From Nkandla to Healing Hands, Dr Nqobile Shezi’s Journey Is Quietly Remarkable
Dr Nqobile Shezi’s journey is a powerful reminder that purpose, resilience and self-belief can shape remarkable lives. South Africa (09 April 2026) – Every story has the power to... The post From Nkandla to Healing Hands, Dr Nqobile Shezi’s Journey Is Quietly Remarkable appeared first on Good Things Guy.
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Dr Nqobile Shezi’s journey is a powerful reminder that purpose, resilience and self-belief can shape remarkable lives.
South Africa (09 April 2026) – Every story has the power to move us, to leave a mark… to be remarkable. That is what Profmed hopes to share in their latest BeRemarkable campaign. Today, we meet the inspiring Dr Nqobile Shezi, whose story takes her from growing up in Nkandla to saving lives as a doctor. She had dreams, and she fought hard to make them a reality that we see today.
Dr Shezi’s journey in the medical field was shaped by the example set by her father, Mr Z.S. Shezi, a dedicated paramedic, and by her mother, Mrs T.M. Shezi, whose strength and care formed the foundation of her upbringing. Being taught to set her mind to a task, today she is proof of that mindset.
“Raised and educated in Ulundi, my journey has always been rooted in discipline, resilience and a deep sense of purpose instilled by my family,”
“You can do anything that you put your mind to”
“It doesn’t matter where you come from, as long as you are willing to put in the work you will get where you want to go and you will become more than you ever imagined.”
This level of care is something she carries with her today. Being raised by someone who runs toward emergencies and acts in service has left a great mark on Dr Shezi. But before she was a doctor, when she was still a scholar, learning and studying, that is when her journey began to take shape.
She studied hard in school, determined to follow her dream, and when her school report was collected, there, in print, was the evidence. Seven distinctions in matric speak to ability, yet her framing of achievement reveals something deeper. It’s not about accolades or comparison, but about responsibility.
“I matriculated with seven distinctions,” she says, “which I have always seen as a reflection of both commitment and the unwavering belief that excellence is a responsibility, not just an achievement.”
Her belief is something we could all embody, showing that our own excellence is not the motivation but the responsibility to show up fully, and excellence is the reward for that.
For Dr Shezi, those seven distinctions set her on a path that led to the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where she earned her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. Again, instead of excellence, she moved forward with intention, taking responsibility for her education, her studies, and the eventual outcome of becoming a doctor.
“I don’t wear this title for status,” she says. “I wear it for responsibility, because the day I became a doctor, it stopped being about me. It became about the lives that cross my path, the courage people find in their most vulnerable moments, the trust they place in someone they’ve only just met.”
To practise medicine in South Africa is to stand in spaces where need is constant, and resources are often stretched. Here too, responsibility takes shape in working with clarity despite the demands and uncertainty of medical challenges.
“It’s realising that the patient’s life is in my hands and I have the potential to make their situation worse or even lead to their demise, but push that fear aside and give the patient my all.”
Dr Shezi’s awareness of those around her, whether it’s her patients, her colleagues or the nurses carrying the weight of daily care, impacts her choices. She puts her head down and carries out her duty, taking action within each moment presented to her. Dr Shezi’s self-belief is what is most important at the end of the day, not just her own, but guiding others to have their own self-belief too.
“Without self-belief you open room for other people to tell you that you are not good enough, you won’t be able to do it and that you are lacking somewhere, and unfortunately you end up believing that if you don’t believe in yourself,”
“If I could give my younger self any advice, it would be to not allow people to put her in a box and tell her about limitations,”
Her story is being shared as part of Profmed’s Be Remarkable campaign because it is compelling, because the work she does is hard and because she stands up every day, taking responsibility for those who need her most.
“I may be one person, but every decision I make leaves a mark, and I choose to make mine remarkable.”
In many ways, this is where professionals across South Africa quietly do their most important work. In boardrooms, on construction sites, in clinics, in classrooms, and in communities, individuals are making decisions that shape outcomes for others. The environments may differ, yet the underlying principle remains the same.
Profmed has launched BeRemarkable, a national storytelling movement that puts South Africa’s professionals at the centre of a bigger conversation about health, community and the future we are all trying to build.
BeRemarkable invites Profmed members to share their journeys. Not with polished bios or CV highlights but through real stories that celebrate the setbacks, the breakthroughs and the moments that made them question everything or reminded them why they started.
It is these stories that often go unseen. The long hours, the pressure, the responsibility, and the quiet impact that unfolds over time. Now these stories are being given the light they deserve, on a platform that values them most.
Dr Shezi’s story is a reminder that remarkable is not a single defining moment, but a pattern of decisions, made consistently, often quietly, and always with intention. For professionals across the country, there is an opportunity to share those stories, and to contribute to a collective narrative that reflects the depth, resilience, and potential of South Africa and her people
Entries for BeRemarkable close on 30 April 2026. If you are a Profmed member, your story could be next; you need only submit a written story or a video. Find out more here.
Sources: Profmed
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