Professor Robin Kinsley is a globally renowned cardiothoracic surgeon, founder and chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Children’s Cardiac Foundation of Africa. He holds a bachelor of surgery from University of the Witwatersrand, a Fellowship of the College of Surgeons of South Africa and is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. He was awarded the Cecil John Adams Travelling Fellowship in 1972.

He gained post-graduate experience at the Mayo Clinic Rochester in Minnesota, USA, where he trained as a cardiac surgeon before working as a cardiothoracic surgery consultant at the University of the Witwatersrand after which he moved into private practice. He has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of South Africa (SCSSA). The award honours his 43-year-long career of dedication, leadership, and groundbreaking contributions to the field of paediatric cardiothoracic surgery.

Throughout his career, Prof Kinsley has made significant contributions to the field of cardiothoracic surgery. He has served as president of several national cardiothoracic organizations, authored approximately 80 medical publications, and played a key role in training and mentoring countless surgeons. In addition, he has pioneered life-saving surgical procedures and directly saved the lives of hundreds of children across Africa.

In 2003 he founded the Walter Sisulu Paediatric Cardiac Centre for Africa, where Nelson Mandela was patron.