As a parent, we know you need reliable and valuable guidance , information and advice straight from the source. So, we’ve put together a panel of experts who are well respected and extremely knowledgeable in their respective fields.
DR ENRICO MARASCHIN
PAEDIATRICIAN
Dr Enrico Maraschin is a pediatrician who is passionate about preventative medicine and building trusted relationships with parents and patients. Affectionately known as ‘Dr Rico’, he has a particular interest in neonatology, allergies, immunology and vaccinology.
DR ZENDA
OB-GYNAE-SEXOLOGIST
Dr Mpume Zenda – often referred to as Dr Gynae – is a passionate OB-Gynae-Sexologist and the founder of “We See You”, a health and information consultancy that seeks to provide solutions to Sexual and Reproductive Health & Wellness through connecting Media and Medicine.
KATH MEGAW RD (SA)
CLINICAL DIETITIAN & FOUNDER OF NUTRIPAEDS
Kath is a dietitian with a special interest in paediatrics. Through her private practice she assists little patients with their nutritional needs while also supporting moms and dads. She runs workshops on infant and childhood nutrition and is a respected author.
DR CARMEN
GENERAL PRACTITIONER AND #MOMDOC
With years of experience working in the ER, Dr Carmen started OneAid, a company that creates and sells specialty first aid kits. A medical practitioner and blogger, her passion lies in disease prevention and health education.
DR TONY KARPELOWSKY
CHIROPRACTOR & FOUNDER OF DUDES TO DADS
Tony is a chiropractor who has treated babies and children for close to 20 years. He is passionate about his work and paediatric spinal health. Tony completed a masters dissertation on chiropracticS in the treatment of infantile colic.
SURVIVAL CPR
PROFESSIONAL RESUSCITATION PRACTITIONERS
Founded by Sister Catherine Rodwell, Survival CPR teaches people the skills they need to save lives. Their courses are endorsed and certified by The American Heart Association and The Resuscitation Council of SA.
SARAH HOFFMAN & PAM TUDIN
DIGITAL PARENTING EXPERTS & KLIKD FOUNDERS
Sarah, a social media lawyer, and Pam, a psychologist, created the Klikd app to provide practical educational tools for families and educators to cultivate habits that protect kids from overuse of digital devices.
AMANDA ROGALY
CHIEF MOMMY & FOUNDER OF BABYYUMYUM.COM
BabyYumYum.com started as the idea of an overwhelmed new mommy and was started as a blog to empower and support other mommies It has become the most trusted and fastest-growing parenting multidimensional platform in the South Africa.
AVASHNA RAMNARAIN
VISIONARY FOUNDER & CEO OF MINDFUL MASTERMINDS
Through tailored early childhood development programs, Mindful Masterminds, empowers children to unlock their full potential, fostering qualities like leadership, resilience, and compassion for a brighter future. Mindful Masterminds envisions a world where every child becomes a superhero, contributing to empowered and peaceful societies across Africa and beyond.
UBUBELE
CENTRE OF LEARNING
A learning centre specialising in parent-infant mental health & early childhood development, their mission is to have a positive impact on South Africans through their interventions and training programmes.
PEGGIE MARS
FOUNDER OF WHEEL WELL
Peggie is an advocate for child rights in road safety and founded Wheel Well in 2012. Since its launch, the death toll of children in traffic-related crashes has decreased by 24%.
SARIE LIEBENBERG
DENTAL HYGIENIST & LECTURER
Sarie is a qualified dental hygienist and lecturer who found her passion in helping people and restoring their confidence. A mother of one , Sarie has a special interest in working with children.
RIANETTE LEIBOWITZ
CYBER SAFETY & DIGITAL PARENTING EXPERT
Rianette is a digital parenting expert, the author of Raising a Screen Savvy Child and founder of SaveTNet Cyber Safety, which offers help to cybercrime victims through a network of professional services.
MINDFUL RETURN
HELPING PARENTS TRANSITION BACK TO WORK
Initially created by Lori Mihalich-Levin after she had a baby and grappled with her transition to working motherhood, the South African chapter was started in collaboration with Nolo Tlali and Stormme Hobson.
DR SHAREEFA RAHIM
OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY
Dr Shareefa Rahim completed her medical degree at the University of the Witwatersrand. She pursued postgraduate training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, becoming a Fellow of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. She balances her career with her roles as a wife, mother, and daughter, enabling her to empathise with each patient she treats.
NANNY ‘N ME
CHILD DEVELOPMENT & STIMULATION TRAINING
Started by occupational therapist Lara Schoenfeld in 2012, Nanny ‘n Me upskills and trains nannies in child development and stimulation through weekly virtual or in-person classes. They have branches throughout South Africa.
SR ANN RICHARDSON
NURSE, MIDWIFE & FOUNDER OF TODDLER SENSE
Ann is the co-author of Baby Sense and Sleep Sense, and author of Toddler Sense. She runs a clinic focusing on child health, immunisation, nutrition, development, feeding and sleep disorders. Ann specialises in the treatment of fussy babies and toddlers.
GOOD NIGHT
CHILD & BABY SLEEP CONSULTANCY
Good Night’s sleep consultants undergo strict education processes in order to create a start-to-finish sleep solution for families. It is associated with international associations and accredited by the South African Sleep Association.
CATRIONA BOFFARD
CLINICAL SEXOLOGIST & PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Catriona is a sexologist, psychotherapist and sexuality researcher. She’s an expert in sexual behaviour, intimacy, relationships and mental well-being, with an interest in helping people create or reestablish sexual intimacy and empowering women to embrace their sexuality.
RAKHI BEEKRUM
PSYCHOLOGIST
Rakhi Beekrum is a psychologist, marital therapist and mental health advocate with over 15 years of experience in private practice. Her expert advice has been featured in South African and international publications, on national radio, social media and on television. She is a contributing author of the book Improving Mental Health in the Workplace. She offers talks and workshops to corporates and wellness events.
DR JUSTUS APFFELSTAEDT
PROFESSOR OF SURGERY & HEAD ONCOLOGY
Dr Justus Apffelstaedt is a former Professor of Surgery and Head: of the Surgical Oncology Service, at the University of Stellenbosch.
He is also the author and co-author of several publications in peer-reviewed national and international journals on breast cancer screening and breast health issues. His current interest and field of practice include breast health. thyroid, parathyroid and soft tissue tumours.
OLIVIA WALLIS
RECOVERY COACH
Olivia Wallis, the Recovery Coach, has had to find her own path to healing after losing her daughter, Daisy. She empowers people to face challenges that include stressful jobs, toxic relationships, traumatic situations and unexpected losses. She helps people to find their way back to emotional wellbeing, rediscover the joy in life, free from the shadows of current reality or even the past.
PAIGE LINDENBERG
RACING DRIVER AND CAR ENTHUSIAST
Paige is a woman living and working in what is deemed a “man’s world”. She has raced cars since I was seven years old. Paige is a business woman, entrepreneur, adventurer, sport and outdoor lover but most importantly I adore my friends and family. She works in the automotive space and absolutely love it. She hopes that she can inspire women to live their dreams and empower them to learn how to be independent when it comes to their vehicles and safety as a women and moms. One of Paige’s very proud projects is Car Basics with Tiger Wheel & Tyre.
More about Car Basics
The Car Basics Course is an initiative in partnership with Tiger Wheel & Tyre and Paige Lindenberg, which aims to empower individuals to feel safer and more confident on the road by teaching them essential car maintenance skills. The course covers a variety of topics, including changing a tyre, checking oil levels, and jump starting a car. The program is designed to be inclusive and accessible to all skill levels, and participants will receive hands-on training from experienced instructors. The Car Basics Course is the perfect way to learn the basics of car maintenance and become more self-sufficient on the road.
TAMLYN ANDERSON
Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Sexologist
Tamlyn Anderson is a Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Sexologist, working with multidisciplinary teams as well as managing her own global private practice. Tamlyn has been working for over 10 years in the field of mental, relationship and sexual health. She specialises in how mental and physical well-being is impacted by long term stress, burn out, and trauma. She works with couples and individuals across the lifespan, and has spent years specialising in therapy for various psychiatric and neurological conditions, including mood disorders, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury and functional neurological disorder (FND).
THE NEUROVERSE – TAMRA JONES & JULES BELASYSE-SMITH
Founders, Mental Health Counsellor
Tamra Jones and Jules Belasyse-Smith are the founders of The Neuroverse, a supportive South African community for parents raising neurodivergent children. Tamra, a Registered Psychological Counsellor with over 10 years of experience in both private and clinical settings, brings deep therapeutic insight, while Jules adds her expertise as a marketing professional and entrepreneur. United by their journeys as mothers to neurodiverse children, they created The Neuroverse to offer a helping hand, a listening ear and practical resources to families navigating similar paths. Through shared stories, expert input and the collective wisdom of the ND community, The Neuroverse empowers parents with tools, understanding and encouragement to support their children and themselves with confidence and compassion.
DR YENTL GAMIET
Specialist Paediatric Surgeon
I am a specialist paediatric surgeon interested in delivering holistic patient care with an integrated family experience.
My most recent experience includes laparoscopic surgery, and functional gut disorders such as gastro-intestinal reflux disease and constipation. My professional interests include paediatric nutrition, surgical education and global surgery. I also enjoy public speaking and community engagement on several topics such as gut health, empowering parents to empower their children, psychological safety in the workplace -among others.
My social media campaign #drgoodpoo serves as an access point to issues around paediatric surgical care.
Nurse & Midwife Coordinator
DR RAPHAELA ITZIKOWITZ
SPECIALIST PAEDATRICIAN
Dr Raphaela Itzikowitz is a specialist paediatrician who cares deeply about children and the families who love them. She has spent the past decade at Red Cross Children’s Hospital, working in General Paediatrics, Acute Care and the Neurodevelopment Department, where she continues to remain involved. Her passion lies in understanding how children grow, learn, think and feel, and she has a special interest in supporting neurodivergent children and their families. Outside the hospital, she serves as Chief Medical Specialist for three LSEN schools in the Cape Metropole, giving her a real-world view of how children cope in the classroom, on the playground and within the wider school community. She runs a busy private practice in Cape Town CBD, and is part of an experienced multi disciplinary team at the Cape Town Therapy Hub.
Dr Itzikowitz is also involved in clinical research and has contributed to the NeuroDev SA study and projects at REACH and the NICD. She has a growing interest in MedTech and AI and is the founder of Full Spectrum, a global digital tool designed for neurodivergent families. She is currently completing a Master’s in Public Health, focused on improving autism diagnostic tools in South Africa.
Previously, she taught as a senior lecturer in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Cape Town, and remains dedicated to evidence based, real world medicine. Above all, she is a mom of three, who remind her every day of the magic, complexity and humour of childhood.
TSUNGAI MASENDEKE
Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
Tsungai Masendeke (CFP), is the founder of Moms and Money, a women empowerment initiative, and a director at IWCP Proventus, a financial planning franchise that prides itself as the one stop shop for all your wealth planning needs. She is passionate about financial literacy and financial inclusion and is regularly featured on mainstream media. She is a recipient of the Vessels of Honour, 2022 Entrepreneur in Financial Services Award, the 2023 Entrepreneur of the year award by the Yes We Can Organisation and the 2024 Diversity and Inclusion Award by the Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa. She is a keen tennis player, and the mum of 2 beautiful daughters.
Disclaimer: All content on this site, including advice from doctors and other healthcare professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor or professional in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others, or other personal issues.