Another famous South African made a massive contribution to the modern medicine. Together with a British engineer Godfrey Hounsfield, in 1972 South Africa-born physicist Allan Cormack invented computed tomography, also known as a CT or CAT scan. The first CAT scanners, installed in 1974, were designed for head imaging only, but only couple of years later "whole body" systems also became available.

Scanners use special x-ray equipment for detection of a variety of diseases and conditions, thus enabling timely and precise treatments capable of saving lives. Godfrey Hounsfield and SA's own Allan Cormack were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this valuable contribution to medicine and science.