Unistel Medical Laboratories

Unistel Medical Laboratories – leading the way long before COVID-19

In March 2020, as the world ground to a halt, South Africa had one of the speediest and most forceful responses to the COVID-19 pandemic – a nationwide lockdown and the closing of the country’s international borders. While the world entered into uncharted territory, the message from the World Health Organisation was simple: “test, test, test.” Supported by a strong private healthcare system and a number of private labs, South Africa led the continent’s coronavirus testing challenge – playing a fundamental part in helping Africa win the war against COVID-19.

While private testing laboratories have become commonplace in our lives in the wake of the pandemic, twenty years ago the landscape of private testing laboratories in South Africa looked remarkably different. Unistel Medical Laboratories was founded in 1999 – making it one of the first spinout companies handled by Innovus. The commercialization of Unistel Medical Laboratories came in response to the relatively uncontested market space – with no commercial laboratories offering these services to private clients and the general public being in existence at the time. Aptly founded at the turn of the century, Unistel Medical Laboratories aimed to bring clinical practice into the 21^st century by offering complete testing services to physicians, patients, and clients. While the laboratory primarily focuses on human genetics diagnostic testing, the laboratory has a large animal DNA testing facility too.

Leonora Theart

Mrs Leonora Theart is the current CEO at Unistel Medical Laboratories. Her role within the company is to design and implement business strategies that ensure the adequate and sustainable progress of the company. A huge part of her role pertains to looking after the company’s employees – ensuring that they remain motivated and dedicated in their work. Leonora says her biggest motivator in life is to feel as if she has a purpose.

Leonora believes the entrepreneurial superpower she brings to the Unistel team is her passion for genetics and her sheer determination and dedication to making Unistel a success. When asked about the most important qualities any entrepreneur needs in their toolkit, her answer is simple: passion for what you are doing, trust in and respect for the team you work with, and sheer determination in everything you do.