By Machaba Matsapola
Despite negative reports in the media about South Africa’s public hospitals and clinics, there are still men and women who wake up every day and strive to ‘resuscitate’ our health system, so to speak.
It’s never the ones who pay lip service on our television screens but the ones behind the scenes and on the ground who give our health sector ‘mouth to mouth’ with their hard work and dedication.
One such individual is Sister Maureen Rapholo, the founder and director of Exclusive Medical Agency.
Sister Maureen’s journey started in 2006 when she was a rookie nurse.
Over the years she became a registered nurse, distributed medical supplies, ran a specialised clinic and even ventured into providing shuttle services for patients.
“All these ventures came together out of a shared vision to close gaps I saw in completing patient care. When I was working with patients, I noticed that transportation was often a barrier in the space where patients need to be transferred from one hospital to the next for a special procedure, and I saw fit to close the gap,” she said.
“I developed the wound care clinic to provide focused wound care and holistic care in the wound care space, considering many problems that are related to the delay in wound healing. The medical distribution business came naturally after realising that as a health care practitioner of close to 20 years, I have a better understanding of the products that are used in the hospital and understanding the logistics around becoming a certified distributor,” Sister Maureen said.
The 43-year-old, who originates from Bolubedu in Limpopo but is based in Gauteng province, went an extra mile and created a media platform focused on her industry to share information with colleagues.
“My Podcast is called Nurse Business Solutions and is centred on empowering nurses and anyone in the healthcare sector to explore the opportunities beyond the traditional hospital setting, including opening their own businesses and tapping into the broader healthcare ecosystem. It’s about inspiring nurses to see the full potential of their skills and impact.
“Beyond that, the podcast also serves a philanthropic purpose; we plan to raise funds to support our community, including providing school uniforms for children in need and assisting learners who can’t afford tertiary education,” shares Sister Maureen.
The services and products were created to offer and to improve the healthcare system in the country.
When she founded Exclusive Medical Agency, she identified a gap in the healthcare staffing market for reliable, qualified professionals who could perform high-quality patient care while helping the hospitals to operate more efficiently hence, the organisation caters to comprehensive services like distribution of medical supplies, non-emergency patient transport and a successful wound care clinic in Gauteng.
She she started having a knack for entrepreneurship when she was in a managerial position.
“During this time, I was responsible for leading a team, negotiating with other companies and finding a way to improve operations and workflow. That experience made me realise how I enjoy thinking strategically, finding solutions and identifying opportunities to make processes more efficient. It was in that role that I discovered my entrepreneurial mindset,” she says
Sister Maureen also hosts annual events.
“The Global Nurse Rise Summit is designed to unlock both professional opportunities for nurses and anyone in the healthcare sector, ” she said.
The next event is scheduled for October 31, 2026 in Johannesburg at a venue still to be confirmed.
Sister Maureen Rapholo used digital platforms such as the Nurse Business Solutions channel on YouTube and the NBS Podcast to extend her reach.
