South Africa: SA's Cancer Story - From the Intensity of the Rugby Field to a Golden Arrow Bus Ride Home On Which One Does Not Cry

What the report says

AllAfrica, citing a Spotlight and Daily Maverick special series on cancer in South Africa, reported on two women whose breast cancer experiences highlight very different paths through the health system. The piece is based in Cape Town and was published on 28 September 2026. It focuses on rugby referee Aimee Barrett-Theron, who was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly before her 39th birthday, and Joyce Witbooi, a 66-year-old grandmother who navigates public-sector care.

Barrett-Theron, South Africa’s first woman to hold a full-time professional rugby referee post, said doctors found cancer in her breast and lymph nodes and that she is undergoing an aggressive treatment plan, including chemotherapy. She described balancing treatment with family life in Pinelands and said she hopes to return to the field. The article also notes the public response after she disclosed her diagnosis and stepped back from rugby to focus on her health.

Witbooi’s account centers on the public health system. Diagnosed at Groote Schuur Hospital in 2010 after finding a lump herself, she said she waited months for surgery, then completed chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The story says she paid small fees over time and now helps other women understand Cape Town’s public services. More broadly, the article points to the importance of early detection and treatment, while noting that access and waiting times can differ sharply between private and public care.