S.Africa's Biovac Secures $112m for Africa’s First end-to-end Vaccine Plant
Last update: April 17, 2026
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The planned facility will produce up to 40 million doses annually, targeting major diseases and helping close global vaccine supply gaps while boosting local manufacturing capacity.
South African biopharmaceutical firm Biovac has secured €95 million (approximately $112.4 million) in financing to develop Africa’s first fully integrated vaccine manufacturing facility, marking a significant step in the continent’s push for pharmaceutical self-sufficiency.
The funding package, arranged by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), combines a €20 million senior loan from IFC with €75 million in quasi-equity financing from the EIB. Additional funding is expected to be mobilised as the project progresses.
The facility, scheduled for completion in 2028, will support end-to-end vaccine production, from active ingredient manufacturing to final distribution, strengthening Africa’s capacity to produce essential vaccines locally.
Initial production will focus on oral cholera vaccines, with plans to expand to other critical vaccines, including those for polio, pneumonia and meningitis. Once operational, the plant is expected to produce between 30 million and 40 million doses annually, potentially addressing up to 40 percent of the global shortfall in cholera vaccines.
The project is also expected to create more than 340 skilled jobs and approximately 7,000 indirect jobs, while facilitating technology transfer and innovation within Africa’s pharmaceutical value chain.
The investment aligns with the African Union’s broader target of increasing locally produced vaccines from about 1 percent currently to 60 percent by 2040. Officials say achieving this goal will require sustained collaboration between governments, development finance institutions and private sector players.
Biovac, partly owned by South African public entities, has gradually expanded its role in vaccine production, moving from distribution to “fill and finish” manufacturing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company partnered with global pharmaceutical firms to produce vaccines for the African Union.
CBI News reports that the new facility will strengthen regional health security, improve access to life-saving immunisations and enhance preparedness for future public health emergencies.
