EXPERIENCE
Since 2018, Franklin has actively contributed to various research initiatives, assuming a crucial role in ensuring the secure transportation of staff and clinical trial specimens to and from diverse clinical sites. Beyond the professional realm, Frankline’s interests include indulging in soccer games, savouring the outdoors, hosting braais, and cherishing quality family time.
INTERVIEWS
INTRODUCTION
🔬 Say hello to Franklin Erasmus, our dedicated Logistics Officer!
❓Franklin, tell us about your role at RIRCA:
I’ve been part of the RIRCA group since 2021, serving as the Logistics Officer. My main responsibility is transporting specimens from our clinical sites—Tygerberg Hospital, Groote Schuur Hospital, and Mowbray Maternity Hospital—to the lab.
❓ What does a typical day look like for you?
I stay in touch with our sample recruiters and the lab team, making sure everything is coordinated before picking up specimens. Once I get confirmation, I head out, informing the lab team when I’m on my way. As soon as I arrive at the lab, I send a group message to confirm that the specimens have arrived!
❓ What challenges do you face in your role?
Sometimes, unexpected things happen—mechanical issues, accidents—so I always keep the team updated while en route.
YOUR ROLE
📢 Meet the RIRCA Team! In June, we are highlighting Franklin Erasmus, our dedicated Logistics Officer!
Franklin gave a quick peek into his role at RIRCA and how he likes to spend his downtime
🎥 Watch the video below 👇
BEHIND THE SCENES
🚗 Meet Franklin Erasmus – the Man Behind the Specimen Move!
In this follow-up video, Franklin shares how he got started in logistics and what led him to join the RIRCA team.
🧪 From his first steps into specimen transport at Desmond Tutu Health Foundation to his role today, it’s all about passion, purpose, and a smooth operation.
🎥 Watch the video and hear Franklin’s story 👇
FUTURE PLANS
Meet our Team! 🚗 Today is our final feature of Franklin Erasmus, our logistics officer 🚗
“I started in research in 2018, working as a driver for the Desmond Tutu Foundation. What I saw then – especially the challenges faced by elderly people living with TB – stayed with me. It’s what motivates me today, as part of the RIRCA team, to keep doing the work that matters. People rely on medical advancements. Being part of that system, even through specimen transport, makes me proud.”
His advice for anyone in scientific logistics?
🗣️ Good communication ⏱️ Strong time management 💡Patience and politeness – “a smile can lighten up a sick person’s day.”
What does he love most about the role?
😊 “The people. Every day I meet someone new, and they’re always ready to help.”
And what about the future?
📦Franklin sees himself growing with RIRCA: advising and mentoring new team members and showing just how powerful logistics can be in making medical research possible.