Affordable and Accessible Healthcare
Complete affordable and accessible health care... this is the vision of the Sparkport Group. This vision has been achieved by developing a creating a hyper-pharmacy, which would revolutionise the retail pharmacy industry, by providing affordable, accessible healthcare as well as the widest possible range of goods at competitive prices.
Founded in 1983 as a single pharmacy in Sparks Road, Overport, the Sparkport Group of Pharmacies is now currently located throughout KwaZulu-Natal. Goolam Mahomed and Solly Suleman, lecturers in Pharmacy at what is now the University of KwaZulu-Natal, decided to leave the field of education and brave commerce and industry and open a small 100m2 shop, on the corner of Sparks Road in Overport Durban.
Since then, Sparkport has established itself as a household name and a recognised innovator in the healthcare sector that is sensitive to the needs of the public. From small beginnings, through the sheer dedication and commitment by these two visionaries, the group has grown significantly, and now comprises nine pharmacies throughout KwaZulu-Natal, including four franchised stores in Chatsworth, Umlazi, Hillcrest and Raisethorpe. The team has also purchased land adjacent to the Overport branch and built the pharmacy into the modern, state of the art design that it is today.
Sparkport Pharmacy has been voted the Best Pharmacy for nine years in a row, in the Independent Newspaper Readers Choice Awards. They have also been awarded a PMR Diamond Arrow award and were a finalist in the FNB KZN Top Business Awards. The Group continues to provide their customers with affordable and accessible healthcare, and serving them with care and courtesy.
Building from a Clear Strategy
The success of the company is founded on a coherent marketing strategy to be innovative and sensitive to the needs of the public, a strategy which has clearly been successful.
Each pharmacy is managed by qualified in-house pharmacists and the franchise pharmacies are owned and managed by pharmacists. This ensures that customers receive the professional healthcare and service that Goolam and Solly know to be an essential
pillar on which they built their business.
Innovative Healthcare Clinics
In 1992, Sparkport introduced their first Sparkport Clinic. Now emulated by many of their competitors, this was the first of its kind in KZN.
The clinic offered affordable Primary and Community health care to their customers. Staffed by a professional nurse qualified to conduct most screening tests, these clinics offer a range of services from minor diagnostics and treatment within their scope of practice, wound dressing, health education, immunisations for babies and children, family planning, pap smears, travel and flu vaccinations and Vitality and Oxygen Medical Aid assessments.