Gauteng students head to Cuba for medical training
For 18 young people from disadvantaged communities across Gauteng, the dream of becoming a doctor is one step closer to reality after they were selected to study medicine in Cuba through the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro (NMFC) Medical Training Programme.
The new cohort, comprising 10 males and eight females, was selected from all five districts of the province, Tshwane, Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Sedibeng and the West Rand. Their selection followed a competitive recruitment process that attracted 2,480 applications when it was advertised in May 2025.
Of those applicants, 740 met the qualifying criteria and progressed to the next stage, while 91 candidates were shortlisted based on academic performance, socioeconomic circumstances and their potential contribution to the healthcare sector.
Only 18 candidates were ultimately selected following home visits, interviews and background evaluations. The Gauteng Department of Health said the programme was intended to create access to medical education for talented young people who may otherwise face financial barriers.
Candidates had to come from households with an annual income of R350,000 or less, with priority given to learners from Quintile 1 to 3 schools in Gauteng.
The department said the selection process considered more than academic performance, with candidates also assessed on their commitment to returning to South Africa and serving their communities.
“The programme empowers talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds to become medical doctors while equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to serve the people of South Africa,” the department said.
The students are expected to return to Gauteng after completing their studies and join the province’s public healthcare workforce, particularly in communities where shortages of medical professionals remain a challenge.
The department said their training would also contribute to strengthening Primary Health Care services and support the future implementation of the National Health Insurance.
The Cuban medical curriculum places strong emphasis on Primary Health Care, prevention and health promotion, which the department said aligns with South Africa’s healthcare priorities. The latest intake builds on a programme that has already produced hundreds of doctors for Gauteng’s public healthcare system.
According to the department, 463 students have graduated through the NMFC programme and are now employed across public healthcare facilities in the province. The department said the graduates were making a meaningful contribution to patient care and service delivery, and expressed confidence that the new cohort would continue that legacy of service and excellence.
For 20-year-old Zezethu Swelindawo from Cosmo City in Johannesburg, the opportunity represents a chance to pursue a career that had appeared increasingly difficult to access.
Swelindawo, one of the 18 students selected, said she had applied to institutions in South Africa but was rejected.
“We can say that we did apply to institutions in South Africa, they rejected us. But the Gauteng Department of Health was really saying, ‘No, my children, come. We want you and your children to come,’” she said.
She said the opportunity to study in Cuba represented more than obtaining a medical qualification.
“Being selected for this programme is something that we do not take for granted. For many of us, this opportunity represents more than just studying medicine in another country. It represents hope, opportunity, sacrifice and the possibility of becoming the kind of doctors our communities need,” Swelindawo said.
The students will have to adapt to a different healthcare and education system, culture and language while being away from their families.
“We know that this journey will not be easy. There will be days when we miss our families, we will be homesick, but we are prepared to take on anything,” she said.
Swelindawo said the students were conscious of the responsibility attached to the opportunity.
“As we live in South Africa, we do not live alone. We carry our families, our communities and the hopes of the people we come from. We carry the responsibility of making the most of this opportunity,” she said.
