Details of the Archbishop’s condition remain unclear, although well wishers have been heading online to wish him a speedy recovery.
The 83-year-old was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1997, subsequently becoming a patron on the South African Prostate Cancer Foundation.
As a baby, Archbishop Tutu survived and illness thought to be polio, and in his teenage years battled tuberculosis.
Although he retired from public life in 2011, making the announcement on the day he turned 79, he continues to travel and make occasional public appearances.