Growing up in a 
village in Tzaneen, Limpopo, Daphney Ramatladi witnessed firsthand the challenges rural residents faced in accessing healthcare.
Today, the 35‑year‑old pharmacist and entrepreneur is helping to change that reality through MPR‑Med Pharmacy, a business dedicated to serving communities often overlooked by mainstream healthcare providers.
In an interview with Vuk’uzenzele, Ramatladi said her journey into entrepreneurship was inspired by more than a decade in the public healthcare sector.
After graduating from Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in 2013, Ramatladi spent about 11 years working in a village hospital, where she saw patients struggle with medicine shortages, long queues and the distance they had to travel to reach healthcare facilities.
Those experiences prompted her to start a pharmacy closer to the people who needed it most. MPR‑Med Pharmacy was established in 2022 and began operating in 2023. Ramatladi initially ran the business while still employed by the government and joined it full‑time in 2025.
The transition from employee to entrepreneur was not without challenges.
“The journey has been both rewarding and stressful. Generally, the community is very supportive of the business,” she said.
Today, MPR‑Med Pharmacy provides prescription services, chronic medication support, over‑the‑counter medicines and health education.
The pharmacy serves elderly residents, families, children and people living with chronic conditions in surrounding villages, where access to healthcare remains limited.
Funding remains one of the business’s biggest challenges. Ramatladi said she started the pharmacy with her own money and only later realised she could seek grants and other support, but many options were not available while she was still employed by the government.
This year, she received support through the Metropolitan Collective Shapers Programme, which has helped strengthen her business skills and long‑term vision.
She said more funding is still needed to maintain adequate stock levels, especially during high‑demand periods such as flu season, when patients in remote communities cannot afford to travel long distances and return home without medication.
Looking ahead, Ramatladi hopes to expand her footprint across South Africa by opening more pharmacies in rural areas, where she believes there is both a strong need and room for growth.
As South Africa marks Youth Month under the theme “RESET@50 – The Future Calls!”, Ramatladi’s story highlights the power of young people to turn challenges into opportunities. Her decision to establish MPR‑Med Pharmacy in a rural community reflects the spirit of the 2026 Year of Action, using entrepreneurship as a tool to improve lives, strengthen communities and build a more inclusive future.
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