Healthcare without walls

Healthcare where life happens

Health professions training doesn't only happen in lecture halls and simulation labs — it happens where people live, work, and seek care. At the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, that conviction has been at the heart of what we do since our founding in 1956. Over seven decades, we have grown into a nationally and internationally respected institution, shaping generations of health professionals, producing research that responds to South Africa's most pressing health challenges, and delivering care to the communities we serve. Our students learn by stepping into real communities, where their developing skills make a meaningful difference to the healthcare facilities that host them.

FMHS clinical team with a newborn baby in hospital corridor

Dental student providing care to a patient at a clinic

Nurse assessing a patient at a community health centre

Student removing a cast at a clinical training site

Students working in Theewaterskloof as part of the InReach programme.

Expanding clinical training where it matters most

Seventy years ago, when this faculty was established, clinical training was confined to two hospitals in the Western Cape, reaching only a fraction of the population. Today, our students train across dozens of hospitals, clinics, and community health centres in the Western Cape, many of which are in rural areas where the need is greatest.

This expansion is driven by intent. At its core is the Stellenbosch University Logistics for the Clinical Training Platform (SunLoc) team — a dedicated infrastructure built to bridge the gap between campus and community. By providing safe transport, secure accommodation and integrated academic support, the SunLoc team ensures that our students can focus on developing clinical skills in the heart of the real world.

How the Langeberg InReach changed lives in rural communities

The scale of our reach

10 620

Student placements across the Western Cape since 2018

11

Districts where our students train

70

Years of expanding clinical reach

5 125

Placements in the City of Cape Town alone

Where our students train

Tap any district to see placement totals across 2018–2026

10 620 Total placements

11 Districts reached

2018–2026 Period covered

Learning as we serve

The philosophy driving all of this is one we've held from the beginning. We serve as we learn, and we learn as we serve. Every student in training is strengthening the healthcare system today, while becoming the professionals who will lead it tomorrow. Together with our partners and alumni, that impact now extends well beyond South Africa's borders — and we look forward to what the next 70 years will bring.