{"id":6703,"date":"2026-07-29T09:54:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T07:54:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/?p=188386"},"modified":"2026-07-29T09:54:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T07:54:44","slug":"south-africas-digital-healthcare-shift-progress-challenges-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/mail\/south-africas-digital-healthcare-shift-progress-challenges-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africa\u2019s Digital Healthcare Shift: Progress, Challenges Ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Johannesburg: The rapid advancement of technology has ushered in a new era of digitized healthcare systems, reshaping how nations deliver medical services. This transformation is not merely a matter of convenience but a necessity, as global health crises have highlighted the urgent need for innovation and resilience in healthcare infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Pandemics such as COVID-19 and the recent Ebola outbreak have accelerated this shift, forcing governments and institutions to embrace digital solutions for patient care, data management, and disease surveillance. Against this backdrop, the question arises: is South Africa moving in the right direction, and are our healthcare professionals, both current and future, adequately prepared to navigate this digital transformation?<\/p>\n

\u201cSouth Africa has made good progress, but I wouldn\u2019t say we\u2019re fully prepared yet. We have the right vision and policies in place, but implementation is where the real work still lies. Digital healthcare isn\u2019t just about introducing new technology \u2013 it\u2019s about making sure healthcare professionals know how to use it, patients can access it, and the infrastructure supports it,\u201d says Mehnaaz Olla, School Manager of the MANCOSA School of Healthcare.<\/p>\n

Progress and Challenges<\/strong>
Despite regular reports about the pressures facing the South African healthcare system, as well as concerns about policy development and implementation, South Africa has made some progress over the past five years. The World Health Organization reminds us that digital health should strengthen health systems, not simply digitise existing processes. That\u2019s the opportunity South Africa has over the next few years<\/p>\n

\u201cThe COVID \u2013 19 pandemic was probably the biggest catalyst. Almost overnight, healthcare providers had to embrace virtual consultations, electronic communication and digital ways of working. What\u2019s encouraging is that those changes didn\u2019t disappear after COVID-19. We\u2019ve also seen continued investment through the National Digital Health Strategy, which gives us a roadmap. The challenge now is making sure those plans translate into consistent implementation across the country. The progress is real. The pace, so far, has not matched the ambition,\u201d says Olla.<\/p>\n

However, this optimism needs to be tempered. \u201cIf I had to narrow South Africa\u2019s challenges down to one issue, I\u2019d say digital poverty. It\u2019s difficult to talk about the move towards digital healthcare when not everyone has the same access to reliable internet, a stable electricity supply, digital devices or even the skills to use them confidently. The International Telecommunication Union estimates that around 68% of the world\u2019s population uses the internet and in Africa, only 38%. This means that the majority of our population still does not use the internet. Those are the kinds of gaps we must close if digital healthcare is going to be truly inclusive,\u201d says Olla.<\/p>\n

The Tertiary Education Role Player<\/strong>
The move toward digitized healthcare requires a specific set of skills. While many students enter higher education with varying levels of digital familiarity, their knowledge, skills, and confidence differ considerably. As a result, tertiary institutions play a critical role in equipping future healthcare professionals with the digital health competencies needed to use emerging technologies safely, effectively, and ethically in practice.
\u201cWe need to stop treating digital health as an optional extra. Tomorrow\u2019s healthcare graduates will be expected to work with electronic health records, telehealth platforms and digital clinical systems from their first day at work. Those skills should be embedded into healthcare programmes and not offered as an afterthought. Technology will keep changing, so higher education institutions also need to create graduates who know how to keep learning,\u201d says Olla.<\/p>\n

From an employability perspective, Olla points out that employers are looking for graduates who are clinically competent and digitally confident. That means understanding electronic health records, being comfortable with telehealth, knowing how to interpret health data, protecting patient information and increasingly understanding how technologies like artificial intelligence can support clinical practice. \u201cDigital competence is becoming just as important as clinical competence,\u201d stresses Olla.<\/p>\n

MANCOSA recognises that healthcare is changing, and education has to change with it. \u201cWe\u2019ve already introduced learning opportunities like our Digitalising Administration in Healthcare short learning programme, and we\u2019re continuing to expand offerings that sit at the intersection of healthcare and technology. The goal is simple: prepare graduates for the healthcare system they\u2019re actually going to enter \u2013 not the one that existed ten years ago,\u201d says Olla.<\/p>\n

Lifelong Learning Becomes an Important Role Player<\/strong>
Healthcare has always evolved, but technology is accelerating that pace of change. The professionals who thrive will be the ones who continue learning throughout their careers. Technology should enhance clinical care \u2013 not replace the human connection that sits at the heart of healthcare.<\/p>\n

Adaptation will therefore be an important success indicator for the South African healthcare sector. \u201cIt important to note that success isn\u2019t measured by how much technology we\u2019ve introduced \u2013 it\u2019s measured by whether patients receive better care because of it. If digital healthcare helps reduce waiting times, improves access in underserved rural areas, supports healthcare professionals and ultimately delivers better health outcomes, then we\u2019ve succeeded.<\/p>\n

To accommodate this, healthcare education needs to adopt a future-ready approach.\u201dHealthcare professionals don\u2019t need to become software developers, but they do need to understand the technologies they\u2019re working with \u2013 from AI-assisted decision support to digital patient records and health data. The graduates entering the workforce in five years\u2019 time will need a very different skill set from those who graduated five years ago,\u201d concludes Olla.<\/p>\n

Building a Future-Ready Healthcare Workforce<\/strong>
South Africa\u2019s journey toward digitized healthcare is marked by both promise and pressing challenges. The momentum gained during the COVID-19 pandemic and reinforced by the National Digital Health Strategy has laid a strong foundation, but the path ahead requires consistent implementation, equitable access, and a commitment to closing the digital divide.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, success will depend on whether technology translates into better patient outcomes, reduced waiting times, and improved access for underserved communities. Preparing healthcare professionals to be both clinically competent and digitally confident is no longer optional, it is essential. By embedding digital skills into education and fostering lifelong learning, South Africa can ensure its healthcare system evolves to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.<\/p>\n

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Author<\/strong>: Jonathan Faurie from Bullion PR & Communication<\/a> on behalf of MANCOSA<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Johannesburg: The rapid advancement of technology has ushered in a new era of digitized healthcare systems, reshaping how nations deliver medical services. This transformation is not merely a matter of convenience but a necessity, as global health crises have highlighted the urgent need for innovation and resilience in healthcare infrastructure. Pandemics such as COVID-19 and the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[{"did":"did:plc:revymtt5qssww7e7avbruzic","date":"2026-07-29T08:33:59+00:00","uri":"at:\/\/did:plc:revymtt5qssww7e7avbruzic\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mrrjcmlbwk2m","response":"{\"uri\":\"at:\/\/did:plc:revymtt5qssww7e7avbruzic\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mrrjcmlbwk2m\",\"cid\":\"bafyreidm2pnbtw7pafwlng4eodix6w4sowpyl6djbcfr7o7yhixs6b3qpy\",\"commit\":{\"cid\":\"bafyreia2frrelvxxv7cdi3t7lposmeawgjnr44uifwgxb654gkjko3tpxi\",\"rev\":\"3mrrjcmlirc2m\"},\"validationStatus\":\"valid\"}"}],"autoblue_post_url":"","autoblue_publish_document":false,"republication-tracker-tool-hide-widget":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,3],"tags":[29],"class_list":["type-post","category-featured","category-news","tag-mypr-africa","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/mail\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/mail\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/mail\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/mail\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/mail\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6703"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/mail\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6703\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/mail\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/mail\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/mail\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}