20-05-2025
Dr Louisa Dlamini makes history as UP's first black radiation oncology graduate
Dlamini earned a master of medicine degree, a medical specialty that utilises high-energy radiation such as X-rays and cancer treatment.
The Mabopane-born doctor says her achievement is a 'generational victory'.
She plans to expand access to oncology services in underserved communities.
In a profession where representation still lags far behind, Dr Louisa Dlamini has shattered the glass ceiling in specialist medical field.
This month, the 36-year-old mother of three from Mabopane in Pretoria made history as the first black graduate with a master of medicine in radiation oncology degree from the University of Pretoria.
Her groundbreaking achievement is not just a personal milestone, it's a moment loaded with historical, cultural and generational weight.
Dlamini said:
This has been more than just ticking a box. It's a generational victory, a moment that represents hope, perseverance and the strength of those who came before me. Being the 'first' carries pressure, the pressure to excel and justify your presence. But it also means opening the door for those who will follow.
Raised under difficult socioeconomic conditions, Dlamini's dream of becoming a doctor once felt far out of reach. But she never wavered in her determination.
Inspired by her uncle, Dr Mandla Mdawe, the first medical professional in her family, she carved her path with laser focus, completing her bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery degree at Wits University. From the outset, her passion was clear: medicine was not just a job, it was a calling.
'I've always been passionate about working with vulnerable people,' she said. 'I knew medicine would be a fulfilling career for me.'
Her moment of clarity came when she worked as a medical officer at a district hospital. Daily faced with cases of untreated or late-diagnosed cancers and watching patients slip through the cracks, she realised how inaccessible cancer treatment was in underserved communities.
She said:
I saw the critical need for oncology services. Patients were dying, some in urgent need of cancer treatment. That's when I realised just how limited access to oncology is in black communities.
Her experiences on the front lines sparked a desire to specialise. After working in medical oncology, she took on the challenge of studying radiation oncology, a highly technical, intellectually demanding field that remains underrepresented by black professionals in South Africa.
'Oncology is a broad, ever-changing and progressive field. That excites me, because it means I'll be learning throughout my career,' Dlamini said.
Enrolling in the programme at the University of Pretoria was a great leap, one that came with enormous responsibility. Dlamini faced the dual pressure of academic excellence and symbolic representation, all while juggling her roles as a mother, daughter and mentor.
She recalled:
There were moments when I felt like giving up. There were times I wondered if I really belonged. But I kept pushing because I knew this journey wasn't just for me.
With support from her parents, siblings and daughters, her supervisor, Dr Sheynaz Bassa, helped her stay the course. The academic environment at the University of Pretoria, she said, offered intellectual stimulation and a community that carried her through the hardest moments.
Now, with her degree in hand, Dlamini is not only looking ahead to a career of treating patients, but also to changing lives in and beyond the hospital.
She is passionate about expanding access to oncology services in rural areas and township communities. Dlamini is developing ideas for community-based cancer awareness programmes focused on prevention, early detection and treatment literacy.
Her approach to medicine is people-first, holistic and deeply rooted in her lived experiences.
'I want to support other [medical] students from disadvantaged backgrounds, to show them that they too can make it,' she said.
To young black South Africans dreaming of a future in medicine, her message is unwavering:
You belong. You carry the strength of generations behind you. Don't wait for permission to take up space, make space. Surround yourself with those who uplift you and remember to uplift others as you rise.
As her achievement is being celebrated across the medical community, Dlamini is planning for what comes next.
'I may be the first, but I definitely won't be the last. This achievement proves that excellence exists beyond the systems that once excluded us. It's time to shift the narrative.'
