He has the same air about him as Barack Obama. Dr Shingai Mutambirwa is tall, stylishly turned out, highly intelligent and could charm the birds off the trees with his sexy, slight Canadian twang and broad smile. It's little wonder this urologist and regular guest on Redi Direko's 702 Talk Radio show is a favourite of listeners.
After an hour with the Zimbabwe-born doctor, you feel like one yourself, such is the wealth of medical information he imparts enthusiastically. He's one of those people who leaves you full of resolutions to improve your life and, more than that, to embrace and enjoy it like he does.
"Don't worry about your weight. You're fine," he volunteers cheerily as I explain why I'm ordering water, and goes on to quote an extensive study proving that exercise is by far the most important factor in maintaining one's health. "Exercise is the best pill for almost everything. That and a good diet," he says, smiling.
At 43, Mutambirwa is helping countless people out of the medical malaise that restricts their ability to live normal lives. Three times a week, he's to be found at his consulting rooms in Soweto, but he also happens to be acting head of the urology department at Medunsa (part of University of Limpopo) and is therefore immersed in constant research and teaching in his field.
As a urologist, he deals largely with prostate problems and erectile dysfunction in men, and bladder problems and urinary tract infections in women, although he stresses that he needs to maintain a broad medical knowledge as "everything is linked".
"In the case of erectile dysfunction, for instance, it's signifies a cardiac problem unless proven otherwise," he says.
Stress, he adds, plays a huge role in people's failing health. "I try to not read the newspapers in the morning because your impression of the world, if it's bad, creates stress. Health is not only physical; it's also about your mental state. If you don't learn to enjoy yourself, you'll die young," he says.
I notice on the table the book he is reading, The Last Barrier by Reshad Field, about the mysteries and enchantments of Sufi-ism. It reveals the spiritual aspect of the good doctor, who mentions that he believes the Mayan calendar prediction that 2012 will be the year life as we know it changes. "I believe there'll be a shift in human consciousness," he says.
Meanwhile, quality of life is what he advises we pursue, and on the health front that should include relaxing, breathing property - "count to seven breathing in, and seven again breathing out" - and, happily, lots of sex. "Sex every day burns up the equivalent in calories of a big Mac burger every two weeks," he says, winking.
This gives me the ideal opportunity to shift the subject to some womanly complaints, and again, Mutambirwa is a font of juicy soundbites.
Regarding diet, he informs me that our plate sizes these days are "bigger than our granny's plates were", so we tend to eat too much, and that a brisk 20-minute walk every day is the best weight loss plan.
"After 30, you need to increase your exercise output by 15 percent a year to maintain your weight. And drink water from the tap. It's been shown to be better than bottled water, which is contained in plastic and goes through the cold chain with all the attendant hazards of this process," he says.
Women, he continues, actually face fewer health threats than men, who, at 40, have a 50 percent chance of developing cardiovascular problems. "Men have more chance of dying young, so you women beat us yet again," he says.
And of all our bad habits, smoking is the worst, he adds. "Taking oestrogen supplements after menopause gives you a 30 percent increased risk of breast cancer, but smoking increases your risk of lung cancer by 7 500 percent and bladder cancer by 2 500 percent," he says.
Statistics like these roll off his tongue throughout our interview, and he says he makes a point of keeping abreast with medical literature, which he asserts other specialists also need to do more of to have a more complete understanding of medical advances.
"After leaving medical school, some doctors don't stay up to speed, which means they are confronted with problems they don't know how to address," he says.
Mutambirwa, one of five boys born to high achieving parents with "wanderlust", was schooled in Canada and later the US, but returned home to do his medical degree at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare.
He applied to study further at universities in Canada, the US, UK and South Africa, but, fortuitously, only Medunsa that accepted him.
"I'm forever indebted to Professor Reif (head of urology) for bringing me here," he says. "I've lived and worked in many countries, but South Africa is by far the best.
"Also, medicine here is superior, even in the provincial hospitals, and it's not all about money. If crime is your worry, you should see the projects in the US. They are much scarier than Soweto, where I'm very happy to work."
Midrand is home now, though Canada retains an important part of him. His four brothers still live there, as does his 12-year-old son. Mutambirwa also has a daughter of seven, but has yet to acquire a wedding ring. "I like my space and, in any event, I'm too naughty," he says.
On that note, he pays the bill despite my protestations and offers one last nugget: "Don't stress and fight things. Focus on what you're doing now. The only rich people in the world are those who are satisfied with what they have.
"But do yourself a big favour: get a check-up once a year. Men need to look at sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, prostate and testosterone levels; for women it's sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, a pap smear and mammogram to test for malignant cells. It makes it so much easier for us doctors to help you enjoy a long life."