South Africa’s overstretched health-care system may soon find relief in artificial intelligence (AI) and data innovation.
A Future Health Index 2025 report paints a stark picture of inefficiency, revealing that one in three South African patients (33%) said their health has worsened due to delays in seeing a doctor.
Clinicians, too, are feeling the strain, losing the equivalent of 23 working days each year to paperwork and administrative burdens instead of patient care. The report further notes that almost eight in 10 health-care professionals lose clinical time because of incomplete or inaccessible patient data, with a third losing more than 45 minutes per shift to these inefficiencies.
AI’s promise in reclaiming time and improving outcomes
Amid these challenges lies a promising shift. The report shows that an overwhelming 91% of South African clinicians believe AI could help resolve the inefficiencies that are stalling patient outcomes, from automating routine tasks and improving diagnostics to predicting disease risks and personalising treatment.
New pressures continue to mount, from the ongoing court action on the NHI Act to unresolved questions around low-cost benefit options. Yet alongside these hurdles lie real opportunities: digital tools and innovative care models are demonstrating how healthcare can become more affordable, more equitable and more centred on the needs of patients.
— Health Funders Association
Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, said the 2025 report explores how digital innovation and AI can help South Africa’s health-care sector reclaim time, refocus on patient care and build a more resilient and responsive system.
“AI is already streamlining health care and amplifying clinical capabilities in ways that were previously impossible. Ultrasound devices now actively guide clinicians through complex examinations while highlighting abnormalities that the human eye might miss,” said Philips.
The impact, Philips added, extends to remote areas, where health-care workers in rural clinics can now confidently perform AI-assisted ultrasounds, delivering diagnostic insights that were once only available in major medical centres.
Building health care that works for South Africans
During the Health Funders Association Symposium, health experts underscored that reform is urgent, collaboration is essential and innovation must improve both access and outcomes.
The Health Funders Association (HFA) warned that South Africa’s health system still carries the weight of legacy challenges, from an incomplete legislative framework and siloed operations to delayed reforms.
“New pressures continue to mount, from the ongoing court action on the NHI Act to unresolved questions around low-cost benefit options. Yet alongside these hurdles lie real opportunities: digital tools and innovative care models are demonstrating how health care can become more affordable, more equitable and more centred on the needs of patients,” reads the HFA’s statement.
A session on digital innovation highlighted how AI and mobile platforms can improve access and strengthen service delivery.
During the inaugural Cape Health Tech Connect gathering at the Biomedical Research Institute, Tygerberg campus, Dr Kristen Miller-Duys, who has extensive experience in health-care management and innovation, stressed the importance of adapting technologies for rural African clinics.
“The shift towards point-of-care diagnostics is crucial. Our solutions must be resilient against heat and power outages,” she said.
E-health experts at the event also warned that AI’s success depends heavily on data quality and inclusivity. They cautioned that without strong local data contributions, the digital divide could widen, further entrenching inequality.
The role of centralised health data
According to Philips, unified health data remains a key conduit to better care.
“When clinicians cannot get a complete view of a patient’s history quickly, it leads directly to wasted time and delays in diagnosis and treatment. Centralising or ensuring data can flow seamlessly between systems is essential to unlocking the efficiencies that both clinicians and patients want to see,” Philips said.
Philips added that integrating smart systems and intelligent software represents not just a technological upgrade, but a fundamental reimagining of health-care delivery.
“By embracing this transformation thoughtfully, we can ensure quality care is guided by clinical and patient needs rather than geography, resourcing or staffing. For instance, with specialist staff in short supply, particularly in underserved rural and urban areas, AI can support health-care professionals, helping them perform at higher proficiency levels and improving access to quality care,” Philips said.
Experts agree that the key lies in leveraging data-driven insights, AI-enabled tools and integrated health systems to reduce bottlenecks, speed up accurate diagnoses and make health care more responsive and equitable.
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