Growing up in the small village of Ga-Phadi in Limpopo, Manare Matlou witnessed firsthand how poor access to healthcare can rob people of their sight — and their independence. After seeing her grandmother lose her vision, she made a promise to one day help others avoid the same fate.
At just 23 years old, Matlou has fulfilled that promise. In February 2022, she opened her own practice, Optic iCare Optometrists, in Giyani, becoming one of the youngest practitioners in her region to run an independent eye-care centre.
“Many people in rural areas live with untreated vision problems or blindness because they cannot afford eye surgery or don’t know where to go for help,” she said. “Here in Giyani, the heat also causes a lot of cataracts and light sensitivity disorders.”
Matlou’s practice has become a lifeline for residents in and around Giyani, offering vital eye screenings, prescription glasses, and early detection of conditions like cataracts and glaucoma. She also educates patients on how nutrition, sun protection, and regular eye tests can preserve eyesight — particularly during Eye Care Awareness Month, which runs from September 21 to October 18.
As a small business owner, Matlou has already created jobs by hiring two assistants, and she plans to expand her services even further. Her long-term goal is to open more practices across rural Limpopo and introduce pensioner discounts to make eye care even more affordable.
“You need business knowledge to start a private practice,” she said. “It’s not easy, but I’ve learned from other professionals and from my own experience. My goal is to help my community see better and live better.”
Her story is one of vision in every sense of the word — a young woman combining medical skill, entrepreneurship, and compassion to bring light to a community too often left in the dark.
Description: At just 23, Manare Matlou has turned personal experience into purpose. Inspired by her late grandmother’s blindness, the young optometrist founded Optic iCare Optometrists in Giyani, Limpopo, to make quality eye care accessible to rural residents who often cannot afford treatment.
Editor’s Note: In many rural parts of South Africa, access to healthcare remains limited — especially when it comes to eye care. Manare Matlou’s journey is a story of empowerment, showing how one young professional can transform personal pain into purpose, improve public health, create jobs, and inspire hope in her community.
Editor: Thato Mahlangu
Project manager: Do4SA
