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If there is one thing Dr Randall Ortel (37) knows it's that good things can come from Manenberg on the Cape Flats.
He grew up in the suburb notorious for gang violence, murder and drug smuggling, but he's proof that you can be defined by more than where you come from.
He matriculated from Rhodes High School in Mowbray and now has two medical degrees, including his recently completed master's degree from the University of Cape Town, where he also lectures. He also works as a medic at Groote Schuur Hospital.
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His path to success was not easy.
Randall grew up with his parents, Michael and Claudine, and his brother, Chezlin (30), who is now an accountant, and they all lived in a Wendy house in their grandmother's backyard.
Randall's hard work at school paid off and he was awarded a bursary to study medicine at Stellenbosch University.
"My bursary didn't cover everything, so when I was 21 years old, I applied for my professional driver's licence so I could drive a taxi on weekends and in the holidays.
"I used the money I earned for my textbooks and for my studies that were not covered by the bursary. I also bought myself a car."
Being a taxi driver, he says, was not an easy way to earn a living, especially while he was studying.
"I attended classes from Mondays to Thursdays, and on Friday afternoons I drove a taxi until 9pm. On Saturdays and Sundays I got up at 5am and drove until 9pm."
When the pressure of working all weekend and studying became too much, he decided not to drive on Sundays, and instead use the day to rest and study.
His father's friend, Dr Abdul Mowlana, inspired him to become a doctor.
"He was a positive role model in Manenberg, where he had a practice. He was part of the community and that caught my attention. He had a huge influence on me," Randall says.
"My dad also told me that people always get sick. So when I was accepted for dentistry, medicine and chemical studies, I decided I wanted to be a doctor."
When he's not seeing patients or lecturing, Randall, a single dad, enjoys spending time with his little girl, Reeva (4).
And, somewhere, he also he finds the energy to educate his 39 000 TikTok followers about primary healthcare.
