Knowing firsthand the strain and challenges within the public healthcare system, a Limpopo doctor has turned his side hustle selling kotas into a way to support patients who cannot afford medical treatment. 

Dr Ephraim Kgoete (34), a general practitioner from Ga-Sekhukhune, has been in the medical field since 2016. He currently runs his own practice in Tzaneen. 

He started selling the popular township meal, which is made from a quarter loaf of bread stuffed with fillings such as slap chips, polony, egg and sauces, eight years ago. 

The kotas are sold from a mobile kitchen and are priced from R35, depending on the filling. 

Government hospitals overwhelmed 

Kgoete has employed three part-time workers to help with the business, while he also organises fundraising walks to assist patients.  

“Our government facilities are under-resourced and overwhelmed. Over the years, I have interacted with patients who have told me they have been placed on waiting lists for surgeries, while others have to wait for specialists to become available to treat their conditions. I wanted to do something to help,” he explains. 

Kgoete says that last year he decided to use a portion of the money generated from his business to help fund patients’ surgeries. 

Hope lost 

“The people who contact me are at a point where they have lost hope. Many say hospitals have told them to go home. I do my best to assess their medical conditions. If it is a minor procedure, I do it in my rooms. If it is a more serious procedure, then I try to access help through the government and private sector,” he adds. 

To date, Kgoete has helped six people, including Thomas Mogale. 

New lease on life 

For three decades, Mogale (54) from Tzaneen, suffered from multiple cysts on his face. 

“It was difficult for me. When I went out, people would stare and point. Children would run away when they saw me. It took an emotional toll. Physically, I was in a lot of pain and even a simple task like washing my face really hurt,” explains Mogale. 

He adds that he sought help from Kgoete. 

“He removed my cysts for free. For me, it was a new lease on life, and Dr Kgoete will always be my hero.” 

Kgoete, who initially dreamt of becoming a chef, says his greatest reward is seeing the joy on his patients’ faces. 

“When I became a doctor, I signed an oath to help people, and I am thankful that I am living up to that oath.” 

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