Many 21st century women find it difficult to find the time to look after their health due to work and family responsibilities. To help them cope, the City of Cape Town is opening 11 of its clinics on a Saturday so that they can have themselves screened for breast and cervical cancer.

City clinics, which offer basic health services to Cape Town's residents, are usually open on weekdays, and many working mothers find it difficult to use the service.

Each of the 11 clinics  will hold an open Saturday over the coming months so that women can have themselves screened for cervical cancer, which is the most common type of cancer amongst South African women. It has been shown that this type of cancer is preventable with regular screening, as changes in cervical cells can be detected at a very early stage through cervical smears. Left untreated, these changes may become cancerous, which is why it is crucial for women to have regular check ups. If early signs of cancer are detected, further investigations are made and treatment given where appropriate. The earlier cancer is treated, the more likely the chances are of recovery.

On the open Saturday, nurses will be available to screen for cervical cancer and to perform breast examinations, for all women who are 30 years and over and who have not had a cervical smear in the past ten years.

This service will be free of charge, and HIV testing will also be available.

The schedule for the clinics is as follows:


The City’s Health Department encourages women to prioritise their own health and to make use of this free opportunity. Besides these opportunities for free screenings, women are also entitled to three free cervical smears at their nearest clinic (one free screen every ten years).

Interested women can contact their nearest clinic, or can phone Brenda van Niekerk, Head: Personal Primary Health Care and Programmes, on 021 710 9383 or 082 821 7361.