Samke Matibela was born in Durban and raised in the rural area, Mahlabathini. She matriculated in 1997 at St Victor High School which was a Roman Catholic boarding school where she learned independence and developed strong morals. She then studied for a Bachelor of Science degree for one year. She then proceeded to enrol for the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree after learning about pharmacy as a profession at the University of Kwa- Zulu Natal formerly called the University of Durban Westville. She graduated in 2002.

She did her internship and community service at Edendale Hospital under the leadership of Mr Cyril Shabalala during the period of the anti-retroviral rollout (2003– 2004). She has worked in various hospital such as, King Edward VIII Hospital, Addington Hospital, Nkonjeni Hospital, and Ekombe Hospital. She has 18 years of experience in Pharmacy Management and is currently as Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital. She has also worked as an inspector for South African Pharmacy Council for five years and as an assessor for the Health Science Academy. As she only learnt about Pharmacy when she was at University, she feels strongly about the pharmacy profession being under-rated and referred to as “other professions” and that the public and other health care practitioners’ need to understand the role of the pharmacist. She is an advocate of efficient pharmaceutical service delivery and strives to ensure that the best possible quality pharmaceutical service is rendered at all times.