Fostering Surgical Leadership: UCT Celebrates a Milestone and Charts a Global Course
The University of Cape Town (UCT) recently hosted the fifth annual Executive Leadership in Global Surgery Patron’s Dinner, a pivotal gathering that underscored a shared commitment to enhancing surgical outcomes, expanding access to surgery for underserved populations, and cultivating a new generation of global surgery leaders across Africa. The event, held at the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB), brought together distinguished healthcare professionals from throughout the continent.
This year’s dinner also marked the welcome of new delegates to the program, a significant collaboration between the UCT GSB and the Global Surgery Division within UCT’s Faculty of Health Sciences. This initiative is designed to equip leaders in both public and private healthcare sectors with the essential skills and expertise needed to drive transformative change within their respective fields. Among the distinguished attendees were UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mosa Moshabela and the program’s patron, Professor Nomafrench Mbombo. The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Abdullah Saleh, a paediatric general surgeon from the University of Alberta in Canada, who shared insights on the global landscape of surgical care.
Celebrating Five Years of Impactful Leadership Development
The event provided a moment to reflect on the program’s five-year journey. Professor Salome Maswime, Head of Global Surgery at UCT and the visionary behind the program, recalled the ambitious beginnings seven years prior. The initial aspiration was to establish a dedicated surgical leadership course at the UCT GSB.
Professor Maswime described the concept as an attempt to create a “mini-MBA in surgery,” a concentrated program that would award a certificate after a six-month duration. At the time, this vision was considered highly ambitious, and at times, its pedagogical feasibility was questioned.
However, the success of the past five years has surpassed initial expectations. “We are now celebrating five years with some of the most outstanding surgical leaders on the continent, bringing our total to 104 leadership fellows from 25 countries,” Professor Maswime stated. She highlighted the tangible impact of the program’s alumni, noting that many have returned to their home countries to serve as surgical representatives for their ministries of health, secured promotions to head of departments and associate professorships at universities, and are actively leading global surgery initiatives both within Africa and on the international stage.
Quantifying the Program’s Transformative Influence
To gauge the program’s effectiveness, organizers conducted a study among past participants in 2025. The findings revealed the profound impact of the initiative, with a remarkable 83% of alumni describing the program as transformative. Furthermore, over 40% reported acquiring new competencies in advocacy and diplomacy. The study also indicated that skills related to quality improvement and strengthening surgical health systems were highly valued by the surveyed alumni. A significant outcome of the study was the observation that participants perceived their personal leadership growth as directly correlating with enhanced confidence.
“Our study demonstrated that the course acts as an accelerator for career progression for mid-career surgical professionals and plays a crucial role in enhancing surgical system strengthening across Africa,” Professor Maswime explained. “One of our most significant achievements has been the development of a robust pipeline of global surgery leaders on the African continent.”
Charting a New Course: Adapting to Evolving Global Health Challenges
While acknowledging the program’s significant five-year milestone and its numerous achievements, Professor Mbombo emphasized that the work is far from over. She posed the critical question, “Where do we go from here?” and stressed the imperative to evolve and adapt. “We cannot continue to do the same thing without making changes,” Professor Mbombo asserted. “We understand that [the program] is rooted in research, education, and action, but the primary focus must be on action and advocacy.”
In light of current global public health insecurities, Professor Mbombo called for a collective re-evaluation of approaches. “It’s about positioning ourselves to be responsive to the global health insecurities that are occurring externally,” she stated. “We discuss access to surgical care, and we have developed national surgical plans and are tracking their progress. But where is the concrete action, especially in the current context of global insecurities? We need to reposition ourselves.”
A Unique Initiative with Global Aspirations
Professor Moshabela reinforced the program’s unique position, reminding the audience that it remains the only initiative of its kind on the continent and globally. He highlighted its success in bringing together delegates from health, policy, and government sectors to collaboratively pursue the common goal of improving surgical outcomes for vulnerable populations.
“It is remarkable that this interdisciplinarity appears to be effective,” Professor Moshabela commented. He added that the fifth anniversary serves as an opportune moment to reflect on the program’s accomplishments and to reaffirm the commitment to its ongoing success, despite inherent challenges.
“I believe it was foresight that led us to realize that to overcome [challenges], we needed to develop leadership capable of navigating complexities, even when we may not have all the solutions or resources,” Professor Moshabela stated. “The leadership pipeline that has emerged from this program truly represents Africa’s future, and we are immensely proud to be a part of this journey.”
Expanding the Partnership: A New Frontier in Canada
The leadership pipeline nurtured by the program is set to expand beyond Africa, with plans to establish the course in Canada gaining significant momentum. Dr. Saleh shared his enthusiasm for this development, stating, “There is only this leadership in global surgery program in the world. We know this because we are trying to establish another one in Canada.”
He explained that upon exploring the concept of building such a program, they discovered UCT’s innovative initiative. Recognizing its exceptional quality, the team in Canada decided against developing a separate program and instead sought to become an extension and partner in UCT’s established journey.
The program is slated to launch at the University of Alberta in September. Dr. Saleh outlined the vision of offering a portion of the course in Canada and the remainder in Cape Town. This blended approach, he believes, will provide participants with invaluable experience in navigating the complexities of inter-university collaboration, credentialing structures, and governance frameworks.
Navigating Knowledge: A Timeless Principle for Leadership
As he concluded his remarks, Dr. Saleh shared an adapted quote from his father, which resonated with his experience while benchmarking with UCT and establishing the Canadian program. The quote offers a profound perspective on the nature of knowledge and leadership:
“If he doesn’t know and doesn’t know that he doesn’t know, then teach him. If she knows but doesn’t know that she knows, then encourage her. If he doesn’t know but thinks he knows, avoid him. But if she knows and knows that she knows, then follow her.”
The event also featured valuable reflections from other key contributors, including Dr. Relebohile Ncha, Chief Director of Hospitals and Tertiary Health Services at the National Department of Health; Dr. Michael Mwachiro, Chairperson of the Education, Scientific and Research Committee at the College of Surgeons East, Central and Southern Africa; Professor Emmanuel Makasa, Chairperson of the regional SADC Technical Experts Working Group of Surgical Healthcare; Dr. Khumo Jere of the Urogynaecology Unit at the University of Stellenbosch; Professor Lionel Green-Thompson, Dean of UCT’s Faculty of Health Sciences; and Professor Lydia Cairncross, Head of UCT’s Department of Surgery.
