In the remote Eastern Cape village of Zithulele, a dedicated pharmacist is proving that leadership and passion can transform healthcare delivery even in the most underserved areas. Robyn Wates – currently the Chairperson of the SAAHIP Eastern Cape Branch and Chair of SAAHIP’s Membership, Marketing and Branding (MMB) Focus Area – has built her career in the public sector with a singular focus: improving access to quality healthcare in rural communities.
From managing a busy hospital pharmacy deep in rural Eastern Cape to guiding national initiatives for hospital pharmacists, Robyn exemplifies how commitment and vision can bridge the gap between frontline service and professional leadership.
A Passion for Rural Health and Access to Medicines
Robyn describes herself as a public sector hospital pharmacist with a passion for providing access to health care and essential medicines, especially for underserved rural populations. This passion was kindled early in her career.
After earning her Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in 2012, she embarked on a journey that would take her far from urban centres and straight into the heart of rural healthcare.
Her first placement as a community service pharmacist in 2014 brought her to Zithulele Hospital, a district hospital serving a deeply rural community. It was here that she saw firsthand the challenges of delivering healthcare in resource-limited settings and felt the calling to make a difference.
Shortly after her community service year, she briefly gained experience in the private sector as a retail pharmacist. However, her commitment to rural healthcare drew her back to Zithulele in 2016. This time, she took on the role of Responsible Pharmacist, overseeing medication dispensing and regulatory compliance for the hospital.
The experience cemented her belief that “rural should not mean second best” – a mantra evident in her advocacy for equitable access to medicines. With a clear-eyed view of the systemic improvements needed in rural settings, Robyn, with her team of pharmacists over the years, set out to strengthen pharmacy services for the benefit of patients who rely on the public sector for essential care.
Nearly a Decade Serving Zithulele Hospital
Today, Robyn has spent over nine years at Zithulele Hospital, rising to become the Assistant Manager: Pharmaceutical Services (head pharmacist) since 2020. In this capacity, she manages the full scope of pharmacy operations. On any given day, Robyn might be found mentoring a junior pharmacist within and outside of her facility, troubleshooting supply chain issues for essential drugs, or consulting with doctors on optimal treatment plans – all part of ensuring “access to health care for all patients”. Leading a team of five pharmacists and pharmacist assistants, she has fostered a positive, solutions driven work environment to meet the community’s needs.
Robyn’s professional journey through the Eastern Cape public health system reflects both perseverance and innovation. Early on, she recognized that sustainable impact in rural healthcare requires not only clinical knowledge but also strong systems and management. She worked to streamline medication supply processes, improve inventory management, and implement patient centred services at Zithulele, aligning with Zithulele Hospital’s Core Value of “Prioritising Patient Care”.
Her dual exposure to community pharmacy and hospital pharmacy honed her adaptability; from handling individual prescriptions at a retail level to managing formularies and bulk supplies for a hospital. Colleagues describe her as “enthusiastic, proactive, organized, knowledgeable and passionate”, qualities that have been crucial in overcoming the day-to-day hurdles of rural practice.
Under her watch, Zithulele’s pharmacy has become known as a place where no challenge is too great and no patient is overlooked, embodying her professional philosophy of better systems for better access.
From Branch Chair to National Leader in SAAHIP
Beyond her hospital duties, Robyn Wates has emerged as a national leader among South Africa’s hospital pharmacists. She was elected as the Chairperson of the Eastern Cape branch of the South African Association of Hospital and Institutional Pharmacists (SAAHIP), representing hospital pharmacists across the province. In this role, she not only coordinates activities for Eastern Cape members but also sits on SAAHIP’s National Executive Committee, contributing to strategy and advocacy at the highest level. Her energy and insight have stood her in good stead to be the chair of SAAHIP’s Membership, Marketing and Branding (MMB) Focus Area – a portfolio that drives member engagement and public visibility for the organization.
Under her guidance, the Eastern Cape branch spearheaded SAAHIP’s Membership, Media, and Branding initiatives nationwide, ensuring consistent messaging and outreach across all provinces. She and her team have kept all SAAHIP branches busy with vibrant social media engagement, highlighting key health calendar events and spreading public health awareness from TB Day to Pharmacy Month.
This national campaign approach not only raised SAAHIP’s profile but also helped grow membership and involve pharmacists from even the most remote areas, building a stronger voice for the profession. All MMB initiatives are conducted to meet the one or more of the following outputs:
- To promote the professional, educational and economic interests of the pharmaceutical profession.
- To cultivate enthusiasm for the Association and to restore pride & dignity in the Society among members.
- To investigate methods to market the Association.
- To market the role of SAAHIP in comments on official documents, the improvement of standards and the provision of comprehensive pharmaceutical care.
- The promotion and organisation of activities to promote Pharmacy Month.
- To maintain a database of membership lists and activities accomplished.
Key MMB Outputs that have taken place under Robyn’s leadership include:
- Driving engagement and membership growth: Coordinating monthly social media campaigns aligned with health awareness days, which boosted SAAHIP’s visibility and contributed to membership growth across branches. From informative posts about chronic diseases to celebrating pharmacists’ contributions on special observances, Robyn and the MMB team have ensured that the work that pharmacists, particularly those in hospital and institutional settings, are doing is promoted, celebrated and appreciated.
- Launching the national Instagram account has been key in aligning how SAAHIP post on social media; and the team have seen engagement increase to 18000+ views during Pharmacy Month 2025.
- Revamping and launching the SAAHIP website has been a dream of the NEC for a few years and the team is finally at the point where this is going to be a reality. Under the project leadership of Bandela Mgoqi and Robyn Wates, the hope is to have the website once again be “the face of SAAHIP” and have it be the centre of all future MMB activities in the future.
- A significant increase in membership occurred between September 2024 to May 2025 as the Association went from 3478 to 3721. During this time, SAAHIP launched their national Instagram account, the FIP World Congress took place in South Africa and the 37th Annual SAAHIP conference all generated great publicity for not only Pharmacy as a profession but also for SAAHIP as an Association pharmacists wanted to be a part of.
- Community outreach and social responsibility: Promoting outreach and social responsibility through targeted campaigns and using established MMB platforms in order to generate interest and support for chosen causes such as Operation Smile and School/University outreaches.
Through these efforts, Robyn Wates has shown that her SAAHIP leadership is an extension of her commitment to rural health. She consistently channels her frontline experience into advocacy at the organizational level. Whether she’s lobbying for better support for rural pharmacies or mentoring a new pharmacist at a branch meeting, her dual perspective keeps SAAHIP grounded in the realities of underserved areas. “We must never lose sight of our colleagues and patients on the peripheries,” she emphasizes – a principle evident in every project she touches.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Pharmacists
Robyn Wates’ journey – from a young pharmacist arriving at a rural hospital to a respected national leader shaping her profession, serves as an inspiration to pharmacists and healthcare workers everywhere. Her story illustrates that a career in an underserved area can be rich with innovation, influence, and purpose. She often mentors pharmacy students and young pharmacists, encouraging them to consider careers in hospital and rural pharmacy. Her advice to them is simple yet powerful: “See challenges as opportunities – in a rural hospital you will learn faster, lead sooner, and touch lives every day.”. Robyn leads by example, showing how one can thrive professionally while making a tangible difference in people’s lives.
Within SAAHIP, her colleagues laud her as a trailblazer who has “redefined what it means to be a pharmacist in the public sector.” By taking on voluntary leadership roles – which demand time and sacrifice – she has helped steer SAAHIP to become more inclusive and responsive. The alignment of her SAAHIP work with her rural health passion has created a feedback loop of positive change: her field experiences inform better strategies at the association level, and the policies and programs she helps craft in turn improve conditions back on the ground. This synergy is perhaps Robyn Wates’ greatest contribution, weaving together local action and national vision.
As the healthcare landscape evolves – with new challenges like telemedicine, National Health Insurance rollout, and supply chain constraints – Robyn is poised to continue being a voice for pragmatic and patient centred solutions. She has already spent the better part of a decade proving that commitment, when combined with leadership, can rewrite the narrative for rural healthcare. Her journey is far from over, but its impact is already evident in the improved pharmacy services at Zithulele, the empowered young pharmacists she has mentored, and the strategic direction of SAAHIP towards greater outreach and inclusion.
In Robyn Wates, SAAHIP and South Africa have a champion who bridges worlds: the pharmacy counter and the boardroom, the rural clinic and the conference hall. Her story reminds us that meaningful change in healthcare often starts with individuals who decide to lead exactly where they are. Her unwavering dedication to the people of the Eastern Cape – and to the profession she loves – continues to light the way for others, proving that inspired leadership can bring quality healthcare within reach of all.
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