A wholly black-owned South African technology company is set to launch an artificial intelligence-assisted digital health platform aimed at making it easier for patients to find healthcare providers and book appointments online.
Knockturnal, founded in 2019 by software engineer Moses Tjege, will launch its AI-powered healthcare platform, Hlokomela, at the end of August this year.
Tjege said the platform was designed to complement, rather than replace, practice receptionists by allowing patients to search for providers, view appointment availability and book consultations online around the clock. It also automates confirmations, reminders and rescheduling.
“Hlokomela is not designed to replace a practice’s secretary — it works alongside existing staff and, for smaller practices, fills a gap they can’t always afford to staff”,” he said.
Hlokomela, he said, adds a “digital front door”: existing and new patients can find the practice, see real-time availability and book at any hour without a phone call.
According to Tjege, the platform could reduce missed appointments through automated reminders, cut administrative work for practices and help smaller healthcare providers that cannot afford full-time reception staff.
“Patients pay nothing to search for providers and book appointments — access for the public is free.” Healthcare providers will pay a subscription that is designed to be well within reach of independent and small practices. Pricing has not yet been announced.
Tjege said that many medical practices still rely on paper diaries, telephone bookings and manual reminders, which can lead to missed appointments and communication errors.
Hlokomela aims to centralise booking information in real time so that patients, healthcare providers and healthcare providers and administrators have access to the same appointment information.
Tjege, who has a background in cloud software engineering and systems architecture, said the platform had been developed in consultation with healthcare providers to ensure it meets the needs of medical practices. “Building it in close partnership with providers is deliberate.”
The initial pilot programme will involve up to 500 providers who are licensed healthcare providers including general practitioners and specialists in private practice, along with allied practitioners such as psychologists, dentists and physiotherapists.
“We are starting with independent and small practices, where the platform’s benefits are most immediate. The pilot’s purpose is to validate Hlokomela in real-world settings and refine it before a broader rollout,” added Tjege.