Category: MIL-OSI

While South Africa has the scientific expertise to develop innovative pharmaceutical products, it needs stronger capabilities to take promising discoveries from the laboratory into clinical testing, manufacturing and ultimately into the hands of patients.

This was the message emerging from speakers at the launch of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) FuturePHARMA facility in Tshwane on Wednesday. The facility is positioned as a critical bridge between scientific discovery and a stronger local pharmaceutical industry. 

CSIR Group Executive for Advanced Chemistry and Life Sciences, Dr Rachel Chikwamba, said South Africa remains heavily dependent on imported active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), with about 98% of the APIs used to make medicines locally imported.

This, she said, leaves the country’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sector vulnerable to external shocks, inflation in input costs and fluctuations in foreign exchange. She added that South Africa has strong capabilities in early stage research, but these capabilities weaken when innovations need to be translated into products that can be scaled safely and efficiently.

“The vision of Future Pharma is to close the gap. How can we ignite a thriving, inclusive local pharmaceutical manufacturing industry?” Chikwamba said. 

The first phase of FuturePHARMA focused on building the translational capability needed to take research through product development and into clinical testing, while laying the foundation for increased local pharmaceutical manufacturing.

A second phase will focus on scaling these capabilities and developing strategic capacity to strengthen the healthcare system, meet day-to-day needs and improve preparedness for future pandemics.

Building the bridge from science to patients

Chikwamba said the facility will bring together the infrastructure, skills and expertise needed to support process development, product development, analytics, quality systems and regulatory development.

This will allow promising concepts and prototypes emerging from South Africa’s innovation ecosystem to progress towards clinical testing and, ultimately, full-scale manufacturing.

Chikwamba said the CSIR has drawn on lessons from more than two decades of investment in research and manufacturing infrastructure, including its experience in biomanufacturing.

The CSIR’s Biomanufacturing Industry Development Centre has demonstrated how infrastructure can be used to train a skilled workforce, while supporting the development of products, and services and growing the biotechnology industry.

The CSIR has subsequently been recognised by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention as a regional manufacturing capability and capacity development hub, while the World Health Organisation has designated it as an African biomanufacturing training hub. 

The facility will have two major capability areas. The first is a small-molecule product and process development facility, focusing on medicines, such as painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, through conventional batch chemistry, flow chemistry and biocatalysis, supported by digital capabilities. 

The second is a biopharmaceutical product and process development capability, which will focus on protein-based medicines and other biopharmaceuticals, including vaccines, pharmaceuticals and factors produced using plant systems, yeast expression systems and mammalian cell culture. 

Today’s launch programme included demonstrations of some of these capabilities, including small-molecule pilot products, giving guests an opportunity to see the infrastructure and technologies being developed at the facility.

Open-access platform for researchers and industry

Chikwamba said FuturePHARMA was designed as an open-access national capability rather than a facility intended solely for the CSIR.

“It is to ignite the system by availing these capabilities to our researchers in the universities, in other research councils and industry itself, so that they can take their products from just concepts into the clinic and beyond,” she said.

The facility is intended to support entrepreneurs and emerging businesses by providing access to infrastructure, technical expertise, regulatory support, skilled personnel and manufacturing capabilities without requiring them to make significant investments in their own facilities at the earliest stages of development.

Entrepreneurs will be able to test their ideas, establish whether products are viable, develop technology packages and produce initial runs for market testing.

They will also be connected to businesses, funders and other industry players.

Chikwamba said this model can help to create a pipeline of new pharmaceutical businesses, while developing the skilled workforce required by the growing African pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.

SAHPRA commits to enabling local production

For the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), FuturePHARMA represents an opportunity to strengthen the regulatory and manufacturing ecosystem supporting local production.

SAHPRA CEO Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela said local manufacturing is not simply an industrial objective but directly linked to access to medicines and health security.

“The COVID-19 pandemic … reminded us that countries and regions with limited manufacturing capacity can become vulnerable when global supply chains are disrupted,” she said. 

SAHPRA has adopted a policy position aimed at enabling local manufacturing, while maintaining the required standards for quality, safety and therapeutic efficacy.

Under a policy published in 2025, SAHPRA supports locally manufactured health products through shorter evaluation timeframes and reduced assessment fees, while maintaining rigorous regulatory standards.

Semete-Makokotlela said the regulator intends to work closely with the CSIR, as FuturePHARMA develops the regulatory authorisation required for its operations.

“We were able to demonstrate this as we supported the mRNA [messenger ribonucleic acid] vaccine manufacturing platform. We are here today to communicate our intention to the CSIR that we will partner with you, we will support you, and there will be a moment where we will wear the hat of [the] police (sic),” Semete-Makokotlela said. 

She said enabling local production cannot be achieved by the regulator alone and requires alignment between science, industry, financing, procurement, trade, health policy and regulation. 

This is particularly important against the backdrop of medicine shortages in South Africa, with patients sometimes unable to access medicines because of disruptions to global supply chains.

SAHPRA is already working with the CSIR and other national regulatory authorities on the continent through the regional biomanufacturing hub hosted by the CSIR. 

Semete-Makokotlela said the partnership will also extend to training regulators in small-molecule manufacturing, building on existing collaboration in biological products.

WHO backs stronger African manufacturing capacity

The World Health Organisation (WHO) representative to South Africa, Dr Shenaaz El-Halabi, said FuturePHARMA can help to address a longstanding challenge of translating scientific discoveries into medicines that are available, safe, effective and affordable.

She said the facility also supports Africa’s broader ambition to take greater responsibility for its health security.

“For a patient waiting for treatment, scientific progress means a medicine that is available when needed, safe and effective and affordable.”

El-Halabi said dependence on external supplies can leave countries vulnerable when global production is disrupted or international demand increases sharply, as experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She highlighted the importance of partnerships between government, research institutions, industry, regulators, health services and international organisations in building sustainable local production.

The WHO framework for strengthening local production of medicines, vaccines and other health technologies in the African Region for 2025 – 2035, calls for a holistic approach that includes research and development, innovation hubs, technology transfer and partnerships.

Under this approach, governments can align industrial development with public health priorities, research institutions can contribute discoveries and skills, industry can bring manufacturing expertise, while regulators ensure the quality and safety of products.

El-Halabi also highlighted the CSIR’s growing role in developing Africa’s biomanufacturing workforce.

“Sandbox” for preparedness

Looking ahead, Chikwamba described FuturePHARMA as a “sandbox”, a controlled environment where the country can test not only its ability to develop and manufacture safe products, but also the logistics, supply chains and technical systems needed to respond to health emergencies.

The facility will maintain active capabilities by producing products required by the innovation ecosystem and continually training its workforce.

This, she said, will ensure that the country does not only build infrastructure during a crisis, but maintains a ready capability before the next emergency occurs.

She said a maintained capability will allow the country to identify a threat, activate the necessary response, and mobilise the platform more rapidly.

“Our response rate will be faster. We will not be waiting in line … to get products from other [countries],” Chikwamba said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Public finance leaders and governance experts have called for stronger accountability, ethical leadership and innovation to rebuild public trust and strengthen the delivery of services in South Africa. 

The call was made at the 97th Annual Chartered Institute of Government Finance Audit and Risk Officers (CIGFARO) Conference, currently underway at Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban. 

Held under the theme: “Reimagining Public Finance Leadership for a Changing South Africa”, the three-day conference, which kicked off on Tuesday, brings together public sector leaders, finance professionals, governance experts, auditors, risk practitioners, policymakers, and strategic stakeholders from across South Africa to engage on the future of public finance leadership and institutional transformation. 

The conference also provides a dynamic platform for meaningful dialogue, collaboration and knowledge sharing on critical issues shaping the public sector landscape. 

CIGFARO President Louise Muller said the organisation remains committed to promoting ethical conduct, technical excellence and lifelong learning among professionals working in public finance. 

“CIGFARO has been a professional organisation, championing ethical conduct, technical excellence, and lifelong learning in a sector that is fundamental in South Africa’s democracy,” Muller said. 

Minister of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), Mzamo Buthelezi, told delegates that transparent and accurate financial reporting is essential to restoring confidence in public institutions.  

“Report honestly — your books must be clear. You will then have restored faith that public finance officials can be trusted. This is a history of stewardship, and this is how generations will judge you,” Buthelezi said. 

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Thulasizwe Buthelezi, said sound public finance management should translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives.

“When budgets are passed, it is our intention to make a tangible difference, uplift the vulnerable, drive economic growth, and make sure every rand is accounted for,” the MEC said. 

He called for agile, inclusive and data-driven approaches to public finance, with greater emphasis on long-term sustainability rather than short-term gains.

EThekwini Municipality Mayor Cyril Xaba said the conference theme reflects the challenges facing local government, where municipalities are expected to deliver services amid constrained resources, growing infrastructure demands, rising community expectations and financial pressures.

“Modern leadership must connect finance, infrastructure, technology, revenue management, and operations. Infrastructure is both balance sheet and street. Deterioration of municipal assets is a financial and service-delivery risk. Deterioration is outpacing replacement and upgrading capacity,” Xaba said. 

The first day of the conference focused on digital transformation, resilience in public finance, women in leadership and the Municipal Standard Chart of Accounts.

The conference also features an exhibition area where delegates can engage with organisations and stakeholders working in the public finance and governance sectors.

President of the Global Federation of Public Finance Associations Grace Martinez is among the special guests attending the conference, marking her first visit to Durban. – SAnews.gov.za

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South Africa has taken a major step towards securing its health system with the launch of FuturePHARMA.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday launched the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) FuturePHARMA facility in Tshwane. He described the launch as a significant step towards strengthening South Africa’s pharmaceutical capabilities and advancing the country’s health sovereignty. 

The President officiated the unveiling and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the CSIR Campus in Waterkloof before taking part in a guided walkthrough of the facility. 

During the walkthrough, President Ramaphosa was taken through key areas of the facility and received demonstrations of its advanced pharmaceutical development technologies and specialised capabilities. 

“It is a pleasure to be here today for the launch of the FuturePHARMA facility. This is truly a milestone in South Africa’s journey towards health sovereignty,” President Ramaphosa said.

FuturePHARMA is an open-access pharmaceutical innovation and manufacturing facility that provides specialised infrastructure and expertise to researchers, innovators and industry partners working to develop pharmaceutical technologies, including active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

The facility is intended to help bridge the gap between laboratory research and the development, scale-up and commercialisation of pharmaceutical technologies, while supporting technology transfer and skills development.

The President said the facility reflects government’s commitment to using science, technology and innovation to strengthen the country’s industrial capabilities, health security and long-term development.

“The FuturePHARMA facility signals our resolve as South Africa to harness science, technology and innovation in pursuit of sustainable development.

“It signals our resolve to grow our industrial capabilities and to achieve meaningful health security and sovereignty,” he said.

Lessons from COVID-19

President Ramaphosa said the COVID-19 pandemic had underscored the importance of countries developing their own scientific, technological and manufacturing capabilities.

The pandemic exposed vulnerabilities associated with dependence on global supply chains for critical health products, while demonstrating the close relationship between health security, economic resilience and national development.

“The COVID-19 pandemic taught us many lessons, chiefly that developing economy countries need to strengthen local scientific, technological and manufacturing capabilities if they are to safeguard the health of their people.

“The pandemic was a reminder that health security, economic resilience and national development are interconnected,” he said.

Against this backdrop, FuturePHARMA is intended to create a more connected ecosystem linking research and technology development with process development, clinical development, regulation, manufacturing, investment and procurement. 

From laboratory research to commercialisation 

The President’s guided tour of the facility provided an opportunity to see these capabilities in operation, with scientists, researchers, engineers and technical specialists demonstrating key aspects of the pharmaceutical development platforms.

“It has been quite an experience to tour the facility and witness first-hand the advanced technologies, pharmaceutical development platforms and specialised capabilities that have been established here.

“I have had the opportunity to engage with the many scientists, researchers, engineers and technical specialists whose expertise and commitment have helped bring this vision to life,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa said South Africa has a strong history of scientific achievement and possesses significant scientific and innovative talent.

However, he noted that scientific excellence needs to be matched by mechanisms that allow promising ideas and discoveries to progress beyond the laboratory.

“Yet, scientific excellence alone is not enough. Too many promising innovations struggle to move from the laboratory into further development, commercial production and broader social application. That is the challenge FuturePHARMA has been established to help address,” he said.

The facility will provide specialised infrastructure for pharmaceutical process development, scale-up and technology transfer, occupying an important space between laboratory research and commercial manufacturing.

It is also intended to help promising technologies move towards clinical, regulatory and commercial pathways.

President Ramaphosa emphasised that FuturePHARMA is not intended to operate as a conventional commercial pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.

Instead, its value lies in providing shared infrastructure and expertise that may otherwise be too specialised or costly for individual researchers, universities and emerging companies to establish independently.

“By making these capabilities available to a broader community, FuturePHARMA can strengthen the connection between research, technology development, scale-up and manufacturing,” he said.

Government collaboration critical

The President said the success of FuturePHARMA would depend on strong partnerships between government, universities, research councils, industry, regulators, investors and other stakeholders.

He stressed the need for government departments and institutions to work together because the pharmaceutical value chain cuts across several mandates.

The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation has the responsibility of research, innovation, technology development, skills and strategic research infrastructure, while the Department of Health leads on health priorities, medicines and vaccines.

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition plays a central role in industrial development, localisation, investment and manufacturing, while National Treasury is important to public financing and sustainability.

Regulatory institutions, including the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, are also critical to ensuring pharmaceutical products can move through appropriate regulatory pathways.

“Our strategies, investments and programmes must reinforce each other,” President Ramaphosa said.

He said initiatives such as the emerging Pharmaceutical Roadmap and the Vaccine Innovation and Manufacturing Strategy should connect South Africa’s research and technology capabilities to national health priorities, industrial opportunities and market demand.

“We are building a connected system in which each institution and investment contributes to a common national objective,” he said.

Strengthening the African pharmaceutical value chain

President Ramaphosa said South Africa’s ambitions extended beyond its borders, noting the emphasis placed by the African Union and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on local manufacturing as part of the continent’s health security and sovereignty agenda.

He said South Africa is well positioned to contribute to regional pharmaceutical value chains through its research institutions, universities, regulatory capabilities and manufacturing capacity.

“FuturePHARMA supports this ambition by creating opportunities for collaboration with African researchers, institutions and companies,” he said.

The facility will form part of a broader network of investments aimed at strengthening South Africa’s pharmaceutical development, health innovation and manufacturing capabilities.

President Ramaphosa said established manufacturers and companies would continue to play an important role, with facilities such as FuturePHARMA and manufacturers such as Biovac contributing different capabilities across the broader pharmaceutical value chain.

Investing in skills, innovation and jobs

The President said investment in infrastructure must be accompanied by investment in people, partnerships and institutions.

FuturePHARMA is expected to contribute to skills development, while creating opportunities for researchers, innovators and companies to take technologies further along the development pipeline.

“Through FuturePHARMA, South Africa is investing not only in infrastructure but in knowledge, innovation and industrial capability.

“We are investing in the partnerships, skills and institutions that will allow that infrastructure to create lasting value for the nation and the continent,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa said creating pathways from research and innovation to technologies, enterprises, products and industries is important to advancing inclusive growth and employment.

He said government remains committed to creating an enabling environment through investment in strategic research infrastructure, human capability and stronger links between research and industry.

“This facility stands as a symbol of what can be achieved when government, academia and industry come together in pursuit of a common purpose,” he said. 

President Ramaphosa congratulated the CSIR, its scientists and technical teams, as well as the partners involved in establishing FuturePHARMA. 

“May this facility become a platform where South African knowledge is translated into technologies, where technologies become products, and where products create lasting social, industrial and economic value – both for South Africa and for our continent,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Growing participation in the National Dialogue signals that South Africans are ready to confront the country’s challenges openly and help shape practical solutions, says Deputy President Paul Mashatile.

“The pilot dialogues have shown that South Africans are eager to participate in shaping the future of our country. Our responsibility is to ensure that these voices are heard, that the process remains credible and inclusive, and that the outcomes translate into meaningful action that improves the lives of our people,” the Deputy President said in a statement on Wednesday.

Mashatile made the remarks after meeting the Steering Committee, which is working to build a National Dialogue that is inclusive, credible and responsive to the aspirations of South Africans.

Provincial governments and local stakeholders have supported security coordination, transport arrangements and regulatory approvals, underscoring the importance of a whole-of-society approach.

The Deputy President said these developments confirm that the vision of a citizen-led National Dialogue is gaining momentum across society.

In recent months, various sectors have convened meetings and dialogues on issues affecting South Africans.

Notable developments include:

• The youth sector has developed its own coordination framework, resolved internal organisational matters and begun preparations for youth-led dialogue processes.
• The sector representing people with disabilities has successfully convened consultations and provided valuable recommendations on accessibility, participation and inclusion.
• Civil society, faith-based organisations, women, youth and other sectors have demonstrated a strong commitment to mobilising communities and preparing them to participate in the National Dialogue.

Mashatile welcomed the Steering Committee’s report on progress in advancing the National Dialogue.

He reiterated that the National Dialogue belongs to the people of South Africa.

“The conversations held thus far demonstrate that citizens are ready to engage honestly about the challenges facing our country and to contribute solutions,” he said.

After the upcoming Local Government Elections, the Deputy President emphasised that the Steering Committee should prioritise resolving all outstanding governance and participation matters in a way that strengthens unity and confidence in the process. He said every sector should finalise its implementation plan, mobilisation strategy and dialogue methodology. – SAnews.gov.za

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