South Africa’s public tender framework has long recognised the importance of ensuring reliable, affordable, and uninterrupted access to essential medicines and vaccines, particularly for national immunisation programmes that protect children and vulnerable populations.
While local pharmaceutical manufacturing remains an important national objective, it is equally critical that public procurement decisions prioritise patient access, programme sustainability, and fiscal responsibility, especially in vaccine supply where scale, complexity, and affordability are decisive factors.
Vaccines require scale, specialisation and reliability
Vaccine manufacturing at national immunisation scale requires highly specialised infrastructure, advanced technical capability, strict regulatory compliance, and sustained capital investment. These requirements differ materially from those of many small‑molecule medicines.
“When it comes to vaccines, the overriding priority of the public tender system must be patient access. Scale, affordability, and uninterrupted supply are essential if South Africa is to expand and sustain its national immunisation programmes,” said Simo Masondo, Chairman of the Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association of South Africa (GBMSA).
Although South Africa has made meaningful progress in strengthening elements of local pharmaceutical capability, vaccine manufacturing readiness varies significantly across product categories, and certain capacities continue to evolve. In this context, national immunisation programme must be supported by a calibrated combination of local and global manufacturing supply, particularly where programme expansion, continuity and affordability are at stake.
A tender system that prioritises supply reliability and scale is essential to ensuring that immunisation program can reach more patients, more consistently and without interruption.
Competitive pricing enables broader immunisation coverage
Competitive pricing and demonstrable value for money remain central to the sustainability of South Africa’s public healthcare system. The National Department of Health has consistently emphasised procurement principles that include value for money, open and effective competition, accountability, and equity.
In vaccine procurement, competitive tender outcomes directly enable:
- Broader immunisation coverage
- Greater reach to children and underserved populations
- More efficient use of limited public healthcare resources
Affordability is not a secondary consideration; it is a core enabler of access.
BRICS partnerships as strategic enablers of vaccine access
Trusted international partnerships, particularly within the BRICS ecosystem, play a critical role in supporting South Africa’s vaccine supply objectives. Long‑standing collaborations with partners in countries such as India have consistently demonstrated scale, reliability, regulatory compliance, and significant cost efficiencies in national tenders.
Indian vaccine manufacturers have historically delivered substantial savings to the South African government, in some cases exceeding R2 billion on a single vaccine programme, while supporting the expansion and sustainability of national immunisation coverage.
These partnerships should be viewed not as alternatives to local capability, but as essential enablers of immediate access, affordability, and programme continuity, particularly in vaccine categories where local scale is still developing.
A pragmatic and patient‑centric path forward
“A pragmatic, balanced approach allows South Africa to meet today’s immunisation needs while continuing to build capability over time. This is not a choice between localisation and access; it is about sequencing decisions responsibly so that patients always come first,” Masondo said.
Such an approach ensures:
- Reliable and uninterrupted vaccine supply
- Expanded immunisation reach for South African children
- Responsible stewardship of public healthcare funds
- Long‑term programme sustainability
- Strengthened international cooperation within BRICS and other trusted partnerships
By prioritising access, affordability, and scale in vaccine procurement, South Africa can protect its immunisation programmes today while continuing to build manufacturing capability over time, without compromising patient outcomes or fiscal sustainability.