South Africa has completed its first integrated healthcare village, with the opening of the Epione Health Village, a R100 million ($6 million) medical facility in Johannesburg’s Rosebank designed to bring primary care, specialist treatment, diagnostics, pharmacy services and day surgery together in one location.

Located in Rosebank, Johannesburg, the two-floor healthcare centre was developed by Growthpoint Healthcare Property Holdings (GHPH), South Africa’s first property fund dedicated exclusively to healthcare and wellness real estate.

The facility aims to create a simpler and more accessible healthcare experience by allowing patients to move from a general practitioner consultation to specialist care, medical testing, pharmacy services and outpatient surgery within a single location.

Building a new healthcare model

The Epione Health Village was co-developed by Growthpoint’s in-house development team and Epione, combining GHPH’s healthcare property expertise and capital with Epione’s doctor-led, patient-focused approach to care.

The partnership began eight years ago when Epione founder Garikai “Gazah” Govati approached Growthpoint to explore a new healthcare model built around affordability, convenience and inclusivity.

“We identified Growthpoint as our partner of choice about eight years ago and explored this concept together,” Govati said.

He said Growthpoint’s experience, financial support and expertise in healthcare developments played an important role in bringing the project to life.

“Epione is a small project compared to others for Growthpoint, but the attention to detail, the skills and the expertise they provided to help us develop this project and bring it to life have been tremendous,” he said.

GHPH, managed by Growthpoint Investment Partners, has expanded its healthcare property portfolio to R8 billion ($478.8 million) in assets under management. Its investments include hospitals, medical suites, pharmaceutical manufacturing and warehousing facilities, senior living communities and now the Epione Health Village.

Inside the Rosebank healthcare centre

The Epione Health Village, located on Glenhove Road near the Oxford Road intersection, was designed around a continuous patient journey across two floors.

The ground floor features an open entrance connecting directly with the surrounding community, with a pharmacy and coffee shop welcoming visitors into the facility.

Patients also have access to a concierge desk and a primary healthcare corridor with 22 consulting rooms. The space accommodates eight general practitioners, dental and optometry practices, clinical associates and a skin cancer centre of excellence staffed by dermatologists and specialist surgeons.

The facility also includes an on-site laboratory providing histopathology services and about 80% of the tests typically offered by major diagnostic providers.

The second floor houses an ambulatory surgery centre with 20 beds and two fully equipped theatres capable of handling a range of surgical procedures. Additional services include colorectal and endoscopy screening.

“We are proud to be the healthcare property partner and developer that helped bring this vision to life,” said Farhana Russell, fund manager at Growthpoint Healthcare Property Holdings.

“Epione Health Village is a purpose-built, thoughtfully designed healthcare offering that serves a real community need.”

Expansion plans across Africa

Govati said Epione plans to develop more healthcare villages across Africa, as demand grows for integrated healthcare facilities that combine convenience with quality medical services.

“Healthcare requires a lot of compassion. It is the greatest expression of humanity,” he said. “Walking into a space that is conducive to offering healthcare means the healing starts before you even see a doctor. We plan to offer more of these spaces across Africa.”

Garikai (“Gazah”) Govati, a Zimbabwean-born health-tech entrepreneur and investment professional, is the founder and CEO of epione.net and Epione Health Villages. He has more than 12 years of experience investing in and transforming businesses across Africa and global markets.

Before launching Epione, he worked at E Oppenheimer & Son, where he focused on infrastructure investments, and previously held roles at General Atlantic, Tana Africa Capital, Emerging Capital Partners, USAID and Merrill Lynch.