LOCATION
Zithulele is situated in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa in an area known as the Wild Coast. It is 85km (90 minutes drive) from the nearest town, Mthatha (formerly Umtata). It is almost four hours from the nearest city, East London, and just under five hours from the provincial capital, Bhisho. It is just south of the famous tourist attraction, Hole in the Wall, and the holiday town of Coffee Bay. The hospital itself is 7km by road from the coast with easy access to a stunning beach and 4X4 access to a pristine estuary. The last 21km of road is now beautiful tar! (Click here for detailed directions)
The lack of access and infrastructure that makes the Wild Coast a popular tourist destination for adventurers also means that many people live in abject poverty. The Oliver Tambo District, in which the hospital lies, is one of the poorest rural areas in South Africa. Unemployment in our sub-district was officially 38% in 2011, but that includes Mthatha which has much higher rates of employment than our local community. While access to electricity is slowly expanding, the 2011 census put the households with piped water in their dwelling at 19% - again, almost none outside Mthatha (our adjacent sub-district without a big town reports a more reflective 3.5%). Average income is low, with most households living off about R2000 (US$180) per month. Transport is another major problem – over 15% of people live more than an hour from their nearest clinic (using their normal mode of transport), while over 35% live more than an hour from the nearest hospital. A return trip to hospital costs as much as 10% of their monthly household income for some patients. If you're interested in Census data, the website www.youthexplorer.org.za will give you a fuller idea. (We serve people in two municipalities: search for Ginyintsimbi for our local community.) This Mail and Guardian article gives you some idea of the realities faced by our patients when accessing healthcare.
In general, despite the poverty, people are friendly and peace loving. There have been very few incidents of violent crime in our community, although petty and vehicle thefts appear to be on the rise. Unfortunately isolated incidents, especially against tourists, have given the Wild Coast in general a bad name. Nevertheless, the hospital and its surrounds are safe areas for the staff, both local and international, as people recognise and appreciate the sacrifices made for them.
In general, despite the poverty, people are friendly and peace loving. There have been very few incidents of violent crime in our community, although petty and vehicle thefts appear to be on the rise. Unfortunately isolated incidents, especially against tourists, have given the Wild Coast in general a bad name. Nevertheless, the hospital and its surrounds are safe areas for the staff, both local and international, as people recognise and appreciate the sacrifices made for them.
Disclaimer This website is not an official government one. Although we believe it to be accurate, it should be noted that all opinions expressed herein are those of the website authors and not the official hospital standpoint. The site is funded with private money in the hope of raising the Hospital's profile and attracting more people to come and serve in this special community.