Background In many countries two health care systems exist which are a traditional health system and a health care system based on Western, sometimes so-called, modern medicine. Primary care systems with trained community health workers and well established guidelines can be effective in noncommunicable disease prevention and management. The aim of this study was to determine how chronic disease management in a rural area can be strengthened by utilisation of community health workers and traditional health practitioners. Methods We used qualitative interviews in Dikgale Health and Demographic Surveillance System site. All data were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using data-driven thematic analysis. Results Our study showed that chronic disease patients have a first contact with health care professionals at primary health care level in the study area. The mainly mentioned barriers by both the health care workers and chronic disease patients are lack of knowledge, shortage of medication and shortage of nurses in the clinics which causes patients to stay for a long period in a clinic. Health care workers are less trained on the management of chronic diseases. Lack of supervision together with poor dissemination of guidelines has been found to be a contributing factor to lack of knowledge by health care worker in clinics within the study area. Conclusions Integrated approaches could create immediate synergies in service delivery by involving all health care providers in the rural area of Limpopo Province. Therefore, suitable trainings and capacity building should form part of the structural integration by making sure that these trainings reach all health care providers to deliver services that are appropriate to health system needs. Lastly there is a need to establish a link with traditional healers and integrate service in order to early detect and manage chronic diseases in the community with the support from traditional authority. Keywords Chronic disease management, Community Health Workers, Traditional health practitioners, Integration, Support. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.