profmed, and everything we do to support our members, who in turn support their fellow South Africans.
