Healthy Futures South Africa
A Mastercard Foundation-funded UCT/FaCE programme, strengthens primary healthcare and creates youth pathways into health-related work across three Western Cape sites through community partnership.
Healthy Futures South Africa (HFSA) is UCT’s implementation programme within the Africa Health Collaborative, a Mastercard Foundation initiative.
Through FaCE, HFSA works with partners across education, health services, government, and communities to strengthen primary healthcare and expand opportunities for young people.
About Healthy Futures South Africa
Healthy Futures South Africa brings together UCT departments, implementing partners, government, and community stakeholders to support more responsive and community-oriented primary healthcare.
The programme is grounded in Community-Oriented Primary Care, recognising that health is shaped not only in clinics, but also in homes, schools, communities, and local systems.
HFSA does not create parallel systems. Instead, it works through existing platforms and partnerships — strengthening what is already in place, connecting efforts across sectors, and supporting young people to participate meaningfully in health-related pathways.
| Programme | Healthy Futures South Africa |
| Institution: | University of Cape Town |
| Departmental home: | Family, Community & Emergency Medicine (FaCE) |
| Collaborative: | Africa Health Collaborative |
| Funder: | Mastercard Foundation |
| Focus: | Primary healthcare, youth pathways, health systems strengthening |
| Sites: | Klipfontein, Saldanha Bay, Knysna–Bitou |
What HFSA Does
Strengthens primary healthcare
HFSA supports work that improves how communities, clinics, and health systems connect — with a focus on prevention, continuity of care, and community-based support.
Creates youth pathways
The programme expands opportunities for young people to enter health-related education, employment, entrepreneurship, and leadership pathways.
Supports community-based learning
HFSA works through learning circles, community engagement, and partner-led activities to ensure local priorities shape programme design and implementation.
Builds evidence and stories of impact
HFSA supports monitoring, evaluation, learning, and communications so that change can be documented, understood, and shared.
Where HFSA Works
HFSA is active across three Western Cape sites, each with distinct community priorities, partners, and health system contexts.
Klipfontein
A Cape Town Metro site focused on strengthening community-oriented primary care, youth pathways, and health system collaboration in and around Athlone and surrounding communities.
Saldanha Bay
A West Coast site supporting community engagement, youth development, and primary healthcare strengthening in a regional health system context.
Knysna-Bitou
A Garden Route site focused on local health priorities, community participation, and health system learning across diverse communities.
Future Pathways
Pathways into health
HFSA’s work is organised through a Future Pathways lens, supporting young people from education through to employment, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
Together, these streams help young people see, prepare for, and access meaningful opportunities in and around the health sector.
How HFSA works
Working through partnership, not parallel systems
Embedded in health systems
The programme works with public health services, community platforms, and government partners to support practical, system-aligned change.
Partner-led implementation
Implementation is carried out with UCT units and partners who bring expertise in schooling, youth development, entrepreneurship, clinical training, community engagement, and health systems.
Learning-driven
HFSA uses evidence, reflection, and community feedback to adapt and improve its work over time
Our Implementing partners
HFSA works with partners across UCT and beyond, including teams focused on schooling, student learning, digital health, public health, entrepreneurship, community engagement, and systems strengthening.
FaCE (Department of Family, Community & Emergency Care)
Leads the design, coordination, and integration of the HFSA programme within UCT, anchoring work in community-oriented primary care and the clinical teaching platform.
UCT SDU (Schools Development Unit)
Supports high school learners through maths and science tutoring, career guidance, and pathways into higher education, strengthening early-stage entry into health-related careers.
SHAWCO (Students' Health & Welfare Centres Organisation)
Delivers community-based programmes focused on digital literacy, health education, and psychosocial support, while creating opportunities for student-led engagement and service.
Planet Youth
Implements community-based prevention strategies and data-driven approaches to adolescent health, while training and employing young people in research and data collection roles.
UCT Department of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences (DHRS)
Provides interdisciplinary student placements in community settings, integrating rehabilitation sciences into primary healthcare and supporting disability-inclusive approaches.
UCT School of Public Health (SPH)
Leads training, research, and curriculum development in health systems, health economics, and public health, strengthening evidence-based approaches within HFSA.
Knowledge Translation Unit (KTU)
Supports the development of mid-level health workforce strategies and training programmes, focusing on practical implementation and system-level capacity building.
C-SHARP (Cape Town Systematic Healthcare Action Research Project)
Drives digital health innovation and data systems strengthening, including tools to support community health worker programmes and data-informed care.
Bertha Centre for Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Leads entrepreneurship pathways, supporting young people to develop, test, and scale health-related innovations through structured programmes and incubation.
Western Cape Government: Health & Wellness
Key public sector partner supporting implementation within the health system, ensuring alignment with provincial priorities and integration into service delivery platforms.
YearBeyond
Provides work readiness and service opportunities for young people, enabling entry into the health sector through structured, supported placements.
Stories from the HFSA ecosystem
Who leads global health and who decides? Reflections from the Women in Global Health Fellowship Programme Leadership Week at UCT
UCT hosted the Women in Global Health Leadership Fellowship (WGHLF) Leadership Week, focusing on gender equity and power in health systems. Fellows developed practical leadership projects addressing real-world challenges in their contexts.
From Kigali to the Continent: UCT's Impact at Africa Health Collaborative Convening 2025
Against the backdrop of Rwanda's vibrant capital, over 200 health leaders, innovators, educators, and young changemakers gathered for the Africa Health Collaborative's third annual convening.
Partner with us to build healthier futures
HFSA brings together communities, institutions, and health systems to support young people and strengthen primary healthcare.