Retina SA - A cure in sight

09/10/2026

Early bird entries are now open.

20% off every Ride for Sight entry until 09:00 Friday 16 October. After that, standard pricing.

Children and students: stay on 50%.
Para-Cyclists: 50%
Pensioners: use this 20%, not the usual 15%.

🔗https://tinyurl.com/RideforSight2027
Dis-Chem Pharmacies

08/10/2026

Today is World Sight Day 👁️ and we're celebrating with an inspiring new episode of Retinal Realities - From the Beach to the Podium

Meet Nathan Hendricks — Commonwealth Games gold medallist, first-year BSc Physics student, and our guest on the newest episode of Retinal Realities.

Nathan was diagnosed with Stargardt disease in grade 6. What started as water safety lessons at the beach turned into a swimming career that's taken him to the Paris 2024 Paralympics and, most recently, gold in the 100m freestyle at the Commonwealth Games. He also lives with type 1 diabetes, studies physics using audio and photographed diagrams, and is already training for a shot at LA 2028.

His message to other young people with a visual impairment: "Don't let your disability define you."

🎧 Listen to Nathan's full story on our YouTube channel — https://youtu.be/lmAHbh8wXAo?si=4niPxot_DeLhZ0ZE.

On this World Sight Day we welcome Nathan Hendricks , a Commonwealt...

06/10/2026

Our October Out of Sight newsletter is here! 🌸

Spring has sprung, and this edition is full of ideas, news and ways to get involved:
🌿 A Garden You Can Feel: How sensory gardens use scent, texture and sound so everyone can enjoy the outdoors.

🗳️ Special votes: If you're blind or partially sighted, the IEC can come to your home so you can vote in the 4 November local elections. Applications close on 12 October at 5pm, so don't wait!

💻 Living Well with Sight Loss: Seats are still open for our free Tuesday evening Zoom sessions, email [email protected].

⛳ Dis-Chem Pharmacies Dis-Chem Foundation Swing for Sight raised just over R750,000. Thank you!

🚴 Ride Joburg and the Dis-Chem Ride For Sight 2027

🏝️ Win 7 nights in Zanzibar for just R100.

Read the full newsletter here:https://retinasa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Out-of-Sight_-October-2026.pdf

05/10/2026

Can sport and movement change the way you live with vision loss?

Join us for our next Living Well with Vision Loss workshop: Moving Beyond Sight – Inspiring Possibilities through Sport & Movement on 6 October at 18h00 on Zoom.

You'll meet visually impaired athletes, hear their personal journeys, and have the chance to ask them your questions. Together, we'll explore how movement and sport can build confidence, independence and connection.

This workshop is for you if you:

✅Have recently been diagnosed
✅Are supporting a loved one
✅Are simply curious

Not very active? There's something for you too: we'll show you some gentle stretching and armchair moves.

Save your spot register by e-mailing [email protected].

05/10/2026

🌟 Gqeberha, We’ve Missed You! 🌟

Retina South Africa is thrilled to announce our first members’ meeting in GQ after a few years away. This is more than just a catch up — it’s a chance to reconnect, share important updates, and look ahead together.

📍 Gqeberha 🗓️ Saturday 31 October (9:30 – 13:00)

Join us as we rebuild connections, strengthen our community, and celebrate the journey ahead. Your presence makes all the difference!

Bookings essential, please secure your seat by booking here (https://forms.gle/S8RsLvz4WdLLUDgW8)

01/10/2026

This is the second workshop in Retina South Africa's Living Well wi...

01/10/2026

Living with an inherited retinal disease (IRD) raises big questions. Which eye tests do I need? Why is a clear diagnosis sometimes so hard to get? What can genetic testing tell my family?

In our Living Well with Vision Loss Workshop Series Know Your Eyes – Protect Your Eyes, three speakers share their expertise:
✅Dr Hamza Tayob, ophthalmologist, Eye Institute, Pretoria: the key eye tests, and why a yearly check-up still matters
✅Nolene Kingsley, genetic counsellor: what genetic testing can and can't tell you
✅Claudette Medefindt, Retina SA peer counsellor: living well, and hope from research

Watch the full webinar: https://youtu.be/-R97QxWAKWA

This is the second workshop in Retina South Africa's Living Well wi...

01/10/2026

International Day of Older Persons 👁️💙

Today we celebrate the older people in our communities, including those living with Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

AMD affects central vision, the sharp, detailed sight we use to read, recognise faces and do everyday tasks. For many older people it can make familiar things harder, like reading a menu, watching TV or seeing a loved one's face clearly.
But a change in vision should never mean losing independence, dignity or connection.

At Retina South Africa, we are here to offer support, information and a community that understands life with AMD and other retinal conditions.

Today, let's listen to, include and support the older people in our lives who are living with AMD. Small things can help: reading a label aloud, offering to share large-print information, or simply making time to visit and chat.

💙 Your vision may change, but your value, voice and place in the community do not.

30/09/2026

This International Podcast Day (30 September), we are celebrating a South African voice that belongs in more ears.

Retinal Realities, from Retina South Africa, is a patient-centred podcast for people living with visual impairment, their families, and anyone who cares about accessible, honest conversation.

Listeners come for science, assistive devices, careers, humour, and real stories. Podcast directories have listed it among notable retina / patient and disability shows, and it keeps drawing people back because the conversations are useful and human.

If you have not subscribed yet, this is the day.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/39jU3s71N31T5nbsU2pxel

YouTube (Retina South Africa): https://www.youtube.com/

Playlist: https://www.youtube.com//podcasts

Also on Apple Podcasts and other platforms.

Follow, rate, and share it with someone who needs it.

30/09/2026

Missed our first Workshop in the Living well with Vision Loss - Living Without Fear? Watch it now.

The first workshop in our Living Well with Vision Loss e-workshop series explored fear, grief and the courage to take the next step after a retinal diagnosis.

Facilitator Lauren Jonas was joined by social worker Jill Pedersen, Professor Neil Butkow, Claudette Medefindt from Retina SA, and Retina SA board member Karla Rossouw. Each shared their own story and the tools that help them cope.

Some ideas to take away:
✅Fear is normal. The goal is not to get rid of it, but to stop it from being in charge.
✅Swap “What if?” for “What can I do to prepare?”
✅Grief with a progressive condition often comes in cycles. A small setback doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
✅Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to our courage.”

Watch the full recording on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/drqQDRkQEGI

Workshop 2, Know Your Eyes, Protect Your Eyes, takes place on Tuesday 29 September at 18:00 on Zoom. Email [email protected] to book your place.

How do you live with courage after a retinal diagnosis? In this f...