Lydia Nokuthula Malinga is a seasoned healthcare professional, academic, and entrepreneur with extensive experience in clinical practice, healthcare management, and public health leadership. She is the Founder and CEO of Bophelo Pele Healthcare, a private clinic committed to delivering accessible, high-quality primary healthcare services to underserved communities. In this role, she oversees the clinic’s operations, strategy, and patient care standards, blending entrepreneurial vision with her deep clinical expertise.
Currently, Lydia also serves as Head Nurse and Manager at Northwest University’s Vanderbijlpark Campus Health Centre, where she leads the operational, clinical, and strategic management of the university clinic. Her responsibilities include supervising healthcare teams, overseeing compliance, managing budgets, implementing health promotion initiatives, and engaging with internal and external stakeholders.
Lydia holds a BCUR in Nursing Education and Administration (PHC Diagnostics, Treatment & Care) from the University of Johannesburg and a National Diploma in Nursing from Chris Hani Baragwanath Nursing College. She is pursuing a master’s degree in public health at Sefako Makgatho University (currently completing her mini dissertation) and is in the final year of an LLB at UNISA, reflecting her multidisciplinary approach to healthcare and justice.
Her career spans both public and private sectors, with notable roles at WITS RHI, the City of Johannesburg, The Aurum Institute, and Gauteng College of Nursing. She has led major public health programs focused on HIV, TB, and gender-based violence prevention, supervised district-level clinical teams, and contributed to policy and protocol development.
In addition to her executive and clinical roles, Lydia has served as a lecturer, assessor, and moderator, and holds numerous certifications in areas such as HIV clinical management, infection control, reproductive health, health systems management, and leadership.
She is an active member of the South African Association of Campus Health Services (SAACHS) and has been nominated for the 2025 Africa Health Excellence Awards. Lydia is known for her dynamic leadership, commitment to equity in healthcare, and ability to drive innovation in both institutional and community settings.
Nokuthula Malinga is a highly experienced healthcare professional, educator, and entrepreneur with over a decade in nursing, clinical leadership, and public health. She is the Founder and CEO of Bophelo Pele Healthcare, a private clinic focused on accessible, quality primary healthcare services.
She currently serves as Head Nurse and Manager at Northwest University’s Vanderbijlpark Campus Health Centre. Lydia has held leadership and clinical roles at WITS RHI, the City of Johannesburg, The Aurum Institute, and Gauteng College of Nursing, managing district health programs and mentoring healthcare teams.
Academically, she holds a BCUR in Nursing Education and Administration (PHC), a National Diploma in Nursing, and is completing a master’s in public health at Sefako Makgatho University, alongside her final-year LLB studies at UNISA. She is also a certified facilitator, assessor, and moderator, with extensive training in HIV management, infection control, and health systems leadership.
Nokuthula is an active member of the South African Association of Campus Health Services (SAACHS) Gauteng regional executive committee and a 2025 Africa Health Excellence Awards nominee, recognized for her leadership, multidisciplinary expertise, and commitment to advancing public and private healthcare in South Africa.
Planned, prepared, and delivered structured theoretical and clinical instruction to undergraduate nursing students in accordance with GCON academic standards and the SANC curriculum, Designed, reviewed, and updated curriculum materials, lesson plans, learning objectives, and assessment tools to ensure alignment with program outcomes and current clinical best practices, Facilitated diverse teaching methodologies, including lectures, simulations, group discussions, and case-based learning, to promote critical thinking and clinical competence, Conducted formative and summative assessments, including tests, OSCEs, assignments, clinical evaluations, and remediation sessions, ensuring fair, transparent, and evidence-based evaluation of student performance, Provided clinical accompaniment and supervision in various healthcare settings, ensuring students met clinical learning outcomes while maintaining patient safety and ethical conduct, Monitored student progress, provided academic support and mentorship, and contributed to individualized learning plans for students requiring additional assistance, Participated in quality assurance initiatives, including curriculum reviews, internal moderation, external evaluation processes, and compliance with regulatory bodies such as SANC and CHE, Contributed to institutional research initiatives, evidence-based practice activities, and scholarly projects aimed at improving nursing education and clinical training, Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams, clinical partners, and campus stakeholders to enhance the teaching–learning environment and support continuous program improvement, Ensured adherence to institutional policies, professional standards, and ethical guidelines within all academic and clinical activities.
clinical mentoring of nurses on ART and TB. /Inservice training facilitation on HIV/TB-related topics. /Ensure adherence to guidelines and best practices. /Document lessons learned for the future improvement program. /Cooperation with health system mentors to ensure the delivery of comprehensive and patient-friendly services. /Keep up to date with development in the field of HIV/TB. /Guide and support professional nurses implementing NIMART according to set guidelines. /Offer clinical advice on TB/HIV problems. /Data audits Viral Loads, IPT completion. /Ensuring that the 90,90,90 strategy is achieved. /Ensuring linkage with relevant stakeholders. /Quality improvement HAST program. /Training the implementation of post-natal clubs. /Facilitate training on HAST-related programs. /Short-listing candidates and conducting interviews. /Facilitate case discussion. / Ensuring good outcomes of quality-of-care indicators, ART, TB/HIV integration, PMTCT. /Perform clinical audits on HIV, IPT, PMTCT, and TB. /Report writing on weekly, monthly, and quarterly activities related to HIV/TB.
Develop operational plans for the Unit and oversee their implementation by setting priorities and targets, delegation of personnel and coordination of the Unit’s activities. Responsibility for the supervision of Clinic staff and emergency medical services on Campus by ensuring that their duties are discharged optimally as prescribed and that processes unfold correctly. Provide strategic leadership in the Unit in line with the mission, vision and values of the University as guided by the annual performance plan and the University’s strategic goals and objectives. Set standards/quality manuals for the Unit, monitor and evaluate outcomes of the set standards in order to plan for the shortcomings. Ensure the Unit’s financial sustainability through budgeting and monitoring of income and expenditure. Monitor and implement infection prevention and control procedures in line with the set standards of infection control and universal precautions. Ensure proper segregation of medical waste and general waste. Ensure availability of disinfectants and consumables for waste removal. Ensure that the Unit is free from all anticipated occupational hazards. Ensure that fire extinguishers are in good working condition and are serviced. Ensure that all air-conditioners are in good working order in all areas where client consultations take place. Ensure availability of Personal Protective Equipment’s (PPEs). Participate in campus Occupational Health and Safety Committee to, inter alia, report incidences relating to students and the Unit’s shortfalls on occupational safety. Provide and supervise the provision of comprehensive primary health care (PHC) services to the clientele of the, according to Essential Medicine List and other standard treatment guidelines relevant to PHC level of care. Prescribe and dispense medicines in accordance with the Medicines and Related Substance Control Act 101 of 1965, as amended. Responsibility for the provision of care, professional opinion and referral of students seeking concessions in academic activities. Maintain clear referral routes and criteria both internally and externally. Coordinate health promotion activities on campus with other stakeholders. Liaise with external service providers for extended service and information. Liaise with other departments internally and externally to solicit aid and support for students. Liaise with Government suppliers to augment the Unit’s budget. Provide clinical support and guidance as an expert in NWU business units/departments where a need arises. Serve as a standing member of events organising committee for various departments for SASREA compliance. Benchmark with other universities and public health institutions for evaluating the quality of the services that the Unit provides. Monitor and implement infection prevention and control procedures in line with the set standards of infection control and universal precautions. Ensure proper segregation of medical waste and general waste. Ensure availability of disinfectants and consumables for waste removal. Ensure that the Unit is free from all anticipated occupational hazards. Ensure that fire extinguishers are in good working condition and are serviced. Ensure that all air-conditioners are in good working order in all areas where client consultations take place. Ensure availability of Personal Protective Equipment’s (PPEs). Participate in campus Occupational Health and Safety Committee to, inter alia, report incidences relating to students and the Unit’s shortfalls on occupational safety.
A Master of Public Health (MPH) is a graduate-level degree focused on improving community health, preventing disease, and promoting well-being at local, national, and global levels. It prepares students to identify public health problems, design and implement solutions, and evaluate health programs and policies.