As the Chairperson of the Professional Board for Physiotherapy, Podiatry and Biokinetics (PPB), it is my privilege to extend a warm greeting as our newly constituted Board completes its first six months in office.
We commenced this term with a deep appreciation of the statutory mandate entrusted to us under the Health Professions Act and with a firm commitment to advancing the core purpose of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA): to protect the public and guide the professions. Guided by this responsibility, the Board remains dedicated to strengthening professional standards, supporting ethical practice, and ensuring that our regulatory functions continue to serve both the public interest and the professions we regulate.
Members of the PPB Board represent a diverse range of expertise across physiotherapy, podiatry, biokinetics, education, governance, and community representation. This collective brings together individuals who are committed to ethical leadership, professional excellence, and public service, in alignment with the HPCSA’s governance principles of integrity, accountability, fairness, and effective leadership. Details of the current Board membership are available on the HPCSA website.
I would also like to express sincere appreciation for the invaluable role of the HPCSA Secretariat, whose support drives administration, and operational efficiency. The Secretariat provides the institutional foundation necessary for the Board to carry out its responsibilities, ensuring that governance processes, compliance requirements, and strategic objectives are implemented in a structured, transparent, and accountable manner.
Stakeholders are encouraged to communicate with the Board through our Coordinator, Ms Naledi Mphafudi, who serves as the primary liaison for Board-related enquiries and stakeholder engagement. She can be contacted at: Naledim@hpcsa.co.za.
Strategic Direction during our term for the Next Five Years
Our Vision: To be an innovative, responsive, world-class regulator that guides the professions towards high-quality healthcare aligned with national health priorities.
Our Mission: To protect the public and guide the professions through strong regulatory frameworks; high standards of education and training; continuous professional development; effective governance; and Meaningful stakeholder collaboration.
During our term, the Board will focus mainly on the following amongst other things that may come up:
- Strengthening registration, education, and professional practice oversight;
- Enhancing professional conduct processes and ethical compliance;
- Improving stakeholder engagement and communication;
- Advancing digital transformation and modernising regulatory systems;
- Reducing operational inefficiencies and improving service delivery; and
- Supporting health system priorities
These priorities are aligned with broader national objectives, including the National Development Plan and ongoing health system reforms aimed at improving healthcare outcomes for all South Africans.
A significant area of focus for the Board is enhancing clinical practice standards and advancing professional roles within physiotherapy and podiatry. Key initiatives include progressing prescription rights for both professions and developing formal specialisation pathways for physiotherapy.
Prescription Rights: Progress and Next Steps
Progress to date includes partial approval of the Podiatry Drug List by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA); along with the revision and resubmission of the Physiotherapy Drug List following the initial review process.
Our next steps include finalising professional competency frameworks linked to prescribing; aligning prescribing authority with postgraduate education and future specialisation pathways; establishing robust implementation frameworks to ensure prescribing practices are safe, ethical, evidence-based, and standardised across the professions.
Development of Specialisation Pathways for Physiotherapy
The Board has approved, in principle, the development of physiotherapy specialisation pathways. Further work is currently underway through a stakeholder-led task team driving the advanced practice and specialisation agenda. Current areas of focus include developing formal policies and regulatory frameworks; engaging key stakeholders across the profession and academia; identifying and defining appropriate specialist practice areas; and establishing education, training, and competency requirements that support advanced professional practice.
These developments are intended to strengthen professional excellence while supporting improved patient outcomes and healthcare service delivery. The Board recognises that effective regulation cannot be achieved in isolation. Sustainable and meaningful progress depends on active collaboration with all stakeholders who contribute to the development and delivery of healthcare services. We therefore call upon practitioners; academic institutions; professional associations; employers; and policymakers to partner with us in advancing professional excellence, strengthening healthcare services, and safeguarding the public.
As we reflect on our first six months in office, we are encouraged by the progress made and inspired by the opportunities that ahead. By collaborating with the Secretariat and our valued stakeholders, we are confident that we can achieve the goals set out in our Strategic Plan and make a meaningful contribution to strengthening professional regulation in South Africa.
On behalf of the Professional Board for Physiotherapy, Podiatry and Biokinetics, I thank you for your continued support and engagement. We look forward to serving both the professions and the public with dedication, integrity, transparency, and accountability.
Prof. Mokgobadibe Veronica Ntsiea
Chairperson: Professional Board for Physiotherapy Podiatry and Biokinetics
Last Updated on 27 July 2026 by HPCSA Corporate Affairs