Our Team

Raised in rural North West, he graduated from the University of Pretoria in 1998. His medical journey led him to Manitoba, Canada, where he worked as a general practitioner for 7 years before returning to South Africa specializing in Oncology at the University of Stellenbosch. He graduated in 2012. He has since dedicated himself to working at Mountainview Oncology, with a focus on Lung, Breast, Prostate, Colon and Brain tumours. Beyond work, he enjoys the outdoors and cherishes time with his wife and two Havanese children.

Dr Engelbrecht was born and raised in Bellville. She attended Bellville North Primary School and matriculated at Bellville High School.

She obtained her MBChB degree at the University of Stellenbosch in 1993.

After her internship in Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth she worked for a short time in Elsies River Day hospital.

In 1996 she got a calling to work in a rural mission hospital at Nkhoma in Malawi. This was a very blessed time in her life, when she became aware of the grace of God.

In 2000 she joined the SANDF and started her career in palliative care when she was employed in the Hospice/palliative care unit at 2 Military Hospital. She obtained a postgraduate degree in Palliative Care in 2002.

In the Palliative Care Unit, she became more involved in the treatment of patients who were treated with a curative intent. In 2010 the SANDF sent her for training as a radiation oncologist. She studied at the University of Cape Town and received training at Groote Schuur Hospital. She completed her studies in 2014.

After her studies, she returned to 2 Military Hospital for a few years.

In 2018 she joined Mountain View Oncology in Kuils River.

Hobbies: Mari loves music and traveling. (she works so that she can travel)

Social: She shares a house with her sister, Gerda and 3 dogs Kerneels, Lily and Pippa.

Dr Lydia van der Vyver grew up in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town and obtained her MBChB degree from Stellenbosch University in 2015.

Oncology chose her during her first week of internship at 2 Military Hospital, when her father-in-law was diagnosed with cancer. This experience revealed the gap in undergraduate oncology training and inspired her determination to become an oncologist — a dream that would take a decade to be fulfilled.

She undertook research in haematology at the University of Cape Town, completed her community service in oncology, and joined Mountain View Oncology in 2019, where she gained invaluable experience as part of the team.

She completed a postgraduate diploma in palliative care, graduating cum laude in the clinical component. She was subsequently accepted for specialisation in Radiation and Clinical Oncology at Stellenbosch University and went on to complete her MMed and the FC Rad Onc qualifications, achieving a distinction in the clinical examination.

On 1 November 2025, Dr van der Vyver rejoined Mountain View Oncology as a qualified oncologist, realising the dream she had pursued for ten years.

She has a keen interest in the holistic treatment of female oncological malignancies, as well as in the treatment of prostate carcinoma as part of a highly experienced uro-oncology team.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her energetic daughter and road running, especially half marathons.

Dr Bhavesh Nagar completed his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2009. In 2005 he was inducted into The Golden Key Honorary Society which recognises the top 15% of tertiary candidates.

After completing two years of internship training at the Port Elizabeth Hospital complex where he gained valuable experience across a wide range of medical disciplines including, Family medicine, Internal medicine, General surgery, Orthopedics, Anaesthesiology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Paediatrics, he returned to Cape Town in 2012 to work as a community service doctor at Karl Bremmer Hospital and Kraaifontein Day Hospital.

In 2014 he began working as a Medical Officer at the Department of Radiation Oncology at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town and continued to specialise in Radiation Oncology at Groote Schuur Hospital and UCT. He holds a fellowship in Radiation Oncology from the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA) and a Master’s of Medicine (with distinction) from UCT.

After specialising he worked in the Departments of Radiation Oncology at Tygerberg Hospital and Groote Schuur Hospital for a year at each site as a consultant where he ran the Gastrointestinal, Hepatobiliary, Lung and Thyroid cancer clinics and provided post-graduate training to registrars undergoing their specialist training.

In July 2024 he entered private practice at Mountain View Oncology. His areas of interest include cancers of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary systems, Breast cancer and Urological malignancies but welcomes referrals from all subsites.

Dr. Lecia Swartz has been practicing as a Medical Officer in oncology since 2018 and joined Mountain View Oncology in 2021. Prior to joining our team, she worked within the disciplines of internal medicine, family medicine and allergology.

She graduated from the University of Pretoria and has obtained a post graduate diploma in Palliative Care from the University of Cape Town. She strives to treat all her patients with compassion and kindness by delivering dignified holistic care to each individual.

Dr Johanna (Joey) De Jager Romero started her career in medicine after graduating with an MBChB from the University of Pretoria in 1991. Her early years were spent in the United Kingdom where she gained invaluable experience in various medical specialties, including emergency medicine, psychiatry, and palliative care. In 2007 she found her calling at Nightingale House Hospice and Star Care Oncology Unit in Wales, dedicating herself to providing compassionate care to cancer patients.

In 2015 she made the decision to return to South Africa, driven by her passion for palliative care. Today, she is proud to be a part of the Mountain View Oncology team, where she serves as a palliative care physician, offering comprehensive and patient-centred care. Additionally, she has the privilege of serving as the hospice doctor for Drakenstein Hospice, furthering her commitment to ensuring that patients and their families receive the support they need during challenging times. She finds immense fulfilment in being a part of her patients’ journeys, delivering holistic care that focuses on their well-being and comfort as they navigate the complexities of life-limiting illness.