Alternative Medicine in Soweto

Dr Richard Wayman serves a community in Soweto where traditional healing practices and contemporary wellness approaches exist alongside each other, and where people often want both without feeling they have to choose one or the other. Alternative medicine in this context matters because it addresses health concerns—chronic pain, stress, digestive issues, mobility—that people manage within their family and neighbourhood networks before (or sometimes instead of) seeking conventional medical help. Having a practitioner locally means the advice stays within reach, the continuity of care doesn't depend on travelling across the city, and the approach respects how people in the area think about their bodies and what heals. This role in the community extends beyond individual treatments to being part of how Soweto's residents stay well.