The National Accreditation Manager, Warren Oxford-Huggett, and CEO, Motlalentoa Motsoane, were able to visit a few of the members in KwaZulu-Natal during the first week of March 2026. These were members who had not been seen by either of them earlier in 2025. The trip focused on the sites along the coast and those in Pietermaritzburg.
Between Motlalentoa and Warren, all the members of the APCC in Kwazulu-Natal have been visited with the exception of one, and every effort will be made to try and visit Tender Loving Care in Kokstadt as soon as possible.
As in many provinces sustainability remains a challenge and access to resources is limited. A constant issue remains the challenges with both the NPO directorate and accessing the NLC registration platforms. Both of these have an impact on potential funding.
However, despite the many challenges, there are clear innovative ideas and applications of the principles of palliative care in diverse settings and challenges.
Empageni
We were able to visit two members in Empangeni on the North Coast. Zululand Hospice has been providing care for many years. The passion and enthusiasm of the team were appreciated, but the struggles for sustainability were acknowledged. It was encouraging to see that, despite the challenges, some creative ideas are being explored with the potential to be upscaled. Zululand Hospice is engaged in a small HPV testing programme in conjunction with a pathology lab in town. This allows them to screen young girls for HPV. The test kits are sent to the pathology lab for processing, and the results are communicated to Zululand Hospice and the patient.
Also, in Empangeni we were able to visit Butterfly Palliative Home. This is a specialised palliative home for young children (with a focus on pre-teens). There are two sites, the original site in Ingwavuma close to the Eswatini border and the new site in Empangeni. This team has made good progress in the years of their membership, developing well and implementing many of the requirements of the Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services. Again, some innovative ideas around sustainability, in this case a partnership with a local team of baristas who make some truly awesome coffee.
Our trip to Empangeni concluded with a visit to Ethembeni Care Centre. They have applied for membership and are currently working through this programme. Ethembeni was founded by the local businesses in the greater Richards Bay area during the HIV/AIDS pandemic. There are a number of wards (a total of 65 beds are potentially available) and a fully functional kitchen and laundry. Funding has become very scarce lately, and the team are looking to set aside some beds in each of their wards for palliative care. There are some challenges, and development may take some time, but the facility looks great and has the capacity to grow.
Mandini
Blessed Gerard Care Centre and Hospice in Mandini also received a visit. This is a well-established facility that has a number of programmes, and their palliative care programme is only one of them. They operate a home for children, a 37 bed IPU, a Home-Based Care programme and an ART programme. There is a large team at Blessed Gerard who provide these services. The services are well integrated and enjoy support from the local community.
Port Shepstone
South Coast Hospice has a long and valuable history in the story that is Palliative Care in both KZN and South Africa. They are also finding sustainability a challenge but have approached these challenges with courage and innovation. They operate a KZN Department of Health mental health programme which is contributing to their sustainability efforts. The team at South Coast is well established and despite having to close their IPU, they have maintained it in a patient ready manner. This is another member who continues to widen the scope of palliative care and in this case includes a CCMDD programme with the Department of Health
Chatsworth
Chatsworth Hospice is no longer a member of APCC, and the purpose of this visit was to discuss membership options and benefits. Chatsworth operate a 10 bed IPU. Our time together focused on responding to questions and providing details of APCC membership. The leadership team at Chatsworth have agreed to raise the discussion at the next meeting of their Board.
Howick
Midlands Hospice focuses on Home-Based Care in the greater Howick and KZN Midlands areas. There model of trying to achieve a balance between state and private patients is slowly developing. They operate three Hospice Shops, and these are proving most important to their sustainability. Sustainability relies on a diversity of income streams and Midlands Hospice is exploring this.
Pietermaritzburg
The Msunduzi Hospice Association also is exploring a diversification of income streams in order to ensure sustainability. They are currently preparing for their next COHSASA accreditation survey which is due later this year. Their relationship with the University of KwaZulu-Natal whereby the 5th year medical students are exposed to Palliative Care is progressing well and they are looking to explore additional training resources that they have access to. The potential establishment of other palliative care centres in Pietermaritzburg may provide them with opportunities for networking and development.
