The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has recently launched FuturePharma, a facility designed to expand local API manufacturing and reduce SA’s reliance on imports. According to the CSIR, local pharmaceutical manufacturers import 98% of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) they need, costing R15bn a year. – Business Times (8 October 2026)
“FuturePharma also aims to bridge the gap between laboratory research and commercial production. It will help researchers develop processes to make clinical-grade batches of candidate medicines for clinical trials.”
The goal is to keep SA from waiting at the back of the queue in the next pandemic, said. Rachel Chikwamba, the CSIR's group executive for advanced chemistry and life sciences. She described FuturePharma as an innovation sandbox that could be quickly reconfigured to make clinical-grade products during a health crisis.