In South Africa, 19 million people live in rural areas with limited access to healthcare and a high doctor-to-patient ratio. To address this problem and support UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being, a group developed a virtual consultation solution powered by AI and 5G technologies to connect rural residents with urban medical resources. Their goal is to ensure rural South Africans receive timely access to quality care. This group is none other than E-Kasi Care – comprising Charné Scholtz, Fanelesibonge Mbuyazi, Mulisa Mavhina, Ntsako Sithole, Reabetswe Malatji, Thirushan Pather and Vuyisamaswazi Shabalala – winners at the 2024 Tech4Good Southern Africa Regional Competition.
Motivation and Technologies Behind E-Kasi Care
In Vuyisa’s words, “what made our project stand out is its authenticity… targeting real issues happening in South Africa”. Indeed, with a doctor-patient ratio of 1:3000, and the long distances rural residents have to travel for doctor consultations, many of them would wait for weeks after experiencing symptoms to visit the doctor. E-Kasi Care is built upon the belief that “rural South Africans also have a right and deserve access to healthcare”, as Thirushan expresses. Unlike typical telehealth video calls, E-Kasi Care captures key health metrics like heart rate, temperature, and respiratory rate, providing doctors with the data needed for accurate diagnoses.
Overcoming Obstacles in the Tech4Good Journey
The Tech4Good journey was not all smooth sailing though. A challenge the team faced was adjusting to each other’s personalities. Having only met during the programme, they initially struggled to work together as everyone brought their individual passion and expertise to the table. It was with patience and humility that the team came to a consensus.
Reabetswe also recalls that when they showed their deck to their mentor, she was dissatisfied with it. Her feedback shook the team but did not deter them. Instead, they worked harder to articulate their vision, eventually achieving victory. Additionally, it was through the various workshops on topics like leadership, business modeling, AI and cloud computing that they slowly refined their solution. With dedication and teamwork, the team kept improving in areas like prototyping, pitching, or project scalability and feasibility.
Ntsako described it best when he referred to the team as a springbok – resilient and agile animal found in Africa – representing how the team leapt over all challenges that came their way. The springbok is also a reminder of their South African roots, and the team’s pride to represent their community globally.
Learning Points from Tech4Good
Charné Scholtz: Be specific in your approach—focus on one problem to solve at a time and create a clear plan; once you build a solid foundation, expanding your efforts becomes much easier.
Fanelesibonge Mbuyazi: Focus on delivering a clear and compelling pitch—your idea is only as strong as the way you present it, so ensure your delivery matches the quality of your solution to attract investors and partners.
Mulisa Mavhina: Embrace every moment of the experience, engage deeply, collaborate with others, and approach challenges creatively to make a meaningful difference.
Ntsako Sithole: Seek opportunities to apply what you’ve learned beyond the classroom, embrace failure as a learning experience, and believe in your unique potential to drive innovation.
Reabetswe Malatji: Approach the competition with an open mind, embrace collaboration, and be willing to listen to your teammates’ perspectives.
Thirushan Pather: Persist through self-doubt and hard work, as the effort you put in behind the scenes will shine when you get the opportunity to showcase your skills.
Vuyisamaswazi Shabalala: Passion and drive are key; approach the competition with a willingness to unlearn, listen to others, and stay committed to making a difference in your industry and your country.
Future Plans for E-Kasi Care
Even though they have just won the Regional Competition, the team is not resting on their laurels. They have started to discuss functionality issues, and aim to reach out to more local clinics for potential implementation. The team is also thrilled to have recently met the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies of South Africa, Mr. Solly Malatsi (watch the interview here). The meeting was a confidence booster for the team committed to developing a solution that will uplift the nation.
Looking ahead, the team’s aspirations for E-Kasi Care are focused on both local and continental growth. Once they achieve scalability within South Africa, the team aims to expand to the African continent. Mulisa expressed, “let’s help the African continent and advocate for technology use within the region.” Thirushan expands on the potential of their technology, explaining that “the scalability of the underlying technology is there to break into other medical fields, such as neonatal care.” With their innovative approach and ambitious vision, E-Kasi Care team is poised to revolutionise healthcare in Africa and beyond.
Meet E-Kasi Care
Charné Scholtz – Financial Analyst
Fanelesibonge Mbuyazi – Full Stack Software Engineer
Mulisa Mavhina – Software Engineer
Ntsako Sithole – User Behaviour & Market Analyst
Reabetswe Malatji – Project Manager
Thirushan Pather – Lead AI Developer & Engineer
Vuyisamaswazi Shabalala – Data Engineer
Blog Contributor
Ting Ting Liew, Interviewer/Writer
Ting Ting is passionate about social impact, innovation, business development, and the nexus among these three areas. She was previously a Business Partner in Enterprise Singapore, a government agency that champions enterprise growth. Ting Ting graduated from the National University of Singapore with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Social Work. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at Yenching Academy, Peking University. She is currently working on her thesis regarding the development of social entrepreneurship in China. During her free time, you can catch Ting Ting running, doing aerial yoga, or finding the best dessert in town!
