Doctor-turned-entrepreneur eyes stock exchange listing

Interview with Dr Matlhogonolo Mongwa-Mouwane
FOUNDER, KALAFHI MEDICAL CENTER

Lives in: Gaborone, Botswana

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Founded in 2018 as a single clinic with just one employee – its founder, Dr Matlhogonolo Mongwa-Mouwane – Botswana-based Kalafhi Medical Center has since grown into a diversified healthcare business. Today, it runs a day hospital, five clinics, and pharmacies, while also offering physiotherapy, dental care, and aesthetic services. Mongwa-Mouwane now has her sights set on an even bigger milestone: taking the company public on the Botswana Stock Exchange.

How we made it in Africa editor-in-chief Jaco Maritz spoke to her about the journey of building Kalafhi Medical Center and the lessons learned along the way.

Topics discussed during the interview include:

• Working 16-hour shifts during the early days of the business
• Avoiding unnecessary expenses on décor or extras
• Challenges in scaling the business
• Botswana’s potential as a medical tourism hub
• Her views on Botswana’s economy

Watch the full interview below: (only available on howwemadeitinafrica.com)

Interview summary

When Dr Matlhogonolo Mongwa-Mouwane set out to start her own medical business, she had few examples to follow, particularly as a young Motswana woman in her twenties. “I wouldn’t say I had any role models,” she says.

Mongwa-Mouwane earned her medical degree from the University of Botswana in 2014 and by the end of 2015 completed her internship at two public healthcare facilities. The following year, she was tasked with managing a rural clinic in Phitshane Molopo as the most senior member of staff – an experience she credits with developing her leadership skills.

But her ambition was to start her own business.

She resigned from her government post to gain experience in the private sector. To build her expertise, she took a full-time job at a private clinic in the capital Gaborone while also working part-time at a hospital. “I was working two jobs at the time … I would do 12 hours of work at the clinic and then leave the clinic, go to the hospital and do some locum work.”

Taking the leap into private practice

The first step toward opening her own clinic was obtaining a private practice licence. But even after securing it, she was uncertain. “I didn’t feel like I was ready … But something in me just told me, you know, just go for it.”

Then in 2018, she took the leap and opened Kalafhi Medical Center clinic in Gaborone.

Mongwa-Mouwane deliberately kept costs low in the beginning. For the first eight months, she ran the clinic alone, operating from a modest and affordable location. Using her savings, she purchased the initial furniture and equipment, avoiding unnecessary expenses on décor or extras.

“It was very, very important for me to keep costs low … Even in picking a location … I went with the one that I went with because it was quite modest in terms of size and it was quite affordable.”

Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to start with what they have, rather than waiting for ideal conditions. She explains that many people never start because they want everything to be perfect. However, securing financing as a startup is difficult, and investors are unlikely to back a business without traction. “If you want to start the way that you envision it, you’ll never be able to start and it will completely paralyse you,” she says. However, once a business is up and running, it becomes easier to gain support. “The most important thing is to start.”

Kalafhi Medical Center set itself apart by offering extended operating hours – 8 a.m. to midnight, every day.

Securing a steady client base and cash flow was challenging at first, but the business broke even within seven months.

Expanding the business

With the business on stable footing, Mongwa-Mouwane began expanding. A second location soon followed. “Something that doesn’t grow can only die,” she says.

The company then diversified, opening pharmacies and adding dental and physiotherapy services. Today, it operates five clinics – four in Gaborone and one in a rural village outside the capital. More recently, Kalafhi launched a day hospital in Gaborone, designed as a ‘smart hospital’ incorporating technology to streamline patient care and reduce costs.

As the business grew, managing people became more complex. “I was actually having that conversation yesterday with somebody, and we were joking saying that Elon Musk should already hurry up with the robots because dealing with people is so challenging.”

Clear communication, along with well-defined roles and expectations, is essential to managing people, she says. Equally important, she adds, is having all processes and policies written down.

Mongwa-Mouwane’s husband, Barolong, is also involved in the business. She explains that while she focuses on the medical side, his primary role is in business development.

“Most of our conversations are business. It’s our lives. It’s what we live and breathe all the time. But there are times where we separate the business. I have kids as well … there are times where we spend time as a family as well,” she says.

Botswana – a medical tourism hub?

Mongwa-Mouwane believes Botswana has the potential to position itself as a regional medical tourism hub. The country’s central location, stable political climate, low crime rate, and relatively affordable healthcare services could attract patients from neighbouring countries.

“People are looking for a place where they can find high-quality care at an affordable cost. And if we really focus on that, we should start seeing clients from across our borders,” she notes.

She says Kalafhi’s recently established day hospital positions the company to tap into the medical tourism market. “Once the hospital is fully operational and we are fully servicing in terms of all the specialities, then we will see clients from the outside.”

Regional growth plans

Beyond expanding within Botswana, Mongwa-Mouwane is also exploring opportunities in neighbouring countries such as Zambia and Namibia.

She says the ultimate goal is to list the company on the Botswana Stock Exchange. The company has begun preparing for a potential listing by refining its business structure and participating in mentorship programmes aimed at achieving this goal.

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