South Africa installs 20th da Vinci surgical system, marking a decade-long milestone in robotic-assisted surgery across 18,700 procedures

More than a decade of development, increasing procedure volumes and an expanding community of trained surgeons mark a significant chapter in robotic-assisted surgery in South Africa.

Johannesburg, South Africa - 29 September  2026 -South Africa has reached a significant milestone in robotic-assisted surgery with the installation of the country’s 20th da Vinci surgical system, marking another important point in a journey spanning more than a decade.

The milestone reflects the continued expansion of da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery in South Africa and the clinical experience, surgeon expertise, training and healthcare infrastructure that have developed around the technology.

Today, over 18,700 da Vinci robotic-assisted procedures have been performed in South Africa, with over 110 surgeons trained in da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery including local proctors in urology, colorectal and gynaecology.

An established robotic-assisted surgery footprint

Over more than a decade, da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery has developed an established presence within South African healthcare, expanding across healthcare facilities and a broad range of surgical specialties.

The da Vinci Surgical System is a surgeon-controlled robotic platform designed to enable minimally invasive surgery, combining high-definition 3D vision with wristed instrumentation and technologies designed to enhance dexterity, control and precision during surgery.

Today, da Vinci technology supports procedures across a range of surgical specialties in South Africa, including urology, gynaecology, general surgery, colorectal surgery, cardiothoracic surgery and bariatric surgery.

These include procedures in urology such as prostatectomy, pyeloplasty cystectomy, partial nephrectomy, as well as colorectal colon and rectum resections and gynaecological procedures (benign and malignant hysterectomy, endometriosis and fibroids (myomectomy), general surgery (ventral hernias) demonstrating the breadth of applications for robotic-assisted surgery across different areas of surgical care.

Extending robotic-assisted surgery into public healthcare

An important chapter in South Africa’s da Vinci journey has been the introduction of robotic-assisted surgery into the public healthcare sector.

In 2021, da Vinci Xi Surgical Systems were introduced into the Western Cape public healthcare sector at two public hospitals, extending access to robotic-assisted surgery beyond the private healthcare environment. In February 2022, South Africa’s first public-sector da Vinci robotic-assisted procedure was performed.

Since then, the two public-sector programmes have collectively performed over 1,600 robotic-assisted procedures, with the programmes expanding across colorectal surgery, urology and gynaecology.

The scope of robotic-assisted surgery within the public sector has also continued to advance. In 2025, South Africa’s first robotic living-donor nephrectomy was performed at Tygerberg Hospital, marking another development in the country’s public-sector robotic surgery programme. Groote Schuur Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital both offer the above-mentioned robotic procedures and more.

These developments reflect not only increasing procedure volumes, but the continued development of robotic-assisted surgical capability and expertise within South Africa’s public healthcare system.

Building South African expertise

As the number of systems and procedures has grown, so too has the focus on developing local surgical expertise.

In 2025, South Africa’s first Robotic-Assisted Surgery Training Centre was launched at the University of Pretoria through a collaboration between Intuitive, Medhold Medical and the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Faculty of Veterinary Science.

The centre provides simulation-based and hands-on robotic-assisted surgery training using da Vinci technology, giving South African surgeons access to specialised training locally and supporting the continued development of robotic-assisted surgical skills in the country.

The development of local training capability represents another important step in building a sustainable robotic-assisted surgery ecosystem. Advanced technology is only one part of that equation. Developing surgeon skills, supporting surgical teams and building the expertise required to establish and maintain successful robotic-assisted surgery programmes are equally important.

“Reaching 20 da Vinci systems is an incredibly meaningful milestone for robotic-assisted surgery in South Africa,” says Lebo Selloane, Business Unit Manager: da Vinci Robotics Division at Medhold Medical.

 “For me, its significance lies in the people behind that number: the surgeons investing in their skills, the teams building sustainable programmes, and, above all, the patients whose lives we have positively impacted. Every procedure represents a person, a family and the hope of recovery. As our local expertise grows, so does the opportunity to bring robotic-assisted surgery to more patients. It has been a privilege to help shape this journey, and I am excited about what we can achieve next. We are proud of the role Medhold continues to play in supporting that journey.”

A South African milestone within a global journey

South Africa’s 20-system milestone forms part of a much larger global da Vinci story.

By September 2026, more than 21 million patients worldwide had undergone procedures using da Vinci surgical systems, while more than 3.1 million da Vinci procedures were performed globally during 2025 alone.

Against this global backdrop, South Africa has continued to develop its own increasingly established robotic-assisted surgery footprint - through increasing procedure volumes, an expanding community of trained surgeons, expansion into public healthcare, local training infrastructure and now 20 da Vinci Surgical Systems in the country.

Experience behind the numbers

For Medhold Medical, the significance of 20 extends well beyond the systems themselves. The development of robotic-assisted surgery programmes across South African healthcare facilities, the expansion of da Vinci into public healthcare and the establishment of local training capability.

As the exclusive authorised distributor of da Vinci Surgical Systems in South Africa, Medhold supports healthcare facilities and surgical teams across the country in establishing and developing their da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery programmes, providing clinical and technical training, service and ongoing support.

Together, these developments reflect an increasingly established robotic-assisted surgery ecosystem in South Africa – one built around advanced technology, clinical experience, expertise, education and ongoing support.

20 systems. More than a decade of progress. And a journey that continues.

da Vinci is proudly distributed in South Africa by Medhold Medical.