Meet Ntando Makhubela, the inspiring student doctor who's fulfilling his dreams

From a petrol attendant to a medical student, Ntando Makhubela shares his story.

Former petrol attendant Ntando Makhubela is fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming a doctor.

Makhubela, who hails from Mpumalanga, is part of a group of South African students who are training to become medical doctors in Cuba.

After matriculating with excellent results, he was excited about pursuing his dreams.

But Makhubela did not receive an offer to study medicine. Instead, he was accepted to study a Bachelor of Sciences, a degree which he had to abandon because of financial difficulty.

He says he opted to find a job because he did not want to remain dependent on his parents.

While working as a petrol attendant at an Engen near Nelspruit, Makhubela met someone who told him about the Cuban medical training programme.

That's how the 23-year-old was awarded a scholarship to study medicine in Cuba.

Makhubela tells CapeTalk that the untimely death of his grandmother inspired him to want to change lives.

Now the top achiever is in his fifth year of the medical programme in Cuba and is fluent in Spanish.

Makhubela chats to CapeTalk host Sara-Jayne King about adjusting to life in Cuba and his life long dream to pursue a career in medicine.

On a normal day, you have to be at the hospital by 8am. Everyone beds allocated to them in the ward.

Ntando Makhubela

We check our patients and when the doctor comes, we have to give our reports and we get marked for that. We also have classes.

Ntando Makhubela

I believe I'm fluent [in Spanish] now... The first few weeks were very difficult because I didn't understand a word... It was such a culture shock for me. I overcame all that, and now I'm like a Cuban.

Ntando Makhubela

I didn't know anyone who was a doctor growing up.... what motivated me to want to become one was the death of my grandmother.

Ntando Makhubela

I always wanted to become a doctor one day. I didn't see myself becoming anything else in life.

Ntando Makhubela

Listen to his inspiring story on Weekend Breakfast with Sara-Jayne King:

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