Dr Itumeleng Ntatamala is an Occupational Medicine Specialist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town. He obtained his MBChB and M.Med in Occupational Medicine qualifications at UCT as well as an M.Sc in Occupational Health at the University of Birmingham in the UK. He is a fellow of the College of Public Health Medicine (Occupational Medicine Division) and also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in HIV Management from the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa.

He convenes the UCT School of Public Health’s Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health and is responsible for teaching and conducting research in occupational medicine at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He is registered for a Ph.D in Public Health for which he was awarded the 2023 Harry Crossley Clinical Research Fellowship Prize and the UCT Faculty of Health Sciences Start-Up Emerging Researcher Award for his research on COVID-19 in non-health sector small and medium-sized enterprises and pandemic preparedness.

Dr Ntatamala is the current Chairperson of the South African Society of Occupational Medicine (SASOM) Western Cape Chapter and Deputy Chairperson of the recently formed PHASA Occupational and Environmental Health Special Interest Group (SIG). He is the recipient of the 2023 PHASA Emerging Practitioner PHILA Award, and SASOM Medal for being the best-performing candidate in the CMSA 2021 Occupational Medicine Examination. He received the Western Cape Government 2020 Service Excellence Awards Silver Prize in the ‘Inspirational Support Employee’ category for his efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic in protecting health workers and was selected as a top 200 Mail & Guardian Young South Africans in 2019.

As a medical intern in Limpopo Province, his efforts in leading the creation of a mother and child-friendly ward at Mokopane Regional Hospital were recognised by receiving the 2015 Limpopo Premier’s Service Excellence Awards (Innovation in Public Service Silver Prize).