Chairman

As the current President of the South African Federation of Healthcare Engineers (SAFHE), Petrus Swanepoel is a visionary leader dedicated to uniting the industry through collaboration and opening doors to global opportunities for South African professionals. His journey with the federation is rooted in a deep commitment to community building; since helping to found the SAFHE Central Branch in 2005, he has worked tirelessly to uplift the trade and foster a culture where knowledge is shared across borders.

Petrus leads with a caring and motivational spirit, believing that the development of people is just as critical as the development of infrastructure. He champions the idea that local expertise can compete on a world stage, encouraging engineers to seek international best practices and partnerships. His own pursuit of excellence is evident in his eta Award for energy conservation and his status as a Certified Energy Auditor, Measurement and Verification Professional, and Energy Manager.

While he brings decades of experience from his role as Sustainability Manager at Mediclinic Southern Africa, his focus as President is on the collective growth of the profession. With qualifications in Financial and Business Management from UCT and professional registration with ECSA, Petrus is driven to mentor the next generation, ensuring they are equipped not just with technical skills but with the collaborative mindset needed to thrive in a global healthcare environment.

Amy Krause brings approximately 25 years of experience as a Registered Professional Architectural Technologist in South Africa, with a specialized focus on healthcare architecture for the past 19 years. Her expertise spans project scope, masterplan design, technical documentation, office and project management, as well as administration. Although healthcare architecture was not her initial architectural career path, she embraced the opportunity to develop deep expertise in this field, when the opportunity was offered. Amy has contributed to projects across Africa in both public and private sectors and serves as an Executive Committee member of the South African Federation of Healthcare Engineering (SAFHE), which has enriched her understanding of healthcare design and allow her to learn for seasoned professionals and break down silos in the Healthcare Engineering world.

Her work emphasizes layout optimization, flow efficiency, and technical precision, keeping her at the forefront of healthcare architectural advancements. Known for her collaborative approach, Amy fosters strong relationships across all levels of healthcare management to ensure that design solutions are not only functional but also enhance clinical outcomes. She is committed to maintaining high standards and a thorough knowledge of regulations and guidelines, continuously advocating for innovative improvements in healthcare environments. Amy believes that well-designed spaces can significantly improve patient care and staff efficiency, reflecting both her passion for architecture and dedication to healthcare excellence.

She currently holds a position as an Architectural Design Manager at a private healthcare company in South Africa. Her work is primarily taking the healthcare facilities needs and making them a reality with cost, efficiency, and regulations in mind and always following the 7 flows of healthcare. She completes the full circle from inception to completion on each area of a facility.

Frances Fenner is a built-environment specialist with 24 years of experience and a strong focus on the technical realities of healthcare facilities. Passionate about detail-driven design, compliance, and performance, she is committed to knowledge-sharing and collaboration across the healthcare built-environment community. Through her involvement with SAFHE, Frances contributes practical insight grounded in real-world project experience and insights to marketing through her sales background.

Peter is a Professional Mechanical Engineer in the building services sector, with a strong focus on healthcare facilities. His work includes a range of healthcare environments, from specialised hospitals to rural clinics.

In addition to his technical expertise, Peter is a certified Project Management Professional, enabling him to bridge the gap between clinical requirements, technical engineering design, and project delivery. He has successfully led multidisciplinary teams and managed projects through all stages of development, from early planning and design through construction and commissioning.

Contact: Laura Armstrong
Email: larmstrong@kit-group.org