A dentist sees to a patient at the UWC Dental faculty. August 2025. Image: Shelley Christians/UWC

A new study at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), is due to be published within the next few weeks in the accredited International Journal of Advanced Business Studies.

The study has shed light on the business realities of private dental practice in South Africa. The project, Investigating the Dental Economics Landscape of South Africa’s Private Sector Dental Industry, focused on the Western Cape and surveyed 30 private dental practitioners to understand the entrepreneurial side of dentistry.

What makes this research noteworthy is the way it came about: through a rare collaboration between the Faculty of Dentistry and the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS).

The study revealed that private dental practices are far more than clinical spaces. On average, the surveyed practices had been operating for 24 years, employed seven staff members, and opened their doors for nearly nine hours a day, five days a week.

Dentistry Dean Professor Dean Yengopal. Image: Shelley Christians/UWC

More than 90% reported consistent profits over five consecutive years (2020–2024), with much of this income reinvested into upgrading premises and purchasing new equipment. Yet despite this financial stability, many dentists highlighted challenges in accounting, finance, and legal matters, with legal issues proving the most difficult to manage. The findings led researchers to recommend that dental curricula incorporate subjects on economics and entrepreneurship, preparing future dentists to be both skilled clinicians and capable business leaders.

This focus on understanding the business of dentistry grew out of an unlikely encounter. Professors Veerasamy Yengopal from the University’s Dentistry Department and Derek Yu (Economics and Management Sciences) first discussed dental economics in April 2023 while waiting backstage at a UWC graduation ceremony. That brief conversation sparked a collaboration that eventually included the co-supervision of Master’s Economics student Mogamat Majiet, whose thesis was published in the International Journal of Advanced Business Studies. From a casual chat to a published study, the journey illustrates how small moments can lead to significant academic breakthroughs.

Professor Derek Yu, the co-author of the research study. Image: Shelley Christians/UWC

Breaking down disciplinary boundaries was central to the project’s success. For Prof Yu, the collaboration reflects a broader opportunity for universities to embrace the entrepreneurial dimensions of professional careers. He points to the EMS Faculty’s Small Business Clinic, which has supported nearly 200 small businesses in Cape Town through workshops on tax, finance and human resources, amongst others.

“Graduates from any faculty may eventually become involved in entrepreneurial activities,” he explains. “Whether it’s a language-proofreading business, a counselling practice, or a private dental clinic, entrepreneurship cuts across disciplines.”

Prof Yengopal echoes this sentiment, emphasising the importance of partnerships that transcend traditional academic boundaries.

“It is fascinating that the Dentistry and EMS faculties have been able to co-supervise a postgraduate student and build a research collaboration,” he says. “This is clearly in line with UWC’s mission of building productive partnerships and networks beyond the confines of disciplinary and geographical boundaries.”

Ultimately, the research demonstrates that dentistry is as much about economics as it is about clinical expertise.

“This is showing how interdisciplinary collaboration can prepare graduates to thrive in a world where professional skill and entrepreneurial acumen go hand in hand,” concluded Prof Yu.