In 2024, the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) fell victim to a devastating cyberattack. Less than a year later, Dr Sylvia Sathekge stepped into the role of CIO, a move carrying significant responsibility.
“My transition to the NHLS is deeply personal. I come from a family dedicated to medical service, from my mother, who served as a nurse, to my siblings and their children. This multi-generational legacy instilled in me a profound ‘countryman consciousness’ and a sense of duty to South Africa. It drives my passion to ensure that tech-enabled healthcare reaches every citizen, honouring the spirit of service I witnessed at home, she explains.
Sylvia notes that she didn’t quite comprehend the vastness of the organisation when she initially took on the role. “The NHLS is big! Before joining it I didn’t fully comprehend the vast impact the company played in the medical field of South Africa,” Sylvia adds.
And perhaps most citizens in South Africa don’t realise the role it plays either. The NHLS, a Schedule 3A public entity, provides quality, affordable diagnostic pathology services, teaching and training, and research through a national network of approximately 233 laboratories and specialised institutes. It serves over 85 percent of South Africans and includes the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH), Forensic Chemistry Labs, and South African Vaccine Producers (SAVP). The organisation is often described as the brains behind the doctor.
She currently leads a dynamic team of 142 people and describes her leadership style as grounded in an open-door policy. In the short time of her tenure, she prides herself in having developed an IT strategy and getting it approved where the organisation did not have one before.
Transitioning from the private to the public sector necessitated a shift in operational pace, particularly regarding procurement. “In the private sector the wheel turns much faster. In the public sector it can be slower, however, I view these processes as essential guardrails that ensure our spend contributes meaningfully to the broader South African economy,” she says.
Making cybersecurity everyone’s business
Following the ransomware attack, the NHLS took immediate strategic action, disconnecting all systems to effectively curb the impact and contain the threat. This decisive isolation was a critical step in the recovery protocol. Sylvia does, however, drop in the disclaimer: “It is vital to note that despite the severity of the breach, our security layers successfully ensured that patient data integrity remained uncompromised.”
While the NHLS is still in its recovery phase, Sylvia has also led the launch of the organisation’s first-ever IT Cyber Day in October 2025 which she describes as a huge success. To make it more personal and practical, suppliers were invited to interact with teams with relevant cyber training also taking place on the day.
With 8,000 employees, and 16,000 users nationwide, the risk is significant hence Sylvia has instituted 10-minutes of mandatory monthly cybersecurity training for internal users.
As ransomware attacks continue to be on the rise globally, she cautions other CIOs not to underestimate the aftermath of a cyberattack and the regulatory requirements involved, stating that studies reveal that it can take 18-24 months to fully recover after a cyberattack.
Creating and living a full life
Sylvia describes herself as an eternal student and has continued to pursue formal education in some form since high school. Her current quest is a BCom law. Now in her third year, she is deepening her expertise in the legal dimensions of AI, machine learning and data privacy.
“When you stop learning you become irrelevant and I do it as a hobby,” she laughs. “I want to empower myself to be able to navigate the intersection of technology, law and ethics, particularly in the age of AI where the lines of accountability can become blurred.”
She also loves a great game of golf and even keeps a golf putting green in her office to help her unwind on busy days.
When she’s not being a mother to her children and CIO of the NHLS, Sylvia is a professor of practice at the University of Johannesburg, a role that is aimed at bridging the gap between academia and real-world application. She is also passionate about advancing women in Stem through her involvement in CodeGirls, an NPO supporting and encouraging young girls to enter the tech sector.
Beyond recovery, Sylvia and her team continue to focus on innovation while strengthening cyber resilience. The NHLS is rolling out a digital pathology solution to improve efficiency and quality of care.
She also issues a call for stronger digital representation at board level. “Governance structures must evolve. While boards traditionally rely on the CEO and CFO, we must now advocate for the third seat for the CIO as an executive director. In a world where technology is a non-negotiable strategic pillar, our cohort must lead this shift to ensure future-proof corporate governance,” she concludes.
