Page 181 - SAMRC AnnualReport 2025-26

P E R FOR M A NC E I N FOR M A T I ON

Support for Vaccine Research, › Imaging Systems
Development, Pilot-Scale Production › Analytical Instruments
and Regulation in South Africa through › Centrifugation
the KfW-DSTI Infrastructure Programme › High-Pressure Homogenizers
The KfW-DSTI vaccine infrastructure programme, › Cryostorage LN2
co-funded by the Government of South Africa
through the DSTI and the German Federal › Filtration QC
Government through KfW Development Bank › Plate Handling Instruments
(KfW), is supporting infrastructure and equipment › Animal (Rodents) Housing/Cages
for vaccine research, development, pilot-scale › UHPLC MS System
production and regulation in South Africa in order › Electrophoresis Systems
to fill critical gaps and bottlenecks that hamper
progress in establishing the country as a significant › Biosafety Cabinets
vaccine development and manufacturing hub. The › Incubators
German Government has committed up to €20 › Lab Mixers & Heat Blocks
million (about R442 million) for this purpose, with › PCR Thermal Cyclers
the long-term goal of creating a more resilient › Sequencing & Genomics
vaccine innovation and production landscape
with higher local content, enabling South Africa › Construction: Laboratory renovations & Animal
to address current and prepare for future health (non-human primates) holding cages
threats. The SAMRC has been appointed by the › Construction: Laboratory building expansion
DSTI as the Project Executing Agent to implement With many of the awarded equipment items similar
the programme on its behalf.
across institutions, the SAMRC, with the support of
Project implementation started on 1 April 2024. the Implementation Consultant (BioMedHelix joint
A national open RFA process invited proposals from venture with management4health AG), has grouped
vaccine research, development, testing, and pilot- the different items into 27 coherent procurement
scale production stakeholders in South Africa needing lots/grouped categories by market segment. This
equipment and infrastructure support to boost their approach was implemented to avoid fragmented
capacity within the vaccine ecosystem. After an tenders, reduce duplication, increase competition
international peer review, the DSTI, with KfW approval, (potentially resulting in cost savings) and improve
awarded support to 18 organisations, including overall efficiency.
universities, science councils, and private entities.
Additionally, SAHPRA received support to leverage To date, the following tenders have been concluded:
technology for efficiency in regulatory tasks related 1) Provision of Software Development, Support
to vaccine R&D, manufacturing, and registration. and Maintenance services for SAHPRA
Digitalising SAHPRA’s processes aims to help it 2) Supply and delivery of high-performance servers
become a WHO ML4 country and Listed Authority. and high-capacity storage solutions capable of

The SAMRC is currently working with beneficiaries to storing and processing large datasets for the
procure the necessary equipment and infrastructure SAMRC
to support the programme's objectives. A total of 3) Supply and delivery of the Upstream Cell Culture
approximately 98 individual items in the following hardware, which includes 22 Bioreactors and 4
categories were awarded: shaking incubators to be distributed to multiple
institutions
› Implementation Consultancy Services
The following tenders are in progress:
› Software Development Services
4) Supply and delivery of a Complete Filter Integrity
› IT Infrastructure (hardware and software) Tester
› Upstream cell-culture hardware 5) Supply and delivery of a Cryogenic Freezer
› Chromatography & Purification 6) Provision of AI Tools development and
› Perfusion Bioreactor System maintenance
› Flow Cytometers 7) Provision of ICT Hardware

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