Dr T.J. van der Merwe

At Pastorie Clinic, we are proud to have Dr T.J. van der Merwe leading our medical team. Known for his warm, approachable personality and genuine compassion, Dr van der Merwe believes that every patient deserves to be heard, understood, and cared for with dignity and respect.

Originally from Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape, Dr van der Merwe spent 18 years working there across both the private and public sector, including establishing and successfully running his own medical practice. Serving the people of Graaff-Reinet and the surrounding rural communities, he gained extensive experience in providing comprehensive medical care in an area where specialist services and advanced medical facilities were often many hours away.

Over nearly two decades, Dr van der Merwe built lasting relationships with generations of families and became a highly respected member of the Graaff-Reinet community. Even today, many former patients remember him with great warmth and appreciation for the exceptional care, kindness, and dedication he showed them.

During his years in rural practice, he was often confronted with one of medicine's greatest frustrations—knowing exactly what a patient needed, yet not always having immediate access to the equipment or facilities required to provide it. Those experiences shaped his vision for the future and instilled in him a determination that, wherever possible, no patient should be denied the best possible care simply because of where they live.

Following his years in private practice, Dr van der Merwe spent more than 12 years as a ship's doctor, caring for thousands of passengers and crew while working in some of the world's most remote environments. As the senior doctor on board, he managed everything from everyday medical concerns to life-threatening emergencies, often hundreds of kilometres from the nearest hospital. This further strengthened his ability to make critical decisions under pressure and reinforced the importance of being prepared for every eventuality.

When the opportunity arose to return to South Africa, Dr van der Merwe found a shared vision at Pastorie Clinic. In partnership with the clinic's founder, he is helping to build a comprehensive rural healthcare facility where patients have access to advanced point-of-care diagnostics, emergency stabilisation, and high-quality medical care close to home. Together, they are committed to ensuring that patients receive the best possible treatment before transfer to hospital when specialist care is required.

His career has been defined by providing exceptional healthcare in places where experience, resourcefulness, and sound clinical judgement matter most. Today, he brings that same philosophy to every consultation at Pastorie Clinic, combining decades of experience with genuine compassion and a commitment to continually improving healthcare for the Greyton community.

Dr van der Merwe is multilingual and speaks Xhosa fluently, and enjoys caring for people from diverse backgrounds. His calm manner, broad clinical expertise, and dedication to his patients make him a trusted healthcare partner for people of all ages.