On Saturday 21 March 2026, Operation Smile South Africa celebrated its 20th anniversary at the spectacular Cipla offices in Century City. It was an evening defined by the stories that have shaped our journey and the people who make our mission possible.
A huge thank you to Cipla for being such incredible hosts, the brilliant Nik Rabinowitz for keeping the room glowing with smiles and laughter, and every volunteer, donor, and partner who has walked beside us over the past two decades. You are the reason thousands of children can now smile with confidence.
Our impact
As we reflect on this milestone, the numbers tell an incredible story of impact:
- 67 surgical programmes
- Patients in 9 countries across sub-Saharan Africa reached
- 6 221 safe surgeries completed
- Thousands of speech therapy, psychosocial and dental treatments provided
- Dozens of cleft specialists trained
“One of our biggest achievements has been opening up avenues for cleft care across Africa,” says Professor Anil Madaree, Medical Director of Operation Smile South Africa.
“We’ve helped start programmes in several countries – including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda and Malawi – and created pathways so that patients can reach centres of care close to home,” he said.
“ Each patient is an individual and you see the change immediately – not just in their smile, but in the way they are able to interact with the world. Even after all these years, seeing that transformation never loses its meaning,” he added.
Global network
Operation Smile South Africa forms part of the global Operation Smile network, one of the world’s largest volunteer driven medical organisations, with more than 6 000 volunteers worldwide. In a specially worded message, co-founder of Operation Smile, Kathy McGee, sent congratulations for what has been achieved over the past 20 years.
Our volunteers include internationally credentialed specialists across a wide range of disciplines – cleft surgery, anaesthesia, nursing, paediatrics, speech therapy and dental care. We also have volunteer biomedical engineers, who ensure that all surgical equipment and medical devices are safe and functioning properly – as well as specialists in psychosocial support, who help patients and families cope with the emotional and social challenges of living with a cleft condition.
Strengthening healthcare systems
“What sets our organisation’s model apart is our dual focus on direct patient care and strengthening healthcare systems,” says Executive Director, Sarah Scarth. “Each surgical programme serves as a hands-on training platform for local healthcare professionals, helping to build long term capacity in cleft care, so that care can continue long after our volunteers have returned home.”
Programmes are guided by Operation Smile’s Global Standards of Care, ensuring consistency, safety and excellence across every surgical programme.” Operation Smile also provides the specialised equipment and resources required for successful programmes – from medical supplies and surgical lights to essential theatre support.
While we celebrate two decades of transformation, we know the work is far from over. We remain committed to improving access to safe surgery and comprehensive cleft care and helping to build resilient health systems, to enable long-term quality care for all.
Here’s to the next chapter of changing lives. Thank you for being part of this journey.
Below are some images from the 20th Birthday Celebration.
