Clear vision: How one optometrist is changing lives in Mahikeng

When Lesetja Romeo Chokwe completed his Honours Degree in Optometry at the University of Limpopo, he had the qualifications but not the opportunities. 

Originally from Seshego in Limpopo, he relocated to Mahikeng in the North West, where he spent years working for various establishments, including a local optometry practice, often underpaid and unable to save enough to build something of his own.

"It was not easy for me to establish my own practice or to secure a job in government," he told Vuk'uzenzele.

According to Chokwe, many optometry graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds face the same double bind: there are not enough posts in public hospitals, and the cost of equipment and stock places private practice out of reach for most.

"Because I was underpaid at the beginning of my career, I could not save any money to buy equipment or stock to start my own practice," Chokwe explained.

The turning point came in 2023, when the Mahikeng practice closed its doors. 

Rather than seeing it as a setback, Chokwe saw it as an opening. 

He registered Cee Optometrist (Pty) Ltd, even though he did not yet have the funds to begin operating fully. 

In those early days, his only equipment was a trial case and a diagnostic set he had kept from his university years. His clients, however, kept him going.

"I had already built a clientele with the locals who welcomed me in their community," he said. 

"They motivated me to keep going, and I never looked back."

Where SEDFA made the difference

In 2024, Cee Optometrist received R247 500 through the Asset Assist Programme, then administered by the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA), along with business development training.

The funding allowed Chokwe to purchase the optometry equipment he needed, improving both the efficiency and reliability of his services.

The Asset Assist Programme is now managed by the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD). 

It supports micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with funding for machinery, equipment, working capital and raw materials, with a maximum grant of R250 000. 

Affordable Eye Care and Community Giving

Cee Optometrist offers a full range of eye care services, including comprehensive eye examinations, diagnosis and management of ocular diseases, spectacles, and both cosmetic and corrective contact lenses amongst other services. 

The improved efficiency also gave rise to something closer to Chokwe's heart. The business launched the Cee Foundation, which currently partners with Bodiri Primary School to provide free spectacles and consultations to disadvantaged children. Since December 2025, the school has been bringing at least two children per month for eye examinations.

To date, the business has created three permanent jobs and one temporary position for locals.

For more information: 

Cee Optometrist: 018 384 0594 / 073 112 1488 | Email: romeochokwe@gmail.com or romeo@ceeoptometrist.co.za 

Sedfa: info@sedfa.org.za 

DSBD: info@dsbd.gov.za