Professor Kubedi Mokhobo grew up at a time when he could easily have believed his dreams weren’t valid. But he refused to accept that fate, taking his place in classrooms where no one looked like him to become southern Africa’s first Black cardiologist and a medical pioneer who has worked tirelessly to strengthen healthcare where it is needed most.
Johannesburg, South Africa (20 July 2026) – Having only started school at the age of ten while growing up in a vastly different South Africa than the one we know today, Professor Kubedi Patrick Mokhobo could easily, and understandably, have become a victim of his circumstances. Except, he didn’t.
Driven and resilient, Mokhobo went against the grain, pursuing an education at a time when Black South Africans faced severe restrictions and even required government permission to attend white universities.
In 1953, he was the only Black student in his class at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). Undeterred, he pushed and persevered through every obstacle in his path to realise one main dream: to become a doctor – one with a particular fascination with the human heart.
According to Wits, Mokhobo became the first Black registrar in paediatrics and internal medicine. In 1966, he became the first Black doctor to pass the prestigious Medical Fellowship examinations. Just two years later, he travelled to the United Kingdom, where he wrote and passed the British Specialist Examination. These achievements paved the way for a groundbreaking career, culminating in his recognition as southern Africa’s first Black cardiologist in 1973.
Beyond his clinical work, Mokhobo was a dedicated community leader and institution builder.
He served the communities of Benoni through his medical practices in Daveyton, became the first medical specialist in Eswatini, and stood as a founding figure of Lesotho’s medical institutions. He helped establish professional bodies, medical journals and medical congresses – fundamentally strengthening healthcare across the region.
He later served as Minister of Health in the former Bophuthatswana, where he championed community-based healthcare, expanded the role of nurses as clinicians and helped decentralise health services to reach underserved communities.
With a career decorated by accomplishments that defied great odds and served those in need, Mokhobo’s journey speaks volumes about a determination that refuses to die out. One that puts people first and is undoubtedly worthy of celebration.
At 94 years old today, Prof Mokhobo was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Medicine by Wits in recognition of his outstanding contributions to medicine and healthcare. The medical pioneer received a standing ovation as he crossed the stage in the Great Hall, with four generations of the Mokhobo family watching proudly from the audience during the Faculty of Health Sciences’ graduation ceremony on 15 July.
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“The English language, and indeed my own mother tongue, Setswana, are too limited to express the honour and gratitude that I really feel.”
The celebrated cardiologist urged graduates to pursue opportunities around the world but remember to return home and use their skills to strengthen South Africa.
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