Lindiwe Sidali
Lindiwe Sidali | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1983 (age 42–43) Dutywa |
| Citizenship | South Africa |
| Education | Rakgatla High School in Wonderkop |
| Occupation | cardiothoracic surgeon |
Lindiwe Sidali (born 1983) is a South African doctor. She is the first South African woman of African ethnicity to become a cardiothoracic surgeon in South Africa.[1][2][3][4]
Early years
Sidali was born in Dutywa in the Eastern Cape. She grew up in Dutywa and Rusternburg (North West).[3] She had her high school education at Rakgatla High School in Wonderkop, North West. Upon completion of her high school education, she received a scholarship from the North West Department of Health to study medicine in Cuba where she obtained a degree as a doctor of Medicine.[5] She is known to have recently completed her Fellowship of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital in Durban.[6][7]
Career
She has been a doctor for ten years. In 2018, she became the first South African woman of African ethnicity to become a cardiothoracic surgeon in South Africa.[6][7] Others have followed her example including Kudzai Kanyepi who is the first female heart surgeon in Zimbabwe. Misogyny was still noted in 2025.[8]
References
- ^ "Female surgeons make inroads in male-dominated operating rooms". pressoffice.mg.co.za. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ "Meet SA's first African female cardiothoracic surgeon | Daily News". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ a b "LINDIWE SIDALI: FROM CATTLE HERDING TO BEING SOUTH AFRICA'S FIRST BALCK FEMALE CARDIOTHORACIC SURGEON". Flourish Africa. 27 November 2018. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ "Durban's Dr Sidali successfully navigates uncharted territory". Berea Mail. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ "SA's first female black cardiothoracic surgeon is unstoppable". www.capetownetc.com. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ a b Juma, Ali (27 November 2018). "Lindiwe Sidali makes history as SA's 1st African female cardiothoracic surgeon". Briefly. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ a b "Lindiwe Sidali, from cattle herder to South Africa's first black female cardiothoracic surgeon". Face2Face Africa. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ Matiashe, Farai Shawn (9 December 2025). "Zimbabwe's only female heart surgeon on medicine, misogyny and making a difference". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 December 2025.