Eastern Gauteng IPA was formed many years ago as part of the first private independent medical practitioner associations in the country. Various doctor groups on the East Rand amalgamated to form a more united Eastern Gauteng IPA to address the unique problems experienced by private family practitioners on a regional and national basis. The Eastern Gauteng IPA covers roughly the very large Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality area and beyond. After a groundbreaking meeting of IPAs representing private medical practitioners associations countrywide some years back, it was decided to form ASAIPA as a more united and visible forum on a national platform to represent the interests of doctors in private medical practices. Eastern Gauteng IPA grew in strength over the years and is one of the largest organised doctor IPAs in the country. We remain a proud and dedicated member of ASAIPA. 

Chairperson: Dr. Wessel J.W. Neuhoff

Qualifications: M.B.Ch.B; M.Prax. Med; Diploma Occupational Health; Certificate in Medicine and Law.

Registered Specialist Family Physician in Private practice in Springs on the East Rand and Occupational Medical Practitioner in various industries for 35 years.

He has been involved with private practitioner groups for the last 30 years and was a founder member of the East Rand IPA as well as ASAIPA. He serves as chairman of the Eastern Gauteng IPA and is a Board Member of ASAIPA.

HEALth-WorX IPA serves as a collective force that empowers individual healthcare providers of the IPA in negotiations with insurance companies. It provides administrative and clinical support, ensuring better contract terms and quality of care. HEALth-WorX IPA members are based in the following medical centres throughout Gauteng:

HEALth-WorX Boksburg, HEALth-WorX Carlswald, HEALth-WorX Oakfields, HEALth-WorX Cresta, HEALth-WorX Lynnwood, HEALth-WorX Montana, HEALth-WorX Randridge, HEALth-WorX Raslouw, HEALth-WorX Valley-View.

With a career spanning 27 years in the healthcare industry, Wim van Zyl serves as the Chief Executive Officer of HEALth-WorX Medical Centres as well as the Chairperson of the HEALth-WorX IPA. He provides strategic guidance, ensuring operational efficiency, and maintaining the quality of healthcare services, all while focusing on financial sustainability and stakeholder satisfaction. Specialized in managing multiple business entities, Wim van Zyl has a strong proficiency in financial simulations, organizational structures, and business process optimization. A keen analytical thinker and adept strategist, he excels in negotiation and strategic planning. HEALth-WorX Medical Centres addresses the diverse healthcare needs of the community, offering services that range from preventive and acute care to specialized treatments for chronic conditions.

The KZN ASAIPA IPA started many years ago with the demise of GPnet.

The private family practitioners in KZN desperately needed a united body to help them with the many political, financial and legal issues that we were all facing. The IPA had to have a national footprint to be effective and so a national meeting was held and ASAIPA was established as an umbrella body to represent a very significant number of independent doctors and doctor groups around the country.

ASAIPA KZN and ASAIPA nationally with the headquarters in Centurion have been tirelessly fighting for the survival and sustainability of general family practitioners in KZN. We are one of the bigger IPAs under the ASAIPA umbrella and remain vehemently loyal and supportive of the head office and our fellow ASAIPA IPAs.

Chairperson: Dr. Hugh Akerman

Dr. Hugh N Akerman Mb Bch wits DA(SA) family practitioner in private practice in central Pietermaritzburg, 328 Burger Street. Dr. Akerman has been in practice for 42 years and worked part-time at Greys Hospital for 22 years doing anaesthetics. KZN chairman for GPnet and ASAIPA.

Limpopo IPA (LIPA) is an Independent Practitioners Association started 41 years ago. The aim was to help regulate the industry through peer review and mentoring.

Over the years its role has evolved with time and the core of our mission is to continuously upscale our members through CPD platforms. The IPA also plays a pivotal role in advocating for its members and patients through government policy shaping.

In recent years LIPA has now been exploring a business wing for its members.

Chairperson: Dr. Mabowa Makhomisane

Dr Mabowa Makhomisane is a graduate of the University of Kwazulu-Natal: Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine class of 2005. He holds a higher certificate in travel Medicine from Wits(SASTM) and a Higher Certificate in practice management from the Foundation of Professional Development. He has a special interest in non-communicable diseases including hypertension and diabetes.

He is currently running a general practice with specialised Diabetes, Asthma, and cardiovascular clinics.

Dr. Makhomisane is also a SAHPRA-approved principal investigator, involved in conducting numerous clinical trials and providing supervision of sub-investigators and other clinical trial staff. His area of study interest is paediatrics, oncology, Respiratory conditions, cardiovascular conditions, and diabetes.

He is the current chairperson of Limpopo IPA and an executive member of ASAIPA. He is also an additional member of the IPAF advisory board.

Highveld IPA was formed many years ago as part of the first Independent Practitioners Associations. Thereafter various doctor groups joined and The Mpumalanga IPA was formed.

Our area covers the whole of Mpumalanga and Mpumalanga IPA represents the interest of the private practitioners in this area.
Mpumalanga IPA is a proud and dedicated member of ASAIPA.

Chairperson: Dr. Kobus Meintjes

Dr. Meintjies has a medical degree (MB.ChB.) and has been in medical practice for 36 years. Dr. Meitjies was a founding member of Highveld IPA and also Mpumalanga IPA and has been involved in the IPA scenario for the last 30 years.

KOSH IPA was formed many years ago as part of the first private independent medical practitioner associations in the Country. This was still in the time of GP Net. When ASAIPA was formed KOSH IPA and the rest of North West private practitioners were united in the North West IPA as it stands today.

The IPA covers mainly private practitioners of Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom as the biggest group of GPs but our members are spread through the whole of the North West province. Carletonville, Hekpoort, Fochvile, Mafikeng, Lichtenburg, Wolmaranstad, Schweizer Reneke, Stella, Coligny and Zeerust.

North West IPA presently has a membership of 50. We provide advice and various services related to practice management and solutions. Legal advice and legal presentation as well as mediation form a very important component of our services. Protecting and promoting the welfare and rights of the General Practitioner is an important cornerstone of ASAIPA, the parent body we are affiliated with.

Chairperson: Dr. Sarel Kritzinger

I have been a Sport & Occupational Physician in Klerksdorp since 1993, working in both a GP practice and an Occupational Health Centre. My qualifications include an MB.Ch.B, DOH, and M.Med (Sport) from UFS. I'm happily married to Judy, and together, we are blessed with five children and five grandchildren.

Oranjemed het ontstaan in 1994 en is amptelik gestig in 1995, toe die destydse Minister van Gesondheid (Mev Rina Venter) die voortbestaan van privaat praktyk in SA bedreig het. Dit was gedoen onder leiding van Wyle Dr Lex Visser en dit was die toonaangewende IPA in SA. Oranjemed het dan ook geografies ‘n baie groot gedeelte van SA bedien en dit sluit in die Vrystaat, Noord-Kaap, westelike deel van Noordwes en die noordelike deel van die Oos-Kaap en ‘n totaal van 506000 vierkante kilometer.
Oranjemed het dan ook begin met die verkoop van farmaseutiese data, ontwikkeling van formulêre en die grondwerk saam met Q-Edi vir die elektroniese indiening van eise. Die konsep van die verkoop van data was toe deur ‘n vorige Exco lid van Oranjemed “gesteel” en het toe GP-Net daarop gaan bou.

Oranjemed het ook die leiding gegee met die ontwikkeling van NAIPA, wat die eerste groep was wat verskeie IPA’s laat saamwerk het in SA. Met die ontstaan van GP-Net, het verskeie IPA’s by GP-Net aangesluit, maar Oranjemed het onafhanklik gebly en wou nie met GP-Net betrokke raak nie. Toe die verkoop van farmaseutiese inligting verbode raak, is GP-Net gelikwideer.

Na GP-Net en weer onder leiding van Wyle Dr Lex Visser, het ASAIPA tot stand gekom en Oranjemed was toe en is tans steeds ‘n trotse deel van ASAIPA. ASAIPA is weereens die toonaangewende IPA Groep in SA en speel op verskeie vlakke ‘n rol om die FP in SA te bevorder en te beskerm.

Chairperson: Dr. George Aldrich

Degree in Medicine from the University of the Free State in 1984. Internship year and then SA Defense Force from 1985 – 1988. In private practice as a General Practitioner since 1989, until present. CEO and Director of Cairnhall Hospital since 2005. Started Elite Med 24 (Pty Ltd) in 1996 at Hydromed Hospital (Medi-Clinic), which was also the first independent company to operate a 24-hour Emergency Unit at a Private Hospital in South Africa. Since Elite Med 24's inception, the concept has spread to other SA hospitals. At Elite Med 24, I was the Chairman and CEO from 1996 to 2001. Resigned at the end of 2001.

Executive Board Member of Oranjemed IPA representing all the doctors in Free State, Northern Cape, the northern part of the Eastern Cape, and the western part of Northwest from 1996. Chairperson of Oranjemed since 2001 and the Chairperson of ASAIPA since 2006, of which Oranjemed is a member.

ASAIPA is a National Organization consisting of 13 IPAs from across the country and whose 13 IPA Chairpersons form the Board of ASAIPA. From the Board, the Chairman and an Exco are elected.

CEO and Chairman of Flexor Pty, which is the business arm of Oranjemed. Oranjemed is an NGO organization and all Oranjemed members are also the Shareholders within Flexor.

CEO, Chairman, and Manager of Cairnhall Investment Holding (Pty Ltd) trading as Cairnhall Private Hospital in Bloemfontein. CEO and Chairman of Cairnhall Properties (Pty Ltd) who is the owner of the buildings in which Cairnhall Private Hospital is located.

PIPA and various National IPA groups joined forces in 2005 forming ASAIPA. Our mission is to protect the interest of Private Practitioners on a local and national Level. We have a membership of 155. As part of ASAIPA, we are able to empower, guide and make unified decisions, as well as unified representations to funders, government, and other interested organisations. We strive to be fair and just to patients in our mission to serve Private Practitioners.

Chairperson: Dr. Shanaze Ghood

I am the Chairperson of Pretoria IPA and serve on ASAIPA’s board.  Before the formation of ASAIPA, I was chairperson of PIPA under the GPnet banner. For more than 30 years I have been a successful GP in private practice and held various complimentary positions during the time. I worked as a medical officer in the HIV unit at Tshwane District Hospital and was part of the initial facilitator group that trained doctors and nurses in HIV Care when the Epidemic was at its peak in South Africa. I was also involved in editing the initial training manuals. I am also Chairperson of Pretoria Medical Discussion Group which is an organisation that organises CPD events for Medical professionals.

Rustenburg IPA Started in 1993 already and both specialists and GPs were part of the same IPA. When we joined ASAIPA, the specialists formed their own grouping. Rustenburg IPA lost Medicross and Platinum Health group doctors and at the present, we have 5 members only.

Chairperson: Dr. Carel Bower

I am a companionate, efficient, and engaging medical doctor with excellent leadership, decision-making, and interpersonal skills. I have Christian-based morals and value honesty, loyalty, and integrity. With 31 years’ experience as a medical doctor, running my own practice, I take pride in my impeccable work ethic.

I am married and father of three children and a grandfather of 7 grandchildren. Maintaining work-life balance is a priority and I value spending quality time with my loved ones. In my personal time, I enjoy exercising, regular gym, golfing, spending time outdoors with my family, and socialising with friends.

Formal Education:

1978 Bsc Agri - University of Free State
1980 Honors Bsc Agri - University of Free State
1991 MbCHB (Cum Laude) - University of Free State

South West Gauteng IPA presently has a membership of 36. We provide advice and various services related to practice management and solutions. Legal advice and legal presentation as well as mediation form a very important component of our services. Protecting and promoting the welfare and rights of the General Practitioner is an important cornerstone of ASAIPA, the parent body we are affiliated with.

The South West Gauteng IPA covers a wide area, which includes the following towns and townships:

Roodepoort, Krugersdorp, Randfontein, Vereeniging, Carletonville, Vanderbijl Park, Soweto, Kagiso, Dobsonville, Lenasia, Ennerdale, Evaton, and Sebokeng.

Chairperson: Dr. Farouk Kaka

I am a general practitioner and the chairman of the South West Gauteng IPA; a position I inherited with the retirement, due to ill health, of Dr MF Saloojee, in 2021.

I obtained my MB BS degree in Mumbai, India in 1973 and followed it up with my internship and services as a medical officer at the Leratong Hospital; joining private practice in 1984. It was in the same year that Lenmed Clinic opened its doors and it heralded my long and serious relationship with this institution; serving in various positions including that of hospital CEO, finally retiring as an Executive Director of the group, Lenmed Investments, in 2014.

The Coastal IPA (Eastern Cape) is the largest IPA in ASAIPA and offers support services to our doctors in the Eastern Cape region.

The region consists of practices in a vast area from metropolitan to rural and even very remote areas…. almost embodying every possible scenario in the greater SA.

We endeavour to unite and support primary care doctors in their unique roles as health managers for their patients.

The IPA is run by an active committee of enthusiastic doctors from both Metropolitan and Rural settings, an administrator, and a consultant with many years of experience calling on our doctors.

We also have an active clinical WhatsApp group where doctors can post questions and receive support from colleagues without disclosing any confidential identifying information of patients.

Our Administrative support group allows Practice Managers to interact and receive support from the IPA and each other with medical aid queries, billing queries, and other practice issues.

Our “No-reply’ WhatsApp Group broadcasts important information for doctors but without the corresponding traffic from being able to reply.

We also support our doctors with email correspondence.

We are active on many fronts and offer annual (bi-annual since 2023) CPD Days for our doctors to upskill them in their daily practice.

We have positive relations with many other doctor groups in the region but are unique in our focus being exclusively on the interests of family doctors.

Chairperson: Dr. Eleanor Galpin

Born in Zimbabwe and grew up in KZN.

Studied Medicine at the University of Natal, KZN (1998 – 2003)

Internship in Bloemfontein (2004)

Community Service split between Kimberley Hospital, Northern Cape, and Settlers Hospital in Grahamstown (2005)

Worked as a Senior Medical officer at Settlers Hospital for two years before taking a Principal Medical Officer position at Settlers Day Hospital, Grahamstown where I was responsible for the NCD, ARV, antenatal high risk and community psychiatric programs (under Fort England Psychiatric Programme).  I functioned in a partially administrative position at the sub-district office.

In 2012 I moved from Grahamstown to Kenton on Sea and managed the care of patients at four rural clinics and the mobile route.

In 2018 I moved from public care to private care, taking over the private practice in Kenton-on-Sea which caters to a large rural area.

I have a growing interest in geriatric medicine as the average age of my patients is over 70 years old!

Apart from my interest in health care, I have an interest in alternative education and am the Chairperson on the school Trust / Board at Bushwillow Primary.

I married a Kentonite in 2005 and have three children currently aged 16 years, 14 years, and 9 years old.

Acting Chairperson: Dr. Unben Pillay

Qualified as a medical doctor (MBBCh) from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1995. Unben has been practicing as a Family Practitioner in a multidisciplinary General Practice for over 25 years and has a special interest in Chronic Disease Management, Digital Healthcare, and Outcomes Based Healthcare.

Current positions:

• Co-Chairperson: Africa Telehealth Collaboration (ATC- 2021)
• CEO: Independent Practitioners Association Foundation (IPAF - 2019)
• Vice Chairperson: United Forum of Family Practitioners (UFFP - 2020)
• CEO: Alliance of South African Independent Practitioners Associations (ASAIPA- 2016)

Advisory Boards:

• Health Quality Assessment (HQA -2023)
• WONCA eHealth working group (2021)
• Axess Health Africa (2021)
• BrandMed (2020)
• Discovery Health Family Practitioners Advisory Board (FPAB - 2017)

A faculty member in:

• Future Proof Your Healthcare Practice - Henley Business School
• South African Health Business Academy (SAHBA)

Founding member of:

• Smart Health Africa (SMA - 2022)
• Vaccines And Relief for Healthcare Workers (V4HCW- 2021)
• Digital Healthcare Association of South Africa (DHCA - 2018)