Globally, clinicians working in cancer management have many challenges and for those in Africa it is well known that the same challenges can be multiplied with many more new regional specific ones to be contended with. However, without doubt working in resource poor settings within the continent of Africa can still result in excellent job satisfaction, provided the opportunities for professional contribution are seen within all the perceived negatives and addressed. My choice of training in clinical oncology was driven by the curiosity to find out more about a field that was less considered. I purposed to find out why cancer patients seemed to be less considered within the health system than those with infectious and other diseases yet there was so much prolonged suffering with cancer. Why was there so little done for such patients? Why was there so little known? Why was this disease regarded with so many mystiques? There was what appeared to be denial of them as just another patient group needing attention in the same way as all others do. I dared to venture and found that answers existed but had not yet become a reality in most countries in Africa. The common challenges of lack of treatment infrastructure, personnel, funding, acceptance of the disease itself and many others were what defined oncology in Africa. Since most of these challenges are common to most countries, strategies to address them need not be just local but can be complemented by regional and international involvement. Governments in partnership with international collaborators need to work towards the successful implementation of cancer care. Experiences throughout the journey of starting from near to nowhere to providing a cancer treatment service and future dreams will be presented.