James Lailaa Yolanda Patricia November Hilton Shaista Matlou Lynette Tshilidzi Frans Zelna Thavashini Tshifhiwa Rashmi Stephanie Valerie Maxine Thanushya Esther Avisha Gary Winny Mapula Yaya Mmangaliso 1
3 PSSA President’s Year-End Message – Prof. R. Coetzee 4 SAAHIP Chairperson’s Year-End Message – Mrs. R. Gosai 5 SAACP Chairperson’s Year-End Message – Ms. P. Tharage 6 SAAPI President’s Year-End Message – Mrs. I. Duvenhage 7 YPG Chairperson’s Year-End Message – Mr. K. Baloyi 8 Year-End Message from Dr Stephanie Leigh 9 Upcoming events 10 Honouring Service, Celebrating Connection: WPSC at the PSSA Southern Gauteng Chairman’s Luncheon 11-13 The WITS Pharmacy Ball 14-15 SAACP SG Branch & SARCDA Host their 2025 Year-End Gathering 16 PSSA SG 2025 Wrap Up 17 Golden Mortar Editor’s Year-End Message – Yolanda Peens 18 2
Members for the 2024–2025 Term Dear Colleagues and Fellow Members, As we approach the end of 2025, I would like to reflect on some of the posi ve strides we have made together as the PSSA Southern Gauteng Branch. Our membership has con nued to grow, now standing at over 1900. This achievement is a direct result of your ongoing commitment to the profession and your con nued efforts to promote the PSSA to colleagues and friends. Your dedica on has not gone unno ced. Our Branch Commi ee members have worked relessly in the background, a ending an extensive number of mee ngs throughout the year-from monthly branch mee ngs to subcommi ee engagements, symposium prepara ons, and CPD events. It has indeed been a busy year, and we have all adapted and con nued to serve with excellence. Your support was instrumental in the success of the PSSA Na onal Conference and AGM, and we also delivered a highly successful annual symposium in September 2025. A endance at our monthly CPDs con nues to exceed one hundred members on many occasions, demonstra ng the value and relevance these sessions bring to our members. I would like to extend my sincere apprecia on to all Branch Commi ee Members, our Branch Execu ve Director, Lailaa Cajee, and our Professional Officer, Avisha Morgan, for their hard work and dedica on throughout the year. Without the leadership and opera onal support of the PSSA SG Branch Office, these achievements would not have been possible. I also wish to thank my family for allowing me the me to serve as a volunteer in this role. As we enter the fes ve season, I wish each of you a res ul break and a prosperous New Year. To those who will be travelling, may you do so safely, and I look forward to reconnec ng in the year ahead. Thank you. T. Rabali PSSA SG Branch Chairman 3
Renier Coetzee, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa What a remarkable display of unity in the pharmacy profession we have witnessed this year. It is inspiring how pharmacists from different sectors joined hands to host events and collaborate on issues of common concern. The 2025 World Pharmacy Month, under the banner “Think Health, Think Pharmacy – One Profession, Many Roles”, stands out as an example. Through your energy and leadership, you were able to showcase the many roles pharmacists play, not only dispensing medicines, but also health education, community outreach, patient counselling, preventive care and more. I want to congratulate you for your part in unifying the profession through the many events you hosted under the auspices of our association. Your commitment has strengthened cohesion and highlighted the breadth of what pharmacy can do for the health of all South Africans. Moreover, 2025 has delivered important opportunities for pharmacy in our country. The recent ruling in favour of PIMART (Pharmacist-Initiated Management of Antiretroviral Therapy) by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) opens a new chapter. This is a landmark development that empowers our profession to play a direct role in expanding access to HIV care for underserved populations. On a parallel front, the swift registration of Lenacapavir by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) earlier this year signals progress. South Africa is now among the first countries in Africa to register this twice-yearly long-acting anti-HIV injection, a potential game changer. This gives us a real opportunity to expand access to effective prevention. However, much remains to be done: we must work to ensure equitable access across socio-economic and geographic divides, so that all who need this innovation can benefit. As the year draws to a close, 2025 stands out as a pivotal one. Building on the energy generated by hosting the FIP World Congress in South Africa in 2024, we must keep the momentum going. Let us carry forward the spirit of collaboration, innovation and shared purpose into 2026 and beyond. May you all enjoy a peaceful and refreshing holiday season. I look forward to working closely with you next year, as we strive to expand access to medicines and strengthen pharmacy’s role across South Africa. With warm regards, Prof Renier Coetzee President of the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa 4
Tshif Rabali message – SAAHIP Southern Gauteng Branch “Pharmacy: A Profession of Purpose and Possibility” As 2025 draws to a close, I find myself deeply moved by what we have achieved together. This year was not without its trials—economic pressures, system constraints, and the relentless demands of healthcare—but through it all, pharmacists stood unwavering. You showed courage when resources were scarce, compassion when patients were vulnerable, and innovation when solutions seemed out of reach. To every pharmacist reading this: thank you. Thank you for being the quiet strength behind every prescription, the trusted advisor in every ward, and the advocate for every patient who needed a voice. You are more than dispensers of medicine—you are the lifeline of healthcare. As we step into 2026, let us do so with renewed energy and hope. Our priorities remain clear: Policy Engagement: Because our voice matters in shaping the future of healthcare. Professional Development: Because knowledge is power, and patients deserve the best. Collaboration: Because together, we are stronger. Community Impact: Because pharmacy is not confined to counters—it lives in the heart of every community we serve. Let us embrace the coming year with courage and conviction, united by a shared vision: to elevate pharmacy as a profession of purpose and possibility. The challenges ahead are real, but so is our strength. Together, we will continue to transform lives. As I conclude my five-year tenure as Chair, my heart is full of gratitude. These years have taught me that leadership is not about standing in front—it is about standing with people. It is about lifting others, even when you feel tired, and keeping the flame alive when the room feels dark. The foundation we have built is strong, and the future is bright under new leadership. I will continue to serve—not as Chair, but as a committed voice within PSSA, championing the aspirations of the next generation of pharmacists. Our profession deserves leaders who dream boldly and act courageously, and I promise to remain one of those voices. With appreciation, humility, and hope, Rashmi Gosai 5
from the Chairman – Southern Gauteng Branch As we close off another remarkable year in community pharmacy, I wish to extend my heartfelt appreciation to every pharmacist, pharmacy owner, intern, and member of our vibrant Southern Gauteng community. Your resilience, dedication, and unwavering commitment to serving the public continue to be the foundation upon which our profession stands. This year has reminded us once again that community pharmacists remain an essential pillar of the healthcare system. Despite economic pressures, regulatory shifts, and the evolving needs of the patients we serve, you have continued to demonstrate professionalism, compassion, and excellence in practice. As a Branch, we have worked collectively to strengthen our engagements, advance advocacy for community pharmacists, and expand opportunities for professional development. I remain deeply grateful for the support of our Branch Committee members, our partners, and the broader PSSA community whose contributions keep our work impactful and forward-focused. As we enter a new year, may we continue to champion the values of integrity, innovation, and patient-centred care. May this festive season bring you rest, joy, and renewed energy, and may 2026 be a year filled with growth, stability, and continued recognition of the vital role community pharmacists play in South Africa’s healthcare landscape. Thank you for your dedication, your service, and your partnership. Warm wishes to you and your families for a peaceful festive season and a prosperous New Year. Patricia Tharage Chairman SAACP Southern Gauteng Branch 6
Year– End Message From SAAPI President Dear SAAPI Colleagues, As we close out another remarkable year, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each one of you for your dedication, collaboration and invaluable contributions to SAAPI. Your commitment continues to strengthen our community and advance accelerated access to life-saving medicines to patients in South Africa. As we head into the festive season, I wish you a meaningful break filled with rest, connection and renewal. Yours in pharmacy, Ingrid Duvenhage President, SAAPI 7
YPG 2025: A Year of Growth, Visibility and Momentum for Young Pharmacists challenges, while the Mentorship Programme Kevin Baloyi Chair, Young Pharmacists’ Group (YPG), PSSA . We also prioritised wellness. The ‘Check-In & Recharge’ session 8
Tshif Rabali message As we reach the end of the year, it is worthwhile to reflect on the work undertaken across the Branch and the progress made within our professional community. It has been a pleasure and distinct honour to serve on the PSSA Southern Gauteng Branch Committee under a number of roles. Each of my roles has offered a different vantage point on the challenges facing pharmacists, as well as the opportunities that continue to shape our future. In my capacity as Vice-Chair of the Branch Committee, I have observed the steady strengthening of the Branch’s internal structures and its evolving engagement with urgent professional issues. This year required responsiveness to shifts in pharmacy practice. Regulatory expansions, including the ongoing rollout of the National Health Insurance Act, and the revised SAPC compliance expectations for Responsible Pharmacists, amongst others necessitated sustained engagement from members across sectors. Educational demands have intensified as universities and professional structures worked to align training with contemporary practice needs, particularly in areas such as the evolving role of pharmacy technicians. Workforce pressures persisted across community, hospital, and primary care settings, with pharmacists navigating increased patient volumes, medicine shortages, and expanded service delivery expectations under significant operational constraints. These combined factors, amongst many others, have shaped much of the Branch’s work during the year and emphasised the importance of coordinated professional action. The willingness of members to contribute expertise, debate complex matters constructively, and sustain momentum across committees has been central to the Branch’s functioning. These contributions are neither incidental nor invisible as the Branch continues to act cohesively and to advocate credibly for the profession. As Chair of the CPD Sub-Committee, the focus has been on building a programme that is academically rigorous, clinically relevant, and practical for pharmacists and support personnel working in all sectors. This year’s calendar reflected the breadth of therapeutic and policy challenges currently shaping pharmacy practice in South Africa. Sessions addressed biologics and biosimilars in chronic immune-mediated conditions, deprescribing and polypharmacy in geriatric care, pharmacist-led mental health advocacy, evolving evidence in childhood pharmacotherapy, and the practical management of diabetes within resourceconstrained settings. These were complemented by the 2025 Symposium, which centred on ethics in artificial intelligence, future models of community pharmacy, maternal and child health integration, hospital referral innovation, pharmacogenomics readiness, and South Africa’s positioning in biotechnology and industrial pharmacy. The strong participation in these events demonstrated that pharmacists continue to prioritise continuous professional development despite demanding service environments. The Committee’s work also revealed ongoing gaps related to more specific and valuable training sought by our members. Addressing these gaps will remain a priority, particularly as expectations for evidence-based practice, regulatory accountability, and workforce adaptability continue to intensify. Representing the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology at WITS University has supported the continuing need to strengthen the bridge between academic training and professional practice. This year reaffirmed that our long-term success depends on sustained collaboration between universities, sector structures, and our membership. Students and early-career pharmacists have shown notable enthusiasm for participating in Branch initiatives, signalling a growing pipeline of engaged future leaders. Supporting this development through structured mentorship, valuable engagement, and clear pathways for involvement must remain essential. Across all three roles, one theme has stood out for me: the profession advances when pharmacists participate actively and when structures exist to translate that participation into meaningful outcomes. The PSSA Southern Gauteng Branch has made progress in this regard, and I remain appreciative of the colleagues who contributed time, insight, and leadership throughout the year. I also acknowledge the Secretariat / Office personnel, Lailaa Cajee and Avisha Morgan for their operational support, which made much of this work possible. I extend my best wishes to all members for a restorative end to the year and look forward to the work of the new Branch Committee in 2026, building on the foundation of the 2025 leadership. Dr Stephanie Leigh, Vice-Chair, PSSA Southern Gauteng Branch | Chair, PSSA Southern Gauteng Branch CPD Sub-Committee | Representative of WITS University 9
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