Former GovChat duo creates AI health chatbot

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer
Johannesburg, 05 Jun 2024
Eldrid Jordaan, co-founder and CEO of Suppple.
Eldrid Jordaan, co-founder and CEO of Suppple.

GovChat founder Eldrid Jordaan’s new company Suppple has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) health chatbot. The bot was announced at Africa Health ExCon in Egypt this week.

According to a company statement, the chatbot will provide digital healthcare assistance to all 54 African Union (AU) member states.

It learns from the inputs it receives from users, notes Suppple. The chatbot aims to be a tool for local healthcare and regulatory bodies in Africa, by leveraging the data provided by individuals to track and trace any regional outbreaks or hotspots where infections may be spreading.

“The AI health bot will transform how we respond to healthcare crises in Africa through its data-sharing capabilities,” says Jordaan, Suppple co-founder and CEO.

“It can provide public and private stakeholders with access to healthcare data in real-time − offering a centralised dashboard of information to any government official or healthcare administrator in Africa.

“Innovation and technology can play a strategic role in shaping the future of healthcare in Africa, and we are delighted to provide real-time data analytics with the AU and the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.”

Jordaan and Goitse Konopi, former CEO and chief data officer of citizen engagement platform GovChat, announced their new business venture in April last year.

They have developed a chatbot, API and data visualisation platform designed to assist businesses, governments and large institutions to digitise and automate their workflows.

The company – with origins in Cape Town – is incorporated and registered in the UK. Last month,it announced its provisional listing on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, marking a step in its journey towards further expansion and growth.