At the recent Businesswomen of the Year Awards 2018, University of Johannesburg (UJ) Health Sciences alumnus, Dr. Samba Adelaide De Oliveira, a Polokwane – based Homoeopathic Practioner, has received the 2nd runner-up award at the Limpopo Businesswomen of the Year Awards 2018, held at the Meropa Casino and Entertainment World on 8 August 2018.
The Regional Business Woman of the Year Awards (RBWOYA) is organised by The Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa to give recognition to women who actively contribute to their local economy and excel in their various fields.
The RBWOYA’s categories include corporate, women in government and state-owned entities, entrepreneur, social entrepreneur, and professional category. Dr. Samba Adelaide De Oliveira was the first homoeopath to be awarded in the Professional Category.
Dr De Oliveira is registered as a Practioner of Homoeopathy with the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa and received her Master’s in Homoeopathy (MTech) from the University of Johannesburg. She is passionate about raising the public’s awareness of homoeopathic treatment and says “a lot of work still needs to be done in educating my patients on what homoeopathy is.”
“One of the distinguishing aspects of homoeopathy is its holistic approach to healthcare. Homoeopathic remedies stimulate specific innate defense mechanisms in the body to fight disease. So during consultations, I take into consideration diet, nutrition, environmental factors and the patient’s mental and emotional health to strive for cure. It brings me a lot of joy to educate my patients about their condition and have them return after treatment, saying that they feel better” she adds.
She attributes her successful career to her mentors and the support she has received from the Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa with special mention to Mrs. Mmabogoshi Msiza, the chairwoman of the association’s Limpopo Branch.
“It is so important to form a network of professionals consisting of people who have been in the industry for a long time as well as practitioners from other modalities. You can never know too much, there is always something new to learn.”
Dr. Precious Moloi Motsepe, Chairperson and CEO of the Motsepe Foundation and Founder and Executive Chairperson of African Fashion International (AFI), was the guest speaker at the awards ceremony.
Other prominent women finalists in the Professional Category included:
Dr. Ellen Moila, Founder of the Orchid Aesthetic Clinic; Molatelo Mashabane, Director and Head of the School for Legal Practice in Polokwane and board member at the School of Law UniVen and the University of Limpopo; and Prof. Matshidiso Kanjere, Professor at Turfloop Graduate School of Leadership, University of Limpopo.
