Top 10 CEO’s in SA (2023)
by CEO Insights

Dr (Prof) Ramneek Ahluwalia
CEO of Higher Health:
South Africa & United Kingdom (UK)
1997 - 2002
MBBS (MBChB) Internal Medicine
Manipal Academy of Higher Education
2007
Diplomat National Board Training
Post-Graduate Training Department of Internal Medicine
2009-2010
MBA (Gold Medal)
University of Cape Town
South Africa
2011-2015
(PhD) Public Health
Walter Sisulu University
South Africa
Development
Prof Ahluwalia with his team developed global digital health screening system “HealthCheck” with over 1.6 million users. He has engineered the first African accredited Civic education, Climate Change, Health skills Higher Certificate qualification for millions of learners in Southern Africa.
Guiding Health and Leading Education through Innovation
South Africa has been home to many remarkable leaders who have made substantial contributions to their respective fields. Among these outstanding individuals, Dr. (Professor) Ramneek Ahluwalia stands as a distinguished figure. With a strong background in medicine, Dr. (Professor) Ahluwalia has devoted his life to advancing healthcare and fostering innovation within the industry. His multifaceted career includes roles as a CEO of Higher Health South Africa and United Kingdom (UK) and a visiting professor at the University of Johannesburg and other higher education institutions, nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals. Dr. (Professor) Ahluwalia’s extensive knowledge and numerous awards emphasize his status as a dynamic leader in the domains of health and education. Yet, his true mark of success lies in the tangible impact he has on communities through his work. His extensive career spans diverse countries, including South Africa, Germany, India, and Mauritius.
Furthermore, he also has a PhD (Public Health) that assisted him in building a large number of significant diverse health programmes in both developing and developed world with absolute Scientific, Data systems and management experience.
Celebrating a new chapter, Prof Ahluwalia was recently honoured to be elected as a Global UNESCO Liaison Committee for two years (2025-2027) at the recent NGO-UNESCO International conference being held at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris from 17-19 December 2024. Prof. Ahluwalia’s victory in these global elections reflects his unwavering commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by bringing science, health, and education to communities worldwide.
With immense pride and honour, Prof Ahluwalia, was also recently appointed as a Champion of the Human Resource Development Strategy of South Africa by the Honourable Deputy President, Mr. Paul Mashatile, MP, and Chairperson of the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), over the next five years (starting from October 2024 – March 2029). This prestigious recognition celebrates Prof. Ahluwalia’s unwavering dedication to advancing education, skills development, and human capital in South Africa. As a Champion, he will play a vital role in driving the HRDC Strategy towards 2030, strengthening its impact, and empowering our nation’s workforce.
He was also honoured to be appointed as Adjunct Faculty Fellow at Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, York University, Canada. They have gained a visionary.
Furthermore, he is also a Professor of Practice at Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg and has written many publications, articles, opinion pieces on Public and Social health. He is one of the Lead authors of the book ‘In search of stability, security and growth BRICS and a new world order” . He has been also chief editor of various publications and under his direction are developed various Governmental and Sector based National Polices and Frameworks. He is part of National/Ministerial Task teams on COVID, Mental Health, HIV, TB, GBV, Disability, Drugs Addiction, NHI (National Health Insurance) and Social work streams.
He has designed various successful Award winning Public-Private Partnerships building innovative, sustainable, client friendly initiatives. His experience includes strong partnership with all United Nation Agencies, has addressed UN Assembly and Global Citizen forums.
Prof Ahluwalia with his team developed a global Digital health screening system “HealthCheck” with >1.9 million Users. He has engineered the first African accredited Civic education, Climate Change, Soft skills Higher Certificate qualification for millions of youth around the world. Prof Ahluwalia serves on several boards of various National and International, governmental and non-governmental organisations. He has addressed as a speaker at international recognised Conferences across the world and actively interacts with local and international media.
Skills
Expertise
- Public Speaking
- Management Skills
- Project Management
- Strong Communication
- Creativity
- Teamwork
- Negotiation
- Critical Thinking
- Strategic Planning
- Policy Development
- Writing
- Computer Literacy