Meet the Team

We are passionate about what we do. Our professional and friendly staff will take good care of you.

This is the team that makes it all happen…

Tanya Bell Jenje Director

BSc Physio (UCT), MSc Physio (Wits)

Founding partner of BRH Physiotherapy in 1989 (formerly known as Bell & Harvey), Northern Irish born Tanya takes her heritage seriously and enjoys injecting humour, tradition and warmth into the daily running of what has become one of Johannesburg’s most respected Physiotherapy practices.

Tanya is a Manual Therapist (OMT), international lecturer and developer of the Groovi Movements Physio Software. She is a founder of BRH Physiotherapy and a Director of ‘Off Nicol Health Wellness & Rehab’ in Johannesburg, South Africa. Earlier career and life experience revolved around her position as physiotherapist for the SA Ladies Hockey Team and the South African Cricket Academy where she served as team physio at both the Commonwealth Games and the Sydney Olympics.

Tanya has served as an honorary lecturer at Wits University and has lectured and presented at orthopaedic congresses and physiotherapy workshops throughout South Africa, the Middle East, the United States, Holland, India and the UK. She has authored a number of online courses with an Advanced Professional Development Level 2 rating.

When asked about the future of physiotherapy, Tanya shares, “I see an exciting move away from surgery as a first-line management in patient care, with a move toward conservative management as the primary care pathway.”

Suzanne Rogers Director

BSc Physio (UCT)

Suzanne is the “Rogers” of the dynamic BRH team and is one of those responsible for the smooth running of the ship! She qualified as a physiotherapist at UCT in 1990 and started her journey into rehabilitation working at the Conradie Spinal Injury Unit in Cape Town.

Since graduating from UCT, Suzanne has witnessed advancements in the field of physiotherapy over the past decade. She is excited by the vital role therapists play as part of a multi-disciplinary team and as first-line practitioners.

“Physiotherapists have a privilege in diagnosing and managing conditions that your average general practitioner cannot diagnose within their scope of practice.”

Suzanne feels passionate about the many areas of ongoing specialisation physiotherapy offers — from cardio-pulmonary and neuro-musculoskeletal to sports and education, calling attention to the many therapists who work hand-in-hand with neurologists, neuro-surgeons, orthopedists and other experts within the medical profession.

Zukisa Mqikela Practice Manager

Zukisa’s passion for physiotherapy stems from an active sporting career, specifically netball, whilst at school. “I have always wanted to be in the health care profession”, and when she learnt about physiotherapy, she found it fascinating and dynamic and has not looked back since. She graduated from the University of Cape Town and has been practicing for 9 years.

She describes physiotherapy as constantly evolving and advancing. She notes, “physiotherapists are becoming an important and vital part of a multi-disciplinary team and as first line practitioners, physiotherapists have a privilege in diagnosing and managing conditions”.

Zukisa’s love and passion for physiotherapy extends to her patients and seeing them recover. Her problem solving approach entails looking at the situation from each angle and then take action ensuring that the result is a positive one.

“Physiotherapists are becoming an important and vital part of a multi-disciplinary team and as first line practitioners, physiotherapists have a privilege in diagnosing and managing conditions”.

She states that paying attention to things that are critical to your own happiness is very important. When she is not helping those around her, she enjoys socialising with friends, going to the gym and trying out different food recipes.

Allyson Smith Practice Manager

Allyson Smith was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa where she completed her schooling at Redhill School and University studies.

She graduated with BSc Physiotherapy from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2018, thereafter went on to complete her Community Service year at Port Shepstone Regional Hospital in KwaZulu Natal.

She has since worked at sports and outpatient practices, following her love for aiding rehabilitation and promotion of health and wellness.

With a love for sports and movement, Allyson has participated in many sports and has achieved her second Dan Black belt in Karate. Allyson is a qualified BASI Pilates Instructor and has a passion for Pilates.

She has also completed many courses in sports and orthopaedics in order to stay current with the best clinical practice.
Allyson is a passionate Physiotherapist; dedicated to assisting her clients achieve their highest level of functioning and training.

Ushala Misra

Ushala is eager to see the public’s growing awareness of the role of physiotherapy in advancing patient-specific treatment — and how exercise prescription can identify the root cause of so many problems.

In addition to receiving the Good Fellowship Award Gold Medal, Usala enjoys sports like netball and is actively involved in charitable, cultural and religious organisations.

Now as a full-time physio, Ushala assists both children and adults on their road to recovery and continues to marvel at the ability of the body, under the right protocols, to function and improve itself in the face of severe injuries and disease.

Ushala was compelled to begin a career in physiotherapy after visiting a children’s home and witnessing how physios helped children with cerebral palsy become more ambulant and filled with joy.

Natasha Gertzen

Natasha grew up in Johannesburg where she matriculated from Parktown High School for Girls. She completed her BSc in Physiotherapy at the University of Cape Town, before moving to Barberton, Mpumalanga for community service. She has a strong passion for the outdoors, nature, and people. This translates into her interactions with her patients where she is compassionate, patient and longs to see them return to doing what they love and living life to the full.

Natasha is always eager for a new experience to gain a broader perspective on the world. She has a wide sporting history, including hockey, water polo, and horse riding during school, and ultimate frisbee at a national level while at university. She currently enjoys running, trail running and trying any new sport.

Natasha has a keen interest in neurological conditions, musculoskeletal injuries, aquatherapy, and rehabilitation of the person as a whole. She has completed courses in dry needling, strapping and strives to continually expand her knowledge of physiotherapy.

Gillian Robertson

Gillian’s enthusiasm for physiotherapy stems from the fact that she loves working with people and is fascinated by how the body works.

“I think the different systems that are at play in tasks that can be as mundane as walking is very underrated and how our bodies work and what they are able to do for us is so interesting.

Gillian matriculated from Parktown High School for Girls in 2014 and completed her BSc physiotherapy course in 2018.

During this time she received numerous awards including:

Best student in Clinical Physiotherapy
Best overall mark in all third-year subjects and best 4th year student in clinical practice for 2018.

Physiotherapy, along with her participation in sports has taught her the importance of correct training methods in injury prevention.

“I am a firm believer that prevention is always better than cure and so correct training and body biomechanics in sport and activities is paramount. I enjoy that physio can address biomechanical factors that may cause or be the cause of any injuries and works to correct them.”

After university she completed her community service at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. It was here that she realised that she enjoys the multiple avenues of intervention that physiotherapy offers both in the acute and rehabilitation settings.

“I enjoy that physiotherapy is involved in so many stages of patient care and that we always approach patients in a holistic manner.”

Jhandre Carow

Jhandré earned her Physiotherapy degree with distinction from the University of Pretoria in 2018 and completed her community service year at Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg. She recently obtained her Master’s degree in Sports Physiotherapy, with a dissertation focused on running-related injuries.

Since 2020, Jhandré has been practicing in an outpatient setting. She is committed to lifelong learning, evidenced by her ongoing education, including currently obtaining her certificate in lymphoedema management and previous courses on concussion management and vestibular rehabilitation.

Since 2020, Jhandré has been practicing in an outpatient setting. She is committed to lifelong learning, evidenced by her ongoing education, including currently obtaining her certificate in lymphoedema management and previous courses on concussion management and vestibular rehabilitation.

Jhandré loves being active – a major achievement was completing the Comrades Marathon in 2017! Currently, she enjoys cycling, weight training and hiking.

With a special interest in sports and orthopaedic injuries, Jhandré is dedicated to helping patients achieve optimal rehabilitation outcomes. She is passionate about leveraging her physiotherapy expertise to help individuals reach their full potential.

Aarifah Makda-Nel

Aarifah is a dedicated and passionate physiotherapist with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. After graduating from Wits University in 2018, she honed her skills during her comm serve at CMJAH hospital, and later in the high-pressure environment of the Trauma and Burns ICU at Netcare Milpark Hospital. There, she mastered the art of guiding patients through every stage of recovery, from acute care to outpatient rehab, ensuring that they not only heal, but thrive pain-free.

What fuels Aarifah’s passion for physiotherapy? It’s the undeniable fact that physio works—and the thrill of being equipped to walk the entire journey of recovery alongside her patients. Her approach is based on personalised, patient-centered care, tailored to each individual’s unique needs and lifestyle—because let’s face it, no one’s road to recovery is exactly the same.

When she’s not helping others move better, you’ll find her on a leisure run, crocheting, or nurturing her garden. And on particularly adventurous days? She might just tackle the biggest challenge of all: baking without burning anything (mostly successful, by the way)!

Carmen De Klerk

In 2020, Carmen graduated from the University of Pretoria, where she completed her Bachelors of Physiotherapy degree with a distinction. She completed her community service in 2021 in Port Elizabeth. Carmen’s been working in an out patient setting since 2022.

She has a special interest in orthopaedics, neurological rehabilitation, treating musculoskeletal conditions and working with cancer patients. Carmen is a qualified BASI Pilates instructor. She completed various post-graduate courses such as- PINK and STEEL cancer course, dry needling and wheelchair seating.

At work she is described as a friendly, honest and hard working person. Carmen is always motivated, determined, and willing to do her best. Her home language is Afrikaans but I speak English fluently. Whether its indoors and outdoors, she loves being active. One big achievement for her- she finished the 2024 Two Oceans ultra marathon, one week before she got married.

Her passion is to work with people and to help them to the best of her ability. Carmen’s motto in life is: “Always walk the extra mile, it is never crowded.”

Dalene de Koker

For Dalene, punctuality is key. She is the first friendly face you will see when entering our Wilgeheuwel practice.

Preparation is important to her and she believes in getting to work early to set up and prepare for the day ahead. With her strong organizational skills, she aids the smooth running of the Wilgeheuwel practice whilst making patient appointments to ensure that the physiotherapists do not run behind schedule.

Dalene embraces the diverse range of people she meets on a daily basis and never backs down from any challenge, provided that she has enough coffee!

When she is not at the practice, you will find her outdoors, embracing her love for gardening.