André van der Merwe

André van der Merwe is a South African urologist. He is currently head of urology at the University of Stellenbosch and an associate professor at Tygerberg Hospital. He also performed the first laparoscopic kidney removal in South Africa.

Early life and education Van der Merwe grew up in the town of Sutherland in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. His childhood dream was to become an astronomer. He is a fan of singer Barbra Streisand.

Career Apart from his positions at the University of Stellenbosch and the Tygerberg Hospital, Van der Merwe is a National Deputy Delegate for South Africa with the Société Internationale d'Urologie.

As a urologist, Van der Merwe regularly performs kidney transplants. The surgery was announced by the University of Stellenbosch's faculty of medicine and health sciences on 13 March 2015. Van der Merwe predicted the transplanted penis to be fully functional in two years' time. Van der Merwe was 46 years old when the surgery was announced. Following the surgery, some media outlets dubbed him "Dr. Dick".

In 2012, at the congress of the South African Urological Association, he received the Sanofi-Aventis award for urological excellence and outstanding service in furthering the practice of Urology in South Africa.