Medical & Pharmaceutical Services

South Africa is one of the largest medical device markets in the Middle East and Africa region and was estimated at R21 billion in 2021 and projected to grow to R29.6 billion by 2025 (South African Medical Research Council 2021). South Africa is the primary business hub for the medical technology industry in sub-Saharan Africa. A major proportion of medical technology exports are to other countries in Africa Domestic manufacture and exports of medical devices are dominated by products in the other medical devices, consumables and diagnostic imaging product areas.

The sector’s current manufacturing production is focused on low-tech and low-value devices such as surgical goods and disposable needles with the manufacture of high-tech devices for advanced breast imaging technology and radiation accounting for a small percentage of manufacturing  capacity. Over 53% of South Africa’s medical device manufacturing industry operates in the consumables field, with a further 27% in orthopaedics and , 14% in the manufacture of hospital furniture. More than 76% of medical devices used in South Africa are imported by multinational companies. The Eastern Cape has an established base of medical device and pharmaceutical services. The sector collaborates with all four universities in the Eastern Cape across the medical device innovation process.