In August 2025, a team of specialists at Cape Town’s Tygerberg Hospital prepared for surgery. This was no ordinary operation – it was South Africa’s first robotic surgery for the removal of a donor kidney, where a healthy kidney was removed from a 54-year-old mother and transplanted into her 24-year-old daughter. The procedure, known as a donor nephrectomy, was carried out using a Da Vinci Xi robotic platform, which is controlled via an immersive 3D console. Its four precise robotic arms allowed surgeons to adopt a minimally invasive approach, enabling faster recovery. The donor was discharged the next day, and the transplanted kidney began functioning immediately.

Robotics represents only a small part of a healthcare revolution driven by artificial intelligence (AI), data and algorithms. More people are becoming aware of AI – which is basically where computers are taught to learn from data and make decisions – and it is increasingly becoming part of our daily lives. But what does it mean in the healthcare sense, and what are its benefits? The applications are varied: from reading X-rays and analysing scans, to predicting disease outbreaks, suggesting treatment options and improving patient care and engagement.

Globally, AI is already reshaping how diseases are diagnosed, managed and treated. In Australia, the national science agency CSIRO recently reported that a form of AI known as visual language models (VLM) is being used to ‘read’ X-rays and generate reports. Earlier versions of ChatGPT relied solely on text-based language models (LLMs); now VLMs add visual understanding, allowing systems to interpret images and connect them to language. CSIRO’s Australian e-Health Research Centre is applying this technology to medical imaging, particularly chest X-rays. While the technology might seem complicated, its aim is simple: to support radiologists and reduce their workload. ‘The goal is to create technology that can integrate into radiologists’ workflow and provide assistance,’ according to researcher Aaron Nicolson.

And that’s the key – the technology doesn’t replace human analysis or compassion, it enhances it. African ICT provider BCX notes that, ‘within BCX’s healthcare engagements, AI is positioned as a tool that strengthens clinical capability rather than replacing it. In real-world healthcare settings, AI-assisted clinical decision tools have been shown to improve diagnostic accuracy and speed, particularly in areas such as radiology and risk stratification, where early intervention can be critical. The value of AI lies in augmentation. By supporting clinicians with better insights and reducing manual processes, AI enables healthcare professionals to focus on what matters most: clinical judgement, empathy and patient outcomes’.

AI could be thought of as a second set of eyes – that should be embraced rather than feared.

‘Everyone, from patients to healthcare providers, needs to be receptive to what technology can do,’ BCX portfolio executive of healthcare, Wayne Janneker, said at the Health Innovation Summit Africa 2024. ‘It is time to think about healthcare differently. It’s time to disrupt the traditional models and make healthcare as user-friendly and efficient as e-hailing.’

The South African Medical and Dental Practitioners Association echoes this view, encouraging doctors to stay informed about AI, seek out training opportunities and advocate for ethical, inclusive policies. ‘Artificial intelligence will not replace doctors. But doctors who use AI will replace those who don’t,’ it says.

The healthcare sector in Africa, where only a small percentage of the population has access to private health services, is also adapting AI to suit its needs. This includes bridging the gap between the private and public sectors and improving service to those in the less-populated and rural areas.

The South African health sector faces many challenges, including overworked practitioners. AI is emerging as a powerful tool that can empower them, and improve the lives of those in under-resourced areas. For example, AI-assisted diagnostic tools are helping radiologists detect abnormalities faster, while AI-powered chatbots in some rural clinics provide basic advice in local languages, easing the pressure on nurses. In addition, mobile health apps are improving chronic disease management for patients with conditions such as diabetes or HIV, particularly for those who experience long travel times and have limited access to clinics.

It is in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), though, that AI-driven technology has made one of the biggest impacts. The government lists TB as ‘one of the most pressing public health challenges in South Africa’. In its TB recovery plan for 2025/26, it reports that while TB incidence has declined by 57% since 2015, more than half of TB-affected households still face catastrophic costs in accessing care.

South Africa has nevertheless shown to be a leader in TB innovation, introducing new diagnostics and shorter, more effective treatment regimens. For example, national government’s End TB Campaign is supported by projects such as the KwaZulu-Natal health department’s use of AI-augmented portable X-ray machines in mobile vans. These systems enable faster diagnosis and treatment, particularly for HIV-positive patients.

NGOs are also playing a critical role. International non-profit KNCV TB Plus, dedicated to fighting TB worldwide, took technological innovation a step further in 2024 when it launched Aida – an AI-powered digital companion for people undergoing TB treatment. Designed to answer questions between visits, Aida provides science-based guidance on treatment and general health. Implemented in South Africa, it supports patients via WhatsApp, which is accessible to most people, and is available in four languages – English, isiXhosa, IsiZulu and Tswana. Job van Rest, digital health solutions team lead at KNCV TB Plus, explains that the tools make TB care ‘more personal, more human and an addition to face-to-face care’ from healthcare providers. ‘Digital health is more than just devices, it’s about dignity, access and support. This is part of the future of TB care.’

Local innovation in AI extends beyond public health. London-headquartered South African start-up, Envisionit Deep AI, focuses on the mining industry with its computer vision and pattern recognition software to assist doctors in diagnosing diseases from medical images, particularly X-rays. ‘It takes a long time to screen the mineworkers […] so that is why you introduce technology,’ co-founder and CEO Jaishree Naidoo told TechCentral in a recent interview. ‘With an AI algorithm, you can quickly scan the X-ray so that while the mineworker is putting his shirt back on, his X-ray has already been analysed and recommendations to the doctor have been made.’ Naidoo added that AI is a fitting tool for image-based diagnosis because diseases present in patterns that computers can be trained to recognise with greater accuracy than humans can.

The use of AI and technology in healthcare isn’t confined to hospitals and clinics, though. Wearable devices and fitness trackers make it easier for the layperson to monitor their health and share information with their doctors. Telehealth also made it possible for doctors to consult with patients virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic. Part of this virtual care was the use of medical portal technology to help track treatment, store health records, and collect and access data. While visiting your GP has become the norm again, virtual consultations still enable those confined to their homes to be able to consult their GP.

For South Africa, with its mix of advanced urban hospitals and under-resourced rural clinics, AI offers a way to overcome some of the biggest healthcare challenges, and reduce the burden on medical personnel, giving them more time to engage with patients. It certainly isn’t a cure-all – but, used responsibly, it has the potential to be a real game-changer.

By Philippa Byron
Images: iStock, Unsplash