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The experiences of unemployed physiotherapists after compulsory community service in Limpopo Province, South Africa
Dissertation (MPhyst)--University of Pretoria, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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University of Pretoria
2025
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| _version_ | 1869483726012940288 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Mathye, Desmond |
| author_browse | Mathye, Desmond |
| author_facet | Mathye, Desmond |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MPhyst)--University of Pretoria, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/103698 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-07-01T04:03:34.437Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/103698 The experiences of unemployed physiotherapists after compulsory community service in Limpopo Province, South Africa Mathye, Desmond Rhaldah88@gmail.com Manganye, Raldah UCTD Unemployed Physiotherapists Community Service Workforce Planning Workforce Planning Employment Challenges Dissertation (MPhyst)--University of Pretoria, 2025. Background: In South Africa, healthcare professionals, including physiotherapists, must complete one year of community service before registering as independent practitioners. While the National Department of Health allocates these graduates to various provinces, it is the provinces' responsibility to employ or absorb them after their community service. However, many provincial Departments of Health face shortages of posts and funds, leading to unemployment for physiotherapists after they complete the compulsory community service year. This unemployment will likely result in some hardship for the affected physiotherapists. Objectives: This study explores the experiences of unemployed physiotherapists following their compulsory community service, focusing on the challenges encountered, positive outcomes identified, and recommendations to mitigate unemployment in the profession. Method: A qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach was employed, utilising semi-structured interviews conducted via WhatsApp® text with physiotherapists who had completed community service and remained unemployed for some time after finishing their community service year. The target group of physiotherapists comprised those who had completed community service in 2019 in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. An inductive and thematic approach to qualitative data analysis involved coding, categorising, and identifying themes. Results: From the data, four themes emerged regarding: motivations for pursuing physiotherapy, challenges experienced during unemployment, positive outcomes derived from that period, and suggested interventions to mitigate unemployment. Personal health experiences, media and school exposure, and pragmatic considerations shaped participants’ motivations for pursuing physiotherapy. Unemployment was marked by mental health strain, financial hardship, lack of networks, language barriers, and fear of skill attrition. Despite these difficulties, participants identified personal growth opportunities, rest, and family bonding as meaningful. Key recommendations included strategic workforce planning, curriculum reform to prepare graduates for private practice, and increased support from regulatory bodies such as the HPCSA. These findings underscore the urgent need for systemic reforms to address early-career unemployment among physiotherapists in South Africa. Clinical Implications: The findings highlight the need for comprehensive workforce planning and policy reforms to improve job opportunities for physiotherapists. Expanding public-sector posts, incorporating physiotherapists into multidisciplinary teams, and aligning training with market demands is critical to reducing unemployment and achieving equitable healthcare access. Conclusion: Addressing physiotherapist unemployment requires collaborative efforts from stakeholders, including the Department of Health, physiotherapy associations, and training institutions. Strategic workforce planning, increased funding, and advocacy are essential to align graduate supply with healthcare demand, ensuring the profession’s sustainability and enhancing healthcare delivery in South Africa. self-funded Physiotherapy MPhyst Unrestricted Faculty of Health Sciences None 2025-07-30T12:42:11Z 2025-07-30T12:42:11Z 2025-09-02 2025-01 Dissertation * S2025 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/103698 January 2025 en © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Unemployed Physiotherapists Community Service Workforce Planning Workforce Planning Employment Challenges The experiences of unemployed physiotherapists after compulsory community service in Limpopo Province, South Africa |
| title | The experiences of unemployed physiotherapists after compulsory community service in Limpopo Province, South Africa |
| title_full | The experiences of unemployed physiotherapists after compulsory community service in Limpopo Province, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | The experiences of unemployed physiotherapists after compulsory community service in Limpopo Province, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | The experiences of unemployed physiotherapists after compulsory community service in Limpopo Province, South Africa |
| title_short | The experiences of unemployed physiotherapists after compulsory community service in Limpopo Province, South Africa |
| title_sort | experiences of unemployed physiotherapists after compulsory community service in limpopo province south africa |
| topic | UCTD Unemployed Physiotherapists Community Service Workforce Planning Workforce Planning Employment Challenges |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/103698 |