TRAILBLAZER BY CHARNDRÉ EMMA KIPPIE
Dr Thakgalo Thibela may be young, but she has no fear of being at the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic in SA
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urrently completing her experiential learning at the Helen Joseph hospital, in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, Dr Thakgalo Thibela has been making waves across South Africa. Noted as ‘the youngest active female doctor in South Africa’, by The Health Practice Council of South Africa (HPCSA), Dr Thibela has come a long
way to achieve her dream of becoming a qualified surgeon. The Aspiring Doctor From a very young age Thakgalo was quite the academic, growing up in the village of Violet Bank near Bushbuckridge, in Mpumalanga. She began primary school at Farel Primary School when she was only 6 years old, and was promoted to high school at an
28 | Public Sector Leaders | October 2021
earlier stage than her peers. Thereafter, she attended Lehlasedi High School, becoming a top student. She was quickly awarded a bursary from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) at the end of her matric year in 2015, and was a Wits University student at just 16. Her hard work and dedication to her academic career ensured that she obtained
