Who is Dr Princess Anne-Sheilah Makhado? The 74-Year-Old Nurse, and Voice for the Voiceless

Dr Princess Anne-Sheilah Makhado is a South African nurse, midwife, motivational speaker, author, community activist, and now a PhD graduate in advanced nursing science. At 74 years old, she continues to inspire women and youth through her life story marked by determination, compassion, and public service.

Early Life and Career Journey

Born in 1950 in Sophiatown, Johannesburg, and raised in Sibasa, Limpopo, Makhado’s journey began with values of hard work instilled by her schoolteacher mother and civil servant father. Her career path started as a teacher and typist, but she later pursued nursing — a calling she discovered after visiting a hospital and being moved by the sight of nurses in their white uniforms.

At age 27, she enrolled in Groothoek Nursing College, later specializing in midwifery at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. She describes this period as one of the most exciting in her career.

Nursing and Leadership

Makhado worked in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape, including serving as nursing services manager at Midlands Provincial Hospital in Graaff Reinet. During her time there, she identified the gap in nurse training access and successfully founded the Midlands Hospital Nursing School by pushing for local training accreditation and sourcing classroom furniture herself.

Academic Triumphs Later in Life

Despite facing rejection from her university in 2015 for a Master’s degree due to scoring 59.8% in her Honours, she returned, completed her Honours again in 2018, and her Master’s degree in 2020. She didn’t stop there—she went on to earn her PhD in 2023, with research focusing on support strategies for child-headed households.

Her work highlighted deep issues of parental abandonment and the lack of community protection for orphaned children. She called for more responsibility from men, traditional leaders, and community policing forums to safeguard these vulnerable youth.

Voice of the Voiceless

Dr Makhado is the founder of Voice of the Voiceless, a non-profit focused on helping orphans and vulnerable children. Through interviews and research, she has continued advocating for structural support and policy changes for these communities.

Community Builder and Educator

In 1998, she helped launch Tshilwavhusiku Razwimisani, a special needs school near Louis Trichardt, starting with just 30 students. Today, the school has nearly 300 learners and is run by the provincial education department.

She is also a motivational speaker, encouraging women and retirees to stay active, gain skills, and fight poverty. Through her book, The Master Lock Key, she advocates for female leadership and independence.

Entrepreneur, Farmer, and Seamstress

Beyond healthcare, Makhado is a farmer supplying vegetables like spinach and beetroot to local stores. She also used her sewing skills to support her family financially while working full-time in the public health sector.

Family and Legacy

Divorced and a proud mother of three children and three grandchildren, she continues to lead gardening projects and speak at events, promoting self-reliance, education, and community service.