Delivering medicines thousands of patients no matter what

Sizwe Nzima could have just started a PR or tech company, as both have been a favorite choice when it comes to starting a business. But Nzima didn’t think of the money or the reverence that comes with both jobs, he is addressing a challenge that faces many communities in South Africa.
Nzima started a company called Iyeza Express that helps deliver medicines to patients on who are on chronic medication. He employs a group of young people who use bicycles to collect these medications which are already prepackaged by hospital or clinic staff.

He told the Beautiful News team recently how it was a challenge at first for his team to collect and deliver this life saving parcels to the patients in Khayelitsha.

In the articles, it was reported that [when Nzima arrived the first] time [at the clinic] arrived with multiple scripts, the clinic called the police. They thought he had stolen them to make recreational drugs. The incident turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Nzima.

“I managed to explain what I’m trying to do and how this would help the clinic in terms of decongesting the number of people,” Nzima said.

In south Africa, like many parts in the world, clinics and hospitals (even at Home Affairs offices among other places) are plagued by long queues that are sometimes attended to by either hospital or clinic staff which leads people to pay people to queue for there while they sit at home. Most of these
people who pay for these services are elderly people. So Nzima’s brilliant idea, to collect these medicines could be the answer to doing away with long
queues at places health institutions.

Editor’s Note:
It shows how no matter how rich or poor you are you can make an impact in someone’s life. What Sizwe Nzima is doing should make us want to think creatively on how we can assist people like the one he is assisting.

Description:
Iyeza Express is a company that is dedicated to delivering medicines to thousands of people who can’t, due to the severity of their illness or lack of access to these much-needed medications, access their medicines. It is currently operating in Khayelitsha, in Cape Town.

Editor: Thato Mahlangu
Project Manager: Anirle de Meyer