Abstract
The purpose of this article is to explore the challenges facing the rural health sector in South Africa and how the introduction of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies can assist in resolving some of these problems. While the 4IR has many potential technologies to improve the public health sector in South Africa, it also reveals many challenges facing the country and the governmental organisations responsible for delivering public services and the implementation of government programmes. South Africa’s public health service delivery and its health outcomes have been poor, if not critical, for many years. With the country’s under-resourced and overburdened healthcare systems, there is a chance to take advantage of the 4IR technologies to try and improve health service delivery in rural areas of South Africa. The aim of this article was to assess the challenges faced by the South African government in its attempt to use 4IR technologies to improve rural health systems. The article used a qualitative research approach based on the document review method using the desktop method. Despite the perceived benefits of the new technologies to improve healthcare services in South Africa, there is still a lack of human and material resources to execute the technological advancements in rural areas. The study showed that some of the biggest challenges faced by the South African government include lack of infrastructure, underfunding, and lack of skills for new technologies. Recommendations were made to create awareness and equip the health workforce with skills for new technologies.