The Heart of Healthcare: Western Cape honours nursing excellence and compassion
On 22 October 2025, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness paid tribute to the heart of healthcare — our nurses — at the 2025 Cecilia Makiwane and Nursing Excellence Awards. These prestigious awards honour those who embody the true spirit of nursing: compassion, integrity, resilience, and service to others.
This year, nurses from across the province were recognised for their exceptional commitment, courage, and compassion in delivering quality healthcare to the people of the Western Cape. Each nominee and winner represents excellence in action — professionals who go beyond duty to bring comfort, hope, and dignity to patients, families, and communities.
Named in honour of Cecilia Makiwane, South Africa’s first registered Black professional nurse and a pioneer for women’s rights, these awards celebrate nurses who uphold her legacy of leadership, advocacy, and humanity within the profession.
2025 Category Winners
As part of this year’s ceremony, each winner shared heartfelt reflections on their journey — revealing the courage, compassion, and purpose that continue to shape their calling as nurses.
General Nursing:
In recognition of her unwavering commitment to professionalism, kindness, and care- Peggy Elaine Marthinus, Knysna Hospital
“Nursing is built on professionalism, kindness, and dedication — qualities that make our healthcare facilities a beacon of hope and healing. Always treat the patient as a whole, not just a hole in the patient. Let nursing be your calling, and always give your best.”
Midwifery Nursing:
Honouring a nurse whose compassion shines through every new life she welcomes into the world - Dr Unathi Mercia Paul-Moeketsi, Groote Schuur Hospital
“Nursing is not just a profession — it’s a calling to serve with compassion, empathy, and purpose. Through midwifery, I’ve learned that every cry of a newborn and every smile of a mother is a reminder of why we do what we do. Let us be the light of hope to our patients — every second, every minute, every hour.”
Speciality Nursing:
Celebrating the expertise and empathy that turn care into healing - Shirley Coetzee, Tygerberg Hospital
“The heart of nursing isn’t just in healing the body, but in touching the soul and making a difference.”
Community Nursing / Primary Healthcare:
Recognising the nurse whose work in the community embodies compassion and resilience - Christine Swartz, Overstrand Subdistrict
“Nursing is more than a career — it’s a calling. Every patient teaches us compassion, resilience, and the power of care. May we continue to serve with wisdom, patience, and love, bringing hope and healing wherever we go.”
Nursing Education (Informal):
Honouring a nurse whose commitment to continuous learning shapes future generations of carers - Michele Elizabeth Maree, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital
“Nursing is a Bell Curve of life experience. It includes an uphill climb of learning and growth, a peak of mastery, and descent of reflection and wisdom. It is a lifelong journey of competency and care.”
Nursing Education (Formal):
Recognising excellence in shaping minds and nurturing hearts within the profession - Amanda Went, Western Cape College of Nursing (Metro Campus).
“Nursing education is actively building a road between the heart and the mind – a pathway that allows passion and creative thought to integrate, flowing freely in a manner that positively changes the lives of nurses and those under their care.”
Nursing Leadership and Management:
Celebrating a leader who guides with empathy, integrity, and heart - Cynthia Karin Muller, Calitzdorp Community Day Centre.
“As a nurse we have the mind, soul, heart and body of our patients. They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
Reflecting on the incredible men and women who have taken up their calling in nursing provincial Minister of Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger, shared, “These awards honour not only the winners but every one of the more than 12 000 nurses who serve across our province. They truly are the heartbeat of our system and the reason we continue to deliver healthcare with dignity and compassion. We thank each one for their unwavering commitment, courage and excellence.”
Dr Keith Cloete, Head of Department for the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness, added:
“At the heart of excellence lies the heart of what we are called to do - to care. Today, we celebrate the essence of nursing through four simple but profound truths. First, to care about something — this calling. You do not stop caring; it is who you are. Second, to care for others — to be a caregiver, giving care with compassion, often unseen, in those quiet moments between nurse and patient where the true essence of nursing lives. And finally, to receive care - because when patients receive care, they receive more than a procedure or medication; they receive warmth, humanity, and dignity restored, often in their most vulnerable moments. This is nursing excellence - lived every day.”
A Legacy of Compassion and Service
These awards highlight the selflessness, strength, and humanity of our nurses — professionals who dedicate themselves to the healing and wellbeing of others. Their work reminds us that behind every patient’s recovery is a nurse’s steady hand, kind word, and compassionate heart. Congratulations to all the winners, runners-up, and nominees of the 2025 Cecilia Makiwane and Nursing Excellence Awards.
Your dedication continues to inspire excellence across the Western Cape and beyond.