ABSTRACT
This scoping review synthesises evidence on mHealth in South Africa specifically related to the use and application of mobile technology, the population groups targeted, and the health outcomes measured. Three scholarly databases were searched, data was extracted using standard scoping review methods. Of 287 peer-reviewed articles, 36 articles meeting inclusion criteria were analysed. Mobile applications and short-messaging services were the primary technologies employed by mHealth interventions which increasingly incorporates bi-directional communication. Published research has increased since 2016 with the majority of studies carried out in three provinces, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng. This paper provides an overview of mHealth in South Africa with recommendations for mHealth integration into private and public healthcare.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Note: Lahti et al. (Citation2020) sampled from three provinces and Leon et al. (Citation2012) sampled from two provinces. This is why the number of studies per provinces sums to n = 39 not n = 36.
2 See Adeagbo et al., Citation2018; Barron et al., Citation2016; Cilliers et al., Citation2018; Clouse et al., Citation2020; Gous et al., Citation2020; Kauta et al., Citation2020; Leon et al., Citation2012; Lindberg et al., Citation2019; Mainoti et al., Citation2019; Maraba et al., Citation2018; Momberg et al., Citation2016; Neupane et al., Citation2014; Odendaal et al., Citation2020; Seebregts et al., Citation2018; Spence et al., Citation2016; Thomsen et al., Citation2016; van der Merwe & Grobbelaar, Citation2018; van Heerden et al., Citation2013, Citation2017; Waldman & Stevens, Citation2015; Weimann & Stuttaford, Citation2014.
3 See Adeagbo et al., Citation2018; Adesina et al., Citation2014; Barron et al., Citation2016; Clouse et al., Citation2020; Coleman et al., Citation2020a, Citation2020b; Comulada et al., Citation2019; DiAndreth et al., Citation2019; Engelhard et al., Citation2018; Maraba et al., Citation2018; Neupane et al., Citation2014; Odendaal et al., Citation2020; Seebregts et al., Citation2018.
5 See Adesina et al., Citation2014; Elisa, Citation2018; Gous et al., Citation2020; Kauta et al., Citation2020; Lahti et al., Citation2020; Leon et al., Citation2012; Lindberg et al., Citation2019; Momberg et al., Citation2016; Spence et al., Citation2016; Ruxwana et al., Citation2014; Tsai et al., Citation2014; van Heerden et al., Citation2013; van Heerden et al., Citation2017; Visser et al., Citation2020; Weimann & Stuttaford, Citation2014.
6 See Adeagbo et al. Citation2018; Barron et al., Citation2016; Clouse et al., Citation2020; Mainoti et al., Citation2019; Maraba et al., Citation2018; Mahomed, Citation2018; Neupane et al., Citation2014; Odendaal et al., Citation2020; Seebregts et al., Citation2018; van der Merwe & Grobbelaar, Citation2018; Waldman & Stevens, Citation2015; Watkins et al., Citation2018.
Lahti, M, Groen, G, Mwape, L, Korhonen, J, Breet, E, Chapima, F, Coetzee, M, Ellilä, H, Jansen, R, Jonker, D & Joerns-Presentati, A, 2020. Design and development process of a youth depression screening m-Health application for primary health care workers in South Africa and Zambia: An overview of the MEGA project. Issues in Mental Health Nursing 41(1), 24–30. Leon, N, Schneider, H & Daviaud, E, 2012. Applying a framework for assessing the health system challenges to scaling up mHealth in South Africa. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 12(1), 123. Adeagbo, O, Herbst, C, Blandford, A, McKendry, R, Estcourt, C, Seeley, J & Shahmanesh, M, 2018. Exploring people’s candidacy for mobile health-supported HIV testing and care services in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Qualitative study. Journal of Medical Internet Research 21(11), e15681. Barron, P, Pillay, Y, Fernandes, A, Sebidi, J & Allen, R, 2016. The MomConnect mHealth initiative in South Africa: Early impact on the supply side of MCH services. Journal of Public Health Policy 37(2), 201–212. Cilliers, L, Viljoen, KLA & Chinyamurindi, WT, 2018. A study on students’ acceptance of mobile phone use to seek health information in South Africa. Health Information Management Journal 47(2), 59–69. Clouse, K, Phillips, TK, Camlin, C, Noholoza, S, Mogoba, P, Naidoo, J, Langford, R, Weiss, M, Seebregts, CJ & Myer, L, 2020. Careconekta: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a mobile health intervention to improve engagement in postpartum HIV care in South Africa. Trials 21(1), 1–12. Gous, N, Fischer, AE, Rhagnath, N, Phatsoane, M, Majam, M & Lalla-Edward, ST, 2020. Evaluation of a mobile application to support HIV self-testing in Johannesburg, South Africa. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine 21(1), 1–7. Kauta, NJ, Groenewald, J, Arnolds, D, Blankson, B, Omar, A, Naidu, P, Naidoo, M & Chu, KM, 2020. Whatsapp mobile health platform to support fracture management by non-specialists in South Africa. Journal of the American College of Surgeons 230(1), 37–42. Leon, N, Schneider, H & Daviaud, E, 2012. Applying a framework for assessing the health system challenges to scaling up mHealth in South Africa. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 12(1), 123. Lindberg, M, Rosborg, S, Ramukumba, MM & Hägglund, M, 2019. Adapting mHealth to workflow–case study in South Africa. Context Sensitive Health Informatics: Sustainability in Dynamic Ecosystems 265, 48. Mainoti, GF, Isabirye, N & Cilliers, L, 2019. Trust attributes of mobile applications for improved self-management of diabetes in South Africa. South African Journal of Information Management 21(1), 1–7. Maraba, N, Hoffmann, CJ, Chihota, VN, Chang, LW, Ismail, N, Candy, S, Madibogo, E, Katzwinkel, M, Churchyard, GJ & McCarthy, K, 2018. Using mHealth to improve tuberculosis case identification and treatment initiation in South Africa: Results from a pilot study. PloS One 13(7), e0199687. Momberg, M, Harries, J & Constant, D, 2016. Self-assessment of eligibility for early medical abortion using m-Health to calculate gestational age in Cape Town, South Africa: A feasibility pilot study. Reproductive Health 13(1), 40. Neupane, S, Odendaal, W, Friedman, I, Jassat, W, Schneider, H & Doherty, T, 2014. Comparing a paper based monitoring and evaluation system to a mHealth system to support the national community health worker programme, South Africa: An evaluation. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 14(1), 69. Odendaal, W, Lewin, S, McKinstry, B, Tomlinson, M, Jordaan, E, Mazinu, M, Haig, P, Thorson, A & Atkins, S, 2020. Using a mHealth system to recall and refer existing clients and refer community members with health concerns to primary healthcare facilities in South Africa: A feasibility study. Global Health Action 13(1), 1717410. Seebregts, C, Dane, P, Parsons, AN, Fogwill, T, Rogers, D, Bekker, M, Shaw, V & Barron, P, 2018. Designing for scale: Optimising the health information system architecture for mobile maternal health messaging in South Africa (MomConnect). BMJ Global Health 3(2), e000563. Spence, RT, Zargaran, E, Hameed, SM, Navsaria, P & Nicol, A, 2016. Mobile health technology transforms injury severity scoring in South Africa. Journal of Surgical Research 204(2), 384–392. Thomsen, SC, Skinner, D, Toefy, Y, Esterhuizen, T, McCaul, M, Petzold, M & Diwan, V, 2016. Voice-message–based mHealth intervention to reduce postoperative penetrative sex in recipients of voluntary medical male circumcision in the Western Cape, South Africa: Protocol of a randomized controlled trial. JMIR Research Protocols 5(3), e155. van der Merwe, E & Grobbelaar, SS, 2018. Systemic policy instruments for inclusive innovation systems: Case study of a maternal mHealth project in South Africa. African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development 10(6), 665–682. van Heerden, A, Norris, S, Tollman, S, Richter, L & Rotheram-Borus, MJ, 2013. Collecting maternal health information from HIV-positive pregnant women using mobile phone-assisted face-to-face interviews in Southern Africa. Journal of Medical Internet Research 15(6), e116. van Heerden, A, Harris, DM, van Rooyen, H, Barnabas, RV, Ramanathan, N, Ngcobo, N, Mpiyakhe, Z & Comulada, WS, 2017. Perceived mHealth barriers and benefits for home-based HIV testing and counseling and other care: Qualitative findings from health officials, community health workers, and persons living with HIV in South Africa. Social Science & Medicine 183, 97–105. Waldman, L & Stevens, M, 2015. Sexual and reproductive health and rights and mHealth in policy and practice in South Africa. Reproductive Health Matters 23(45), 93–102. Weimann, E & Stuttaford, MC, 2014. Consumers’ perspectives on national health insurance in South Africa: Using a mobile health approach. JMIR mHealth and UHealth 2(4), e49. Adeagbo, O, Herbst, C, Blandford, A, McKendry, R, Estcourt, C, Seeley, J & Shahmanesh, M, 2018. Exploring people’s candidacy for mobile health-supported HIV testing and care services in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Qualitative study. Journal of Medical Internet Research 21(11), e15681. Adesina, AO, Agbele, KK, Abidoye, AP & Nyongesa, HO, 2014. Text messaging and retrieval techniques for a mobile health information system. Journal of Information Science 40(6), 736–748. Barron, P, Pillay, Y, Fernandes, A, Sebidi, J & Allen, R, 2016. The MomConnect mHealth initiative in South Africa: Early impact on the supply side of MCH services. Journal of Public Health Policy 37(2), 201–212. Clouse, K, Phillips, TK, Camlin, C, Noholoza, S, Mogoba, P, Naidoo, J, Langford, R, Weiss, M, Seebregts, CJ & Myer, L, 2020. Careconekta: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a mobile health intervention to improve engagement in postpartum HIV care in South Africa. Trials 21(1), 1–12. Coleman, J, Eriksen, J, Black, V, Thorson, A, & Hatcher, A, 2020a. The Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action Text Message–Based mHealth Intervention for Maternal Care in South Africa: Qualitative User Study. JMIR human factors, 7(2), e14078. Coleman, J, Eriksen, J, Black, V, Thorson, A, & Hatcher, A, 2020b. The Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action Text Message–Based mHealth Intervention for Maternal Care in South Africa: Qualitative User Study. JMIR human factors 7(2), e14078. Comulada, WS, Wynn, A, van Rooyen, H, Barnabas, RV, Eashwari, R & van Heerden, A, 2019. Using mHealth to deliver a home-based testing and counseling program to improve linkage to care and ART adherence in rural South Africa. Prevention Science 20(1), 126–136. DiAndreth, L, Krishnan, N, Elf, JL, Cox, S, Tilchin, C, Nthulana, M, Jarrett, B, Kronis, N, Dupuis, E, Motlhaoleng, K & Chon, S, 2019. Formative research for an mHealth program to improve the HIV care continuum in South Africa. AIDS Care, 32(6), 1–5. Engelhard, M, Copley, C, Watson, J, Pillay, Y, Barron, P & LeFevre, AE, 2018. Optimising mhealth helpdesk responsiveness in South Africa: Towards automated message triage. BMJ Global Health 3(2), e000567. Maraba, N, Hoffmann, CJ, Chihota, VN, Chang, LW, Ismail, N, Candy, S, Madibogo, E, Katzwinkel, M, Churchyard, GJ & McCarthy, K, 2018. Using mHealth to improve tuberculosis case identification and treatment initiation in South Africa: Results from a pilot study. PloS One 13(7), e0199687. Neupane, S, Odendaal, W, Friedman, I, Jassat, W, Schneider, H & Doherty, T, 2014. Comparing a paper based monitoring and evaluation system to a mHealth system to support the national community health worker programme, South Africa: An evaluation. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 14(1), 69. Odendaal, W, Lewin, S, McKinstry, B, Tomlinson, M, Jordaan, E, Mazinu, M, Haig, P, Thorson, A & Atkins, S, 2020. Using a mHealth system to recall and refer existing clients and refer community members with health concerns to primary healthcare facilities in South Africa: A feasibility study. Global Health Action 13(1), 1717410. Seebregts, C, Dane, P, Parsons, AN, Fogwill, T, Rogers, D, Bekker, M, Shaw, V & Barron, P, 2018. Designing for scale: Optimising the health information system architecture for mobile maternal health messaging in South Africa (MomConnect). BMJ Global Health 3(2), e000563. Coleman, J, Eriksen, J, Black, V, Thorson, A, & Hatcher, A, 2020a. The Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action Text Message–Based mHealth Intervention for Maternal Care in South Africa: Qualitative User Study. JMIR human factors, 7(2), e14078. Coleman, J, Eriksen, J, Black, V, Thorson, A, & Hatcher, A, 2020b. The Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action Text Message–Based mHealth Intervention for Maternal Care in South Africa: Qualitative User Study. JMIR human factors 7(2), e14078. Comulada, WS, Wynn, A, van Rooyen, H, Barnabas, RV, Eashwari, R & van Heerden, A, 2019. Using mHealth to deliver a home-based testing and counseling program to improve linkage to care and ART adherence in rural South Africa. Prevention Science 20(1), 126–136. DiAndreth, L, Krishnan, N, Elf, JL, Cox, S, Tilchin, C, Nthulana, M, Jarrett, B, Kronis, N, Dupuis, E, Motlhaoleng, K & Chon, S, 2019. Formative research for an mHealth program to improve the HIV care continuum in South Africa. AIDS Care, 32(6), 1–5. Engelhard, M, Copley, C, Watson, J, Pillay, Y, Barron, P & LeFevre, AE, 2018. Optimising mhealth helpdesk responsiveness in South Africa: Towards automated message triage. BMJ Global Health 3(2), e000567. LeFevre, A, Cabrera-Escobar, MA, Mohan, D, Eriksen, J, Rogers, D, Parsons, AN, Barre, I, Jo, Y, Labrique, A & Coleman, J, 2018a. Forecasting the value for money of mobile maternal health information messages on improving utilization of maternal and child health services in Gauteng, South Africa: Cost-effectiveness analysis. JMIR mHealth and UHealth 6(7), e153. LeFevre, AE, Dane, P, Copley, CJ, Pienaar, C, Parsons, AN, Engelhard, M, Woods, D, Bekker, M, Benjamin, P, Pillay, Y & Barron, P, 2018b. Unpacking the performance of a mobile health information messaging program for mothers (MomConnect) in South Africa: Evidence on program reach and messaging exposure. BMJ Global Health 3(2), e000583. Thomsen, SC, Skinner, D, Toefy, Y, Esterhuizen, T, McCaul, M, Petzold, M & Diwan, V, 2016. Voice-message–based mHealth intervention to reduce postoperative penetrative sex in recipients of voluntary medical male circumcision in the Western Cape, South Africa: Protocol of a randomized controlled trial. JMIR Research Protocols 5(3), e155. Adesina, AO, Agbele, KK, Abidoye, AP & Nyongesa, HO, 2014. Text messaging and retrieval techniques for a mobile health information system. Journal of Information Science 40(6), 736–748. Elisa, N, 2018. Could machine learning be used to address Africa’s challenges? International Journal of Computer Applications 180(18), 0975–8887. Gous, N, Fischer, AE, Rhagnath, N, Phatsoane, M, Majam, M & Lalla-Edward, ST, 2020. Evaluation of a mobile application to support HIV self-testing in Johannesburg, South Africa. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine 21(1), 1–7. Kauta, NJ, Groenewald, J, Arnolds, D, Blankson, B, Omar, A, Naidu, P, Naidoo, M & Chu, KM, 2020. Whatsapp mobile health platform to support fracture management by non-specialists in South Africa. Journal of the American College of Surgeons 230(1), 37–42. Lahti, M, Groen, G, Mwape, L, Korhonen, J, Breet, E, Chapima, F, Coetzee, M, Ellilä, H, Jansen, R, Jonker, D & Joerns-Presentati, A, 2020. Design and development process of a youth depression screening m-Health application for primary health care workers in South Africa and Zambia: An overview of the MEGA project. Issues in Mental Health Nursing 41(1), 24–30. Leon, N, Schneider, H & Daviaud, E, 2012. Applying a framework for assessing the health system challenges to scaling up mHealth in South Africa. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 12(1), 123. Lindberg, M, Rosborg, S, Ramukumba, MM & Hägglund, M, 2019. Adapting mHealth to workflow–case study in South Africa. Context Sensitive Health Informatics: Sustainability in Dynamic Ecosystems 265, 48. Momberg, M, Harries, J & Constant, D, 2016. Self-assessment of eligibility for early medical abortion using m-Health to calculate gestational age in Cape Town, South Africa: A feasibility pilot study. Reproductive Health 13(1), 40. Spence, RT, Zargaran, E, Hameed, SM, Navsaria, P & Nicol, A, 2016. Mobile health technology transforms injury severity scoring in South Africa. Journal of Surgical Research 204(2), 384–392. Ruxwana, N, Herselman, M & Pottas, D, 2014. A generic quality assurance model (GQAM) for successful e-health implementation in rural hospitals in South Africa. Health Information Management Journal 43(1), 26–36. Tsai, AC, Tomlinson, M, Dewing, S, Le Roux, IM, Harwood, JM, Chopra, M & Rotheram-Borus, MJ, 2014. Antenatal depression case finding by community health workers in South Africa: Feasibility of a mobile phone application. Archives of Women’s Mental Health 17(5), 423–431. van Heerden, A, Norris, S, Tollman, S, Richter, L & Rotheram-Borus, MJ, 2013. Collecting maternal health information from HIV-positive pregnant women using mobile phone-assisted face-to-face interviews in Southern Africa. Journal of Medical Internet Research 15(6), e116. van Heerden, A, Harris, DM, van Rooyen, H, Barnabas, RV, Ramanathan, N, Ngcobo, N, Mpiyakhe, Z & Comulada, WS, 2017. Perceived mHealth barriers and benefits for home-based HIV testing and counseling and other care: Qualitative findings from health officials, community health workers, and persons living with HIV in South Africa. Social Science & Medicine 183, 97–105. Visser, M, Kotze, M & van Rensburg, MJ, 2020. An mHealth HIV prevention programme for youth: Lessons learned from the iloveLife. mobi programme in South Africa. AIDS Care 32(Suppl. 2), 148–154. Weimann, E & Stuttaford, MC, 2014. Consumers’ perspectives on national health insurance in South Africa: Using a mobile health approach. JMIR mHealth and UHealth 2(4), e49. Adeagbo, O, Herbst, C, Blandford, A, McKendry, R, Estcourt, C, Seeley, J & Shahmanesh, M, 2018. Exploring people’s candidacy for mobile health-supported HIV testing and care services in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Qualitative study. Journal of Medical Internet Research 21(11), e15681. Barron, P, Pillay, Y, Fernandes, A, Sebidi, J & Allen, R, 2016. The MomConnect mHealth initiative in South Africa: Early impact on the supply side of MCH services. Journal of Public Health Policy 37(2), 201–212. Clouse, K, Phillips, TK, Camlin, C, Noholoza, S, Mogoba, P, Naidoo, J, Langford, R, Weiss, M, Seebregts, CJ & Myer, L, 2020. Careconekta: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a mobile health intervention to improve engagement in postpartum HIV care in South Africa. Trials 21(1), 1–12. Mainoti, GF, Isabirye, N & Cilliers, L, 2019. Trust attributes of mobile applications for improved self-management of diabetes in South Africa. South African Journal of Information Management 21(1), 1–7. Maraba, N, Hoffmann, CJ, Chihota, VN, Chang, LW, Ismail, N, Candy, S, Madibogo, E, Katzwinkel, M, Churchyard, GJ & McCarthy, K, 2018. Using mHealth to improve tuberculosis case identification and treatment initiation in South Africa: Results from a pilot study. PloS One 13(7), e0199687. Mahomed, S, 2018. Healthcare, artificial intelligence and the fourth industrial revolution: Ethical, social and legal considerations. South African Journal of Bioethics and Law 11(2), 93–95. Neupane, S, Odendaal, W, Friedman, I, Jassat, W, Schneider, H & Doherty, T, 2014. Comparing a paper based monitoring and evaluation system to a mHealth system to support the national community health worker programme, South Africa: An evaluation. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 14(1), 69. Odendaal, W, Lewin, S, McKinstry, B, Tomlinson, M, Jordaan, E, Mazinu, M, Haig, P, Thorson, A & Atkins, S, 2020. Using a mHealth system to recall and refer existing clients and refer community members with health concerns to primary healthcare facilities in South Africa: A feasibility study. Global Health Action 13(1), 1717410. Seebregts, C, Dane, P, Parsons, AN, Fogwill, T, Rogers, D, Bekker, M, Shaw, V & Barron, P, 2018. Designing for scale: Optimising the health information system architecture for mobile maternal health messaging in South Africa (MomConnect). BMJ Global Health 3(2), e000563. van der Merwe, E & Grobbelaar, SS, 2018. Systemic policy instruments for inclusive innovation systems: Case study of a maternal mHealth project in South Africa. African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development 10(6), 665–682. Waldman, L & Stevens, M, 2015. Sexual and reproductive health and rights and mHealth in policy and practice in South Africa. Reproductive Health Matters 23(45), 93–102. Watkins, JOTA, Goudge, J, Gómez-Olivé, FX & Griffiths, F, 2018. Mobile phone use among patients and health workers to enhance primary healthcare: A qualitative study in rural South Africa. Social Science & Medicine 198, 139–147. Adeagbo, O, Herbst, C, Blandford, A, McKendry, R, Estcourt, C, Seeley, J & Shahmanesh, M, 2018. Exploring people’s candidacy for mobile health-supported HIV testing and care services in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Qualitative study. Journal of Medical Internet Research 21(11), e15681. DiAndreth, L, Krishnan, N, Elf, JL, Cox, S, Tilchin, C, Nthulana, M, Jarrett, B, Kronis, N, Dupuis, E, Motlhaoleng, K & Chon, S, 2019. Formative research for an mHealth program to improve the HIV care continuum in South Africa. AIDS Care, 32(6), 1–5. Kauta, NJ, Groenewald, J, Arnolds, D, Blankson, B, Omar, A, Naidu, P, Naidoo, M & Chu, KM, 2020. Whatsapp mobile health platform to support fracture management by non-specialists in South Africa. Journal of the American College of Surgeons 230(1), 37–42. Lahti, M, Groen, G, Mwape, L, Korhonen, J, Breet, E, Chapima, F, Coetzee, M, Ellilä, H, Jansen, R, Jonker, D & Joerns-Presentati, A, 2020. Design and development process of a youth depression screening m-Health application for primary health care workers in South Africa and Zambia: An overview of the MEGA project. Issues in Mental Health Nursing 41(1), 24–30. Odendaal, W, Lewin, S, McKinstry, B, Tomlinson, M, Jordaan, E, Mazinu, M, Haig, P, Thorson, A & Atkins, S, 2020. Using a mHealth system to recall and refer existing clients and refer community members with health concerns to primary healthcare facilities in South Africa: A feasibility study. Global Health Action 13(1), 1717410. Maraba, N, Hoffmann, CJ, Chihota, VN, Chang, LW, Ismail, N, Candy, S, Madibogo, E, Katzwinkel, M, Churchyard, GJ & McCarthy, K, 2018. Using mHealth to improve tuberculosis case identification and treatment initiation in South Africa: Results from a pilot study. PloS One 13(7), e0199687. Watkins, JOTA, Goudge, J, Gómez-Olivé, FX & Griffiths, F, 2018. Mobile phone use among patients and health workers to enhance primary healthcare: A qualitative study in rural South Africa. Social Science & Medicine 198, 139–147. Barron, P, Pillay, Y, Fernandes, A, Sebidi, J & Allen, R, 2016. The MomConnect mHealth initiative in South Africa: Early impact on the supply side of MCH services. Journal of Public Health Policy 37(2), 201–212. Clouse, K, Phillips, TK, Camlin, C, Noholoza, S, Mogoba, P, Naidoo, J, Langford, R, Weiss, M, Seebregts, CJ & Myer, L, 2020. Careconekta: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a mobile health intervention to improve engagement in postpartum HIV care in South Africa. Trials 21(1), 1–12. LeFevre, A, Cabrera-Escobar, MA, Mohan, D, Eriksen, J, Rogers, D, Parsons, AN, Barre, I, Jo, Y, Labrique, A & Coleman, J, 2018a. Forecasting the value for money of mobile maternal health information messages on improving utilization of maternal and child health services in Gauteng, South Africa: Cost-effectiveness analysis. JMIR mHealth and UHealth 6(7), e153. Adeagbo, O, Herbst, C, Blandford, A, McKendry, R, Estcourt, C, Seeley, J & Shahmanesh, M, 2018. Exploring people’s candidacy for mobile health-supported HIV testing and care services in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Qualitative study. Journal of Medical Internet Research 21(11), e15681. Cilliers, L, Viljoen, KLA & Chinyamurindi, WT, 2018. A study on students’ acceptance of mobile phone use to seek health information in South Africa. Health Information Management Journal 47(2), 59–69. Engelhard, M, Copley, C, Watson, J, Pillay, Y, Barron, P & LeFevre, AE, 2018. Optimising mhealth helpdesk responsiveness in South Africa: Towards automated message triage. BMJ Global Health 3(2), e000567. Gous, N, Fischer, AE, Rhagnath, N, Phatsoane, M, Majam, M & Lalla-Edward, ST, 2020. Evaluation of a mobile application to support HIV self-testing in Johannesburg, South Africa. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine 21(1), 1–7. Thomsen, SC, Skinner, D, Toefy, Y, Esterhuizen, T, McCaul, M, Petzold, M & Diwan, V, 2016. Voice-message–based mHealth intervention to reduce postoperative penetrative sex in recipients of voluntary medical male circumcision in the Western Cape, South Africa: Protocol of a randomized controlled trial. JMIR Research Protocols 5(3), e155. Visser, M, Kotze, M & van Rensburg, MJ, 2020. An mHealth HIV prevention programme for youth: Lessons learned from the iloveLife. mobi programme in South Africa. AIDS Care 32(Suppl. 2), 148–154. Waldman, L & Stevens, M, 2015. Sexual and reproductive health and rights and mHealth in policy and practice in South Africa. Reproductive Health Matters 23(45), 93–102.