When Tshikota resident Dipou Moyo recently suddenly lost consciousness in the middle of the night, she was fortunate to have a relative who could drive her to Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital at 2am.

“If he was not around, I could have passed away that day because I did not have money to hire a car to take me to the hospital,” Moyo says.

Healthcare workers told Moyo her blood sugar levels had dropped suddenly, and she received treatment at the hospital, including a drip.

Tshikota, a township west of Louis Trichardt in Limpopo, is home to more than 7,000 residents. The community has been calling for a local clinic for years. 

Residents who need primary healthcare have to travel to a clinic in Louis Trichardt, about a ten-minute drive by taxi, at a cost of R30 for a return trip. For residents who can’t afford the taxi fare and have to walk to the clinic, the 5 kilometre distance takes about an hour. 

For residents who don’t have access to a private vehicle or can’t afford the taxi fare, it can be difficult in an emergency or when they are sick.

Early mornings and transport costs

When Moyo needs medical attention, she uses public transport to reach Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital or the public clinic. She leaves home at 4am to join the queue at the health facilities.

A private clinic, Unjani, opened in Tshikota in 2024, offering some primary healthcare services. A notice displayed at the clinic lists a consultation fee of R350, including medication. The fee remains unaffordable for many households, particularly those without employment. The clinic operates from 8am to 5pm on weekdays and from 9am to 1pm on Saturdays. Its services include blood pressure checks, HIV testing and pregnancy tests.

Secretary of the Tshikota branch of the South African National Civic Organisation, Thabang Tlou, says the public clinic in Louis Trichardt serves a large population, resulting in long waiting times. 

“Though this private clinic is helping somehow, most residents cannot afford the charges. Most residents are unemployed, so we call on the Department of Health to establish a clinic in Tshikota. Even if they can bring a mobile clinic to the township sometimes.”

Another Tshikota resident, a 54-year-old woman who asked not to be named, described the difficulties of taking a six-year-old obese child with limited mobility for medical treatment in Louis Trichardt. When relatives are unable to provide transport, she has to hire a car at a cost of R200. She also relies on neighbours to help lift the child into the vehicle because she cannot manage alone.

Limpopo Health Department’s expansion plans

Tlou says Tshikota previously had a clinic, but the government moved it to Louis Trichardt more than 20 years ago.

In May during her 2026/2027 budget speech, Health MEC Dieketseng Mashego said the department was finalising an infrastructure master plan for the expansion and improvement of health facilities across the province. The speech did not specifically mention plans to build a clinic in Tshikota.

The department’s 2026/27 health budget is R28.7 billion, with R15.2 billion allocated to district health services and district hospitals. Mashego also outlined plans to deploy mobile clinics to improve access to primary healthcare, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities.

Health-e News sent questions to the Limpopo Department of Health about plans to establish a public clinic or provide mobile services in Tshikota. The department had not responded by the publication deadline.