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By Shumirai Chimombe

“A nurse entrepreneur is basically a person who took her passion for nursing and made it a business.”

Cleopatra Van Ster took her passion and 21 years of experience in nursing to embark on her entrepreneurship journey seven years ago. She started her business Nurseit Primary and Occupational Healthcare Services with one clinic and has expanded to operating three clinics and employs seven staff. Her focus is on providing affordable healthcare services to underserved communities, aiming to bridge the gap in healthcare coverage and offer accessible healthcare without the need for medical insurance.

In her pitch at the Standard Bank EmpowHER conference in Cape Town last year, she said: “We all know that healthcare cannot be carried by the public healthcare system alone. And we all know that even the private healthcare system has a shortage of people. Nobody can service everyone. So that’s where we come in. Our service aims to ease the burden of disease making healthcare more accessible and affordable to all.”

Cleopatra’s passion and her pitch impressed the judges so much that she was recognised with the Top Women EmpowHER Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 Award, sponsored by Standard Bank at the awards ceremony in December. 

Nurseit Primary and Occupational Healthcare Services offer all basic primary and occupational health care services, including making diagnoses, prescribing, and dispensing medication. Some of their wide-range of services include basic medications, chronic care, Pap smears; injections B12, Bco; immunisations, family planning; woundcare; minor suturing; HIV counselling and testing; antenatal clinic and wellness screening.

“I’m the person who will do your blood pressure. I am the person who will listen to your lungs. I’m the person who will diagnose you with pneumonia and give you medication.”

So what does a clinical specialist do? A primary health care nursing specialist has the qualification to make a diagnosis and can dispense and prescribe medication until Schedule 4, making her service cost effective and accessible to the public at a reasonable cost, explained Cleopatra. 

Nurse entrepreneurs bring sustainable healthcare to South Africa. They provide convenient and affordable access to private healthcare services, often servicing areas that will be overlooked by other healthcare practitioners. “Nurse entrepreneurs provide long-term employment and financial futures, stimulating economic growth in their wider community.” The company’s target market is the low to middle-income with or without medical aid. This population has a stable income and wants to access affordable private healthcare near their community. 

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The woman behind the business

Cleopatra started her career as an undergraduate student at the Western Cape College of Nursing in 2003 and completed a Diploma in Nursing, Midwifery, Psychiatry, and Community. She holds a master’s degree in nursing, Postgraduate diplomas in Primary Health Care and Nursing Education, and a BTech in Occupational Health Care. 

During her undergraduate training, she was known to be an excellent nurse and received an award for clinical practical excellence in 2007. She also received a prize for best oral research presentation at the University of Stellenbosch during their 50th Nursing research day in 2013. She was also a lecturer at Cape Peninsula University of Technology in the Nursing Department where she did a lecture and clinical training for undergraduate and postgraduate students until the end of February 2020. 

Cleopatra comes from a background of informal trading. Growing up as the eldest of five children, with parents working as a machinist and a construction worker, Cleopatra learned the value of hard work and determination. She is married to Dr. Ngoie and together they have five children.

How does she see her business five years from now?

“We would like to expand our brand and increase our revenue, to expand our brand nationally and not only be based in Cape Town. We are planning to make this expansion possible through partnerships and/or franchises. Our immediate goal is to expand our current services to more locations all over Cape Town and to expand to a more comprehensive healthcare service that includes other medical and clinical services.”

She adds that they would like to incorporate dentistry, eye care and pharmaceutical services, all aimed at giving access to quality cost-effective healthcare services. To address more needs of the community the business would also like to add counselling services. They have a virtual doctor but want to add virtual nursing healthcare services.

“Our business is to grow.”

“Nurses running their practices are not a common practice in South Africa. To do what you love every day, impacting so many lives positively while earning a living and creating jobs –  I consider it successful.”

Now it’s your turn to shine on the EmpowHER stage

The Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER conference is back for 2025.

This 3-part live development series is a wonderful opportunity to network with other female entrepreneurs and women in business, take in knowledge shared by invited speakers and witness powerhouse entrepreneurs pitch their businesses. Hosted by Standard Bank Top Women, EmpowHER aims to equip participants with the tools and mentorship needed to grow thriving businesses and contribute to South Africa’s economic development.

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Ten pre-selected entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch their promising business models to a panel of high-level thought leaders and business experts. The pitch will consist of a 3-minute elevator pitch followed by a 5-minute interactive Q&A session, where participants will receive valuable feedback on how to scale their businesses into market leaders.

It will be held in Gauteng on 22 May, KZN on 26 June  and Cape Town on 21 August, with a virtual skills and training masterclass for participants in the lead-up to the pitching den.

The top 3 winners from each region will be entered into the prestigious Standard Bank Top Women Awards, taking place in December 2025 in Johannesburg. One winner will take home the trophy and a R50,000 cash prize – a real boost to grow their business.

Tickets are still available to attend the Gauteng leg of the EmpowHER conference on 22 May at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel in Sandton as a delegate, as applications for the pitching den are now closed. 

Applications are now open to enter your business into the pitching den at the Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER Conference in KZN. The deadline is on Monday, 26 May 2025.

The application form is available here

Tickets to attend the Gauteng event as a delegate are available here

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