6 days ago
Meet Juandré Klopper, the man giving public healthcare a lifeline
Conversations about South Africa's public health system are often defeatist, and the sector is usually painted with a dull brush.
Many see the sector's issues as unsolvable, but Juandré Kopper has a different perspective.
'To work on a broken health system, some might say it's futile. It always seems impossible, until it is done,' Klopper told News24.
He is the founder of Sponsor Medic, a non-profit organisation that aims to support the health system by raising donations and paying doctors to work in hospitals and clinics where the need is the greatest.
Klopper grew up watching his grandfather serve Durban's poorest patients. Helping those who needed it most has become deeply tied to his purpose.
'I remember the story my father and my grandmother told me after his passing. One of his patients had a son who was doing very well in school, and my grandfather actually paid for him to go to university, study medicine and become a doctor himself.'
In January 2024, South African healthcare facilities saw deep budget cuts in an attempt to sustain fiscal balance on a national scale.
'I printed my printer dry twice, sending out CVs.'
This bittersweet, almost divine intervention allowed Klopper to lean into his side projects.
'Something that comes your way that looks like bad luck is actually a good thing sometimes.'
Klopper started raising corporate and non-profit organisations' funds to allocate health workers to medical rooms under severe pressure, elevating emergency rooms and decreasing patient waiting times.
So, Sponsor Medic was born for the sole purpose of public health facilities.
In the short time Sponsor Medic has been in operation, it has helped more than 1 600 patients.
'I think the beautiful part of our work is that we don't necessarily see the impact we make because we prevent chaos. If we do our work correctly, things should just be going on as normal.'
Inspired by Nelson Mandela's courage in the fight against apartheid, Klopper compared the late president to David in a David and Goliath fight.
'He took on a massive challenge, he took it on with a lot of courage, and a lot of humility, and that for me is inspiring, and it's worth remembering that what he did, he did for others, and he gave a lot of himself, so that other may live a better life, I think that is truly inspiring.'
