Building Health Workforce Intelligence in South Africa
South Africa’s public health system serves a complex and high-demand population which needs a reliable, real-time view of the health workforce needed to meet this demand. Human resource data was fragmented across payroll, training, and administrative systems, with no single source of truth to inform planning, policy, or deployment decisions.
To solve this, HISP South Africa partnered with the National Department of Health and CDC under the PEPFAR program to design and implement a national Human Resource Information System (HRIS). This system would provide real-time visibility into the health workforce, support equitable distribution of personnel, and enable data-driven workforce planning aligned with the country’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and NHI goals.
The HRIS is now a critical pillar of South Africa’s digital health infrastructure powering workforce analytics, informing deployment decisions, and integrating with national systems like DHIS2 and HPRS.
Primary Goal
To develop a national digital platform that captures, aggregates, and analyses health workforce data for improved planning, monitoring, and equitable deployment.
Strategic Objectives
- Centralise data on health worker training, employment, facility assignment, and licensure
- Enable national and provincial departments to make evidence-based workforce decisions
- Use predictive analytics to anticipate shortages, surpluses, and training needs
- Support integration with other national systems, including DHIS2, HPRS, and NDoH dashboards
- Build institutional capacity to manage and sustain the system independently
Key Components & Approach
- Platform Development: HISP-SA designed the HRIS with modular integration to accommodate varied data sources (e.g., payroll, registrar data, training records).
- AI-Driven Analytics: Advanced algorithms were implemented to model staffing patterns, forecast HR gaps, and optimise workforce deployment across provinces.
- Data Visualisation: Custom dashboards were co-developed with NDoH to enable senior managers to access real-time insights by facility, district, or cadre.
- System Integration: The HRIS is interoperable with the DHIS2 platform and other digital health systems, ensuring consistency and continuity in reporting.
- Capacity Building: A national training program was rolled out to ensure provinces could manage and update their own data, with continuous technical support.
Achievements to Date
- National HRIS live across all provinces with facility-level data captured and standardised
- Improved workforce equity: Provinces can now assess over- and under-staffed facilities based on real data
- AI-powered modelling: Predictive features allow forward-looking planning based on retirements, resignations, and recruitment cycles
- Integrated into strategic dashboards used at ministerial level for HR planning and donor reporting
- Used during COVID-19: The HRIS was instrumental in tracking surge capacity, staffing shortfalls, and reassignments during pandemic response
Strategic Impact
- Efficiency: Reduced manual aggregation and duplicated data entry across systems
- Equity: Enabled more balanced deployment of health professionals based on need and geography
- Planning: Supported workforce strategy aligned with national health goals and budget cycles
- Sustainability: Designed for long-term use and local ownership, with ongoing capacity strengthening and embedded governance