Netcare Seeks South Africa Approval for AI Patient Risk Tool

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

Netcare, one of South Africa’s largest private hospital groups, is seeking approval from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority for an artificial intelligence tool that predicts early signs of patient deterioration.

The tool applies machine learning to real-time vital signs, including heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and respiratory rate, captured through Netcare’s digital health platform.

The algorithm was developed by Telehealth Competence Centre Clinical Solutions GmbH, a German clinical AI manufacturer, and was clinically tested by researchers from Netcare, TCC, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and DigitalOn Tech.

Professor Reitze Rodseth, head of clinical data innovation and research at Netcare, said the work is being extended. “Building on the capabilities of the algorithm, we are now looking at models that automatically predict the risk of developing renal failure or serious respiratory difficulties,” he said.

Dr Anchen Laubscher, group medical director at Netcare, said the output supports rather than replaces clinical judgement. “The clinical indicators derived from this technology provide valuable data points to support doctors’ treatment decisions,” she said.

SAHPRA approval would place the tool within South Africa’s medical device regulatory framework, a route few clinical AI products on the continent have yet completed.

Why it matters: A regulated clinical AI approval in South Africa would set the first African benchmark other health systems can point to.

Source: MedicalBrief, 12 August 2026.