WATCH: This 22-year-old accounting student is changing healthcare in his community

When Thembekile Mahintsho's father died in 2015, the 22-year-old accounting student became determined to bring accessible healthcare to his community in Joe Slovo Park, Cape Town.

Saving every cent he could, Mahintsho opened his community's first medical store, where residents can purchase reasonably priced, unscheduled, over-the-counter medicine.

Mahintsho's father lived in the Eastern Cape, while he lived with his mother in Joe Slovo Park. Mahinstho says he attributes his father's death to lack of access to basic health care. His father could not muster the strength to make the strenuous journey to town.

While Mahintsho mourned the loss of his father, he planned meticulously and sacrificed meals and other necessities to make his dream a reality.

"It was a calling for me," he told News24.

"I took my NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) voucher, which was R1 000, and saved it," says Mahintsho. 

Mahintsho saved portions of his monthly NSFAS vouchers and bought medication slowly, until he had enough to launch his medical store - Mangethe's Medical Store. 

'Giving hope to our communities'

The 22-year-old says he has always been business-minded. When he was in primary school, he sold sweets to his classmates.

"Mangethe, to me, means caring and giving hope to our communities," he says. "There was no medical store in Joe Slovo, Milnerton. And I noticed that many of our poor communities don't have them.

"Our parents have to pay R22 to take a taxi to town, where they also have to pay R300 to see a doctor, and then pay for the medication prescribed by the doctor."

Mahintsho's medical store saves his community money and time.

Studying while self-funding a business has had its fair share of challenges. Mahintsho says the support he has received from his mother and his community has made it easier to run the business.

Earlier this year, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) approved Mahintsho's funding proposal. While he awaits the modest grant, he continues to fund the store out of his own pocket.

The young businessman says he has never flown before and hopes to make his first business trip to Johannesburg this December.