Project Archives — University of the Western Cape

21 October 2026

Collaborative learning and co-creation as catalysts for health system strengthening

On 9 September 2026, SALAD hosted a one-hour organised session at the World Congress on Public Health in Cape Town, South Africa. The session, which was attended by more than fifty local, national and international delegates, included an introduction to the DHS and SALAD as a learning network before a four-person panel shared their perspectives collaborative learning for health system strengthening.

16 October 2026

Reflections on Quality: transforming a District Health System meeting into a space of learning

When quality meetings had lapsed, one Cape Town substructure re-launched them as quarterly Reflections on Quality (RoQ) sessions built for reflection, peer learning and wider participation. Junior staff now engage with managers as colleagues — and learning is spreading across the district, at no extra cost.

9 October 2026

Shaping the future DHS leader

This September 2026 webinar featured several current and former DHS leaders, each sharing practical knowledge they wish they'd had when they started. Themes discussed include stakeholder management, self-management, navigating complexity, and data-informed decision-making.

22 July 2026

Insights and experiences on leadership development: South African Learning Alliance for the District Health System

Overall, current evidence suggests that there is a need to rethink and advance health system learning and management development in South Africa. This policy brief outlines the key conclusions we have reached in the SALAD network on strengthening leadership and management capacity in and for the DHS. The focus in this brief is on the development of leadership capacity.

15 July 2026

District-level innovations that strengthen human resources for health

This July 2026 webinar explores strategic and systemic innovations designed to strengthen and support the health workforce within the DHS. Speakers discuss the integration of 5,000 community health workers into formal structures in KwaZulu-Natal, virtual clinical mentorship in the Eastern Cape, and recruitment strategies in Limpopo.

8 July 2026

Quality health systems

Quality health services require complex systems and processes to work together in harmony. Here, we explore various elements of the DHS that impact the quality of health services with an emphasis on successful models from across the country.

8 July 2026

Leadership

Leadership in South Africa’s DHS requires motivating and coordinating local providers while facilitating whole-of-government and whole-of-society collaboration. Here, we explore how to strengthen and conceptualise leadership without exercising traditional command-and-control managerial authority.

8 July 2026

Health financing

Quality healthcare in South Africa requires the careful management of limited financial resources. Here, we look at strategies for managing those resources in innovative ways.

8 July 2026

Monitoring, evaluation, learning

To address the complex frontline realities of South African communities, the district health system must continually monitor, evaluate and learn (MEL) about what is working, what is not, and how needs are changing. Here, we explore innovative approaches to MEL across the health system.