Family physicians in South Africa undergo rigorous training and education, equipping them with the skills to navigate complex healthcare systems and address the diverse needs of their communities. Their key roles include clinician and consultant, capacity builder and clinical trainer, and leader of clinical governance to improve the quality of care and promote patient safety. Family physicians improve individual and population health outcomes through engagement in community-orientated primary care. Their strategic deployment is a cost-effective intervention to strengthen district health systems because they work as the most senior clinician in multidisciplinary, collaborative and team-based practices. As champions of comprehensive healthcare, family physicians advocate for preventive care, health promotion, and community engagement. They are crucial in addressing healthcare disparities, promoting health literacy, and empowering patients to participate actively in their health and well-being.

The College of Family Physicians (CFP) oversees the fellowship, four diplomas, and certificate examinations, guided by a triennially elected council. Recent reforms have enhanced representation within the council, ensuring that all university departments and divisions of family medicine contribute to decision-making processes, particularly in examination development. Notably, on May 8, 2003, the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA) senate approved establishing a Fellowship qualification for the CFP, elevating family medicine to equal academic footing with other specialist disciplines. The discipline was recognised as a speciality in 2007 by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), which paved the way for the establishment of a 4-year registrar training period.

Several recent initiatives that are creating history include the standardisation of training unit standards and outcomes, restructuring of the national exit fellowship examination (Fellowship of the College of Family Physicians of South Africa [FCFP {SA}]), transition to a standard national portfolio aligned to entrustable professional activities and workplace-based assessments. In a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, family medicine continues to grow and innovate, adapting to the changing needs of patients and communities. With a commitment to excellence in patient care, leadership, education, and research, family physicians in South Africa are instrumental in advancing the goals of universal health coverage and promoting health and wellness for all.

Further reading:

Govender I, Omole O. Family medicine as a discipline in South Africa: Historical perspectives. Journal of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. 2023;1(1):3. https://doi.org/10.4102/jcmsa.v1i1.43.

South African Academy of Family Physicians. The contribution of family physicians to district health services in South Africa: A national position paper by the South African Academy of Family Physicians. South African Family Practice. 2022;64(1):5473. https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v64i1.5473.