WATCH | Little boy's face lights up on hearing sound for first time

In September‚ it was the first time that Frere Hospital performed a cochlear implant. Previously they had been sending patients to the Western Cape.

This time‚ a private sector doctor did the operation closer to home.

A cochlear implant is an electronic device that replaces the function of the damaged inner ear. Unlike hearing aids‚ which make sounds louder‚ cochlear implants do the work of damaged parts of the inner ear (cochlea) to provide sound signals to the brain. Part of the device sits on the outside of the ear.

Imbo was first diagnosed with a hearing impairment in both ears when he was nine months old. Now two years old‚ Imbo can be seen in the video delightedly responding to hearing sound for the first time.

He will now have to learn how to talk.