the country and the African continent to obtain test kits more quickly which they had been importing earlier. Nzimande highlighted the need for Africa to manufacture its own life-saving products. He said, “This latest development is part of a concerted effort by the department and its partners to build local capabilities to respond to viruses like Covid-19. Ensuring that diagnostics, vaccines are locally manufactured means that South Africa need not depend on foreign imports of life saving products. This is crucial, as the Covid19 pandemic has shown how difficult it is for the developing world to compete with richer nations for access to such products.”
Daniel Ndima, CEO of CapeBio, expressed delight over the authorization of the test kits by the regulator the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) (SAHPRA). He said, “This is a massive achievement in the national response to the pandemic and a significant milestone for our country. We will be able to assist the nation and Africa by alleviating our reliance on imports that are normally associated with high costs and long lead times”.
Daniel went on to say that the test kits are now being manufactured on an industrial scale, and that the first batches would be ready for sale on the local market before September. They expect to manufacture 5,000 kits each day in the coming days, with each kit including 1,000 tests.
