Vaccine procurement in SA: Balancing access, affordability & local capacity

South Africa’s public tender process for vaccines must prioritise patient access, affordability, supply reliability, and the sustainability of immunisation programmes. Vaccine procurement in SA requires a balanced approach that combines local and global suppliers is essential to ensure uninterrupted vaccine supply and the expansion of immunisation coverage.

Key challenges in vaccine procurement

Vaccine production needs specialised infrastructure, strict regulatory compliance, and significant ongoing investment. Local manufacturing capacity varies depending on the type of vaccine, making it critical to adopt a pragmatic approach to procurement.

Competitive pricing in public tenders is vital to broaden vaccine coverage, reach underserved populations, and maximise the efficient use of public healthcare funds. By ensuring affordability, South Africa can expand its immunisation programmes and improve public health outcomes.

“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).

Leveraging BRICS partnerships

Partnerships with BRICS countries, particularly India, offer opportunities for scale, regulatory reliability, and significant cost savings. These partnerships should complement local capability development rather than replace it, ensuring a sustainable and reliable vaccine supply.

“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,” added Masondo.

Policy recommendations

A balanced procurement strategy is recommended, focusing on:

• Prioritising patient access and affordability.
• Ensuring supply reliability through a mix of local and global suppliers.
• Leveraging BRICS partnerships for cost-effective solutions.
• Building local manufacturing capacity for long-term sustainability.

By adopting a pragmatic sequencing approach, South Africa can protect vaccine access today while laying the foundation for a robust local manufacturing industry in the future.