Job prospects for a sonographer in Cape Town

Are you thinking about relocating to South Africa?

I am wanting to come to Africa to be on the same continent as my boyfriend. Commuting is expensive. I need to get a working visa and Cape Town would be the best place for me to come to but it looks like Kenya may have more advantages for my profession. I have been scanning since 1976 and have a wealth of experience and knowledge to share. I also tutor in the field. Are you in the medical field?

I am in casualty extraction and medical evacuation.  Our flight surgeons and paramedics use ultrasound equipment but they are not diagnostic sonographers.

I am curious, do you specialise in cardiac or vascular?  Or obstetric?  Or are you general only?  Or some other option?

I am a general sonographer with special interest in Women's Health - obstetrics and gynaecology and fertility areas. I do not perform vascular, cardiac or eye ultrasound examinations. Drs are not sonographers rather referred to as Sonologists if they have attained their DDU (Diplomas of Diagnostic Ultrasound) this mainly refers to Obstetricians. Other Doctors get a qualification from an appropriate institute to allow them to carry out emergency or FAST scanning in a trauma or emergency situation until the patient can have a dedicated formal scan. Hope that helps. I also tutor in the practical aspect of scanning and have trained many people from student sonographers to medical doctors, registrars and midwives and some physiotherapists.

I would imagine that with your extensive training and experience it should not be at all difficult to find a position in Cape Town.

Thanks Mia, There is a national shortage of Sonographers in RSA and I have been offered a position in Cape Town pending registration with HPCSA and therein lies the big hurdle. I can only register as a licensed radiographer (Sonography is post graduate to radiography) I have not practiced radiography for some 22 years and therefore am not licenced as a radiographer. This is a problem. There is a shortage of sonographers, I am very well qualified, I have been offered a job and cant get registration because I am not a practicing radiographer. So close - yet so far away. I am coming to Cape Town and arriving on Tuesday to meet up with my partner. I have allowed enough time to try to secure an interview with HPCSA in Pretoria to have a 'face-to-face' talk with them but they have not responded to my requests. Without HPCSA registration I cannot obtain a working visa.

Welcome to bureaucracy.  South Africa, unfortunately, is not immune.

Hi Mia - Just thought I would update you on my circumstances. . .  I have just had two glorious weeks in Cape Town - with perfect weather and my partner and I managed some lovely sight seeing this trip. I visited the Practice that has offered me a job and we both agree that the HPCSA is a stumbling block. I had intended visiting them in Pretoria but the weather there was bad and as they hadn't responded to my request for an appointment except to send a proforma email that March is very busy with annual subscriptions due, I didn't want to spend unnecessary money on airfares, accommodation and wet weather gear - so I will contact them by phone from here in April. I have an interview in Nairobi in June. You seem to travel a bit - have you been to Nairobi or Kenya for work??
Thanks Mia for your correspondence. I do have a website if you are interested - in a moment of nothing to do! bardiethehobo.com  Cheers Carol