“Twenty participants from across Africa completed advanced training in downstream processing for biologics and vaccine manufacturing at the CSIR’s Scientia campus in Pretoria on 16 October 2026. The programme, delivered through the Southern African Biomanufacturing Training Hub with support from KfW Development Bank, focused on practical purification, filtration, formulation, quality control and regulatory skills needed to strengthen regional biomanufacturing capacity.”
South Africa invests in biomanufacturing skills to strengthen Africa’s vaccine and biologics production capacity
South Africa is strengthening its contribution to Africa’s biotechnology industry through specialised training designed to improve the continent’s capacity to manufacture vaccines, biologic medicines and other advanced healthcare products. A recent programme hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria highlights the importance of technical expertise, practical laboratory training and regional cooperation in building a more resilient biomanufacturing sector.
According to the CSIR’s report published on 28 October 2026, twenty participants from across Africa completed advanced training in downstream processing for biologics and vaccine manufacturing at the organisation’s Scientia campus in Pretoria. The training took place on 16 October through the Southern African Biomanufacturing Training Hub (SABTH), hosted by the CSIR with support from KfW Development Bank.
The initiative addresses an important challenge facing African healthcare systems: scientific discoveries do not automatically translate into medicines that can be manufactured reliably, meet regulatory requirements and reach patients at an affordable cost.
By developing the skills required to process and purify biological products, the programme aims to strengthen the technical foundations needed for regional pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Building expertise in vaccine and biologics manufacturing
Biotechnology has become increasingly important in modern medicine. It enables scientists and manufacturers to develop products using biological systems, including vaccines, therapeutic proteins, antibodies and other complex medicines.
Unlike many conventional chemical medicines, biologic products are manufactured using living cells, microorganisms or other biological processes. Their production requires carefully controlled conditions and specialised techniques to ensure consistent quality, safety and effectiveness.
Manufacturing these products involves several interconnected stages. Researchers and manufacturers must develop an appropriate production process, grow or maintain the biological production system, recover the desired product and remove unwanted materials. The final product must then undergo quality testing and be prepared for its intended use.
Downstream processing is particularly important because it involves separating, purifying and recovering the desired biological product after its initial production. According to the CSIR, these processes must satisfy demanding quality, safety and regulatory requirements.
The Pretoria training programme focused on this specialised stage of manufacturing, helping participants develop practical knowledge that can be applied in research laboratories, pharmaceutical production facilities and related biotechnology operations.
Such expertise is essential because successful biological production depends not only on making a product, but also on recovering it efficiently while maintaining the characteristics required for its intended application.
Practical training targets critical manufacturing processes
The programme combined theoretical instruction with practical experience using specialised equipment. Participants received training in normal-flow filtration, tangential-flow filtration, sterile filtration, virus filtration and filter-integrity testing.
These techniques serve different purposes in the processing of biological materials.
Filtration can help separate particles, concentrate products and remove unwanted components. Tangential-flow filtration, for example, allows liquid to move across a membrane surface while selected components are retained or pass through, depending on the membrane and process conditions.
Sterile filtration is used in appropriate manufacturing processes to reduce microbial contamination risks. Virus filtration may provide an additional layer of viral clearance when incorporated into a validated process. Filter-integrity testing helps establish whether filtration equipment meets the required performance specifications.
However, these technologies cannot be treated as interchangeable solutions. The appropriate method depends on the product, the manufacturing process, the applicable quality standards and the evidence supporting the process.
The course also covered chromatographic purification, formulation, fill-finish considerations, quality control and regulatory requirements. Together, these subjects provide an overview of the technical operations involved in transforming biological material into a product suitable for further testing, storage or distribution.
Chromatography is widely used to separate components based on differences in their physical or chemical interactions with a stationary material and a moving liquid phase. In biopharmaceutical production, carefully selected chromatography steps can help remove impurities and improve product purity.
Formulation focuses on preparing a product in a suitable composition and physical form, while fill-finish activities involve transferring a prepared product into its final container under controlled conditions.
Quality control, meanwhile, provides evidence that a product and its manufacturing process meet defined specifications. Regulatory requirements determine the standards that must be satisfied before a product can be authorised for its intended use.
The CSIR reported that the training was intended to help participants evaluate and optimise bioprocesses, improve recovery and purification, troubleshoot operational problems and apply quality-focused manufacturing practices in their workplaces.
Why biomanufacturing matters for African healthcare
Strengthening biomanufacturing capabilities has implications beyond laboratory performance. It can contribute to the ability of African countries to respond to disease outbreaks, maintain access to essential healthcare products and develop a more diversified pharmaceutical industry.
Dependence on imported medicines and vaccines can expose countries to international supply disruptions, manufacturing shortages, transport delays and changes in global demand. During a major health emergency, these pressures can make it difficult for countries with limited domestic production capacity to secure essential products quickly.
South Africa has already recognised the importance of connecting scientific research with pharmaceutical development and manufacturing.
In October 2026, the South African government reported on the launch of the CSIR’s FuturePHARMA facility in Tshwane. The facility is intended to help researchers, entrepreneurs and industry partners advance pharmaceutical technologies from early research towards product development, clinical testing and potential commercial manufacturing.
The government report also highlighted South Africa’s dependence on imported active pharmaceutical ingredients, noting that approximately 98% of the ingredients used to make medicines locally were imported, according to CSIR representatives.
FuturePHARMA and the Southern African Biomanufacturing Training Hub serve different but complementary purposes. The former focuses on specialised infrastructure and capabilities for pharmaceutical product development, while the training hub develops the practical skills needed to support biomanufacturing operations.
Together, such initiatives illustrate why biotechnology development requires more than scientific discoveries. It also depends on skilled personnel, appropriate equipment, quality systems, regulatory expertise, investment and collaboration between research institutions and manufacturers.
Developing a stronger regional skills pipeline
The participation of trainees from across Africa gives the programme a regional dimension. Biomanufacturing expertise is highly specialised, and access to practical instruction can help laboratories and organisations develop the workforce needed to advance biological products.
Training opportunities can also support knowledge exchange among professionals working in different scientific and industrial environments. Participants may apply their skills in research institutions, biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical facilities or other organisations involved in biological production.
Nevertheless, completing a training programme does not automatically establish a manufacturing facility or guarantee that a vaccine or medicine will reach the market. The wider industry requires experienced technical teams, reliable infrastructure, adequate financing and appropriate regulatory oversight.
Maintaining these capabilities over time is equally important. Biomanufacturing processes must be developed, validated, monitored and continuously improved. Organisations also need systems for documenting procedures, managing equipment, investigating deviations and ensuring that production remains consistent.
The CSIR’s training initiative contributes to this broader skills-development objective by providing practical instruction aligned with the technical requirements of biological product manufacturing.
For South Africa, a stronger workforce could support research translation, biotechnology entrepreneurship and collaboration with manufacturers elsewhere on the continent. For other African countries, regional training opportunities may help expand access to specialised knowledge without requiring every institution to establish an independent training programme.
The extent of these benefits will depend on whether participants can apply their knowledge in adequately equipped facilities and whether employers and research organisations can sustain investment in the people they train.
The role of quality control and regulation
The production of biologics and vaccines requires rigorous attention to quality and safety. Biological products can be sensitive to changes in temperature, processing conditions, contamination and other factors that may affect their characteristics.
Consequently, manufacturing expertise must be accompanied by reliable quality-management systems and compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.
Training in filtration, purification and process optimisation can help personnel understand how manufacturing decisions influence product quality. However, a training certificate alone does not demonstrate that a particular medicine is safe or effective, nor does it constitute regulatory approval for a manufacturing process.
Manufacturers must establish the necessary evidence for their products, demonstrate consistency and meet the requirements of the relevant authorities.
South Africa’s broader pharmaceutical development strategy reflects this relationship between innovation and oversight. At the October launch of FuturePHARMA, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority emphasised the importance of enabling local production while maintaining standards for quality, safety and therapeutic efficacy.
For the biotechnology industry, this balance is critical. Strong regulation helps protect patients and builds confidence in locally manufactured products, while clear and effective regulatory pathways can support responsible innovation.
Turning technical skills into industrial capacity
One of the principal challenges facing biotechnology businesses is moving from small-scale research to manufacturing at a commercially viable scale.
Laboratory experiments may demonstrate that a process works under controlled conditions, but larger-scale production introduces additional technical and operational challenges. Equipment performance, processing times, material costs, product recovery and quality consistency may change as production volumes increase.
Companies must also secure appropriate facilities, establish dependable supply chains, employ experienced personnel and demonstrate that their processes can be operated consistently.
These challenges are particularly relevant to biologics, where specialised equipment and tightly controlled manufacturing environments can require substantial investment.
A report published by Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News on 26 October 2026 described efforts by South African biotechnology startups to develop biomanufacturing capabilities and commercialise locally developed technologies. The report highlighted both the potential of the sector and the financial and infrastructure barriers confronting emerging businesses.
Against this background, training initiatives can help address one part of the problem: the shortage of specialised technical expertise. They cannot independently resolve financing, infrastructure or market-access challenges, but they can contribute to the workforce needed to address them.
A sustainable biotechnology ecosystem will require coordinated efforts from universities, research councils, private companies, government agencies, funders and regulators.
Economic opportunities and future prospects
Expanding biomanufacturing capacity could create opportunities for scientific employment, specialised technical services, research partnerships and the development of locally owned biotechnology companies.
It could also help African institutions participate more actively in the development and production of advanced healthcare products rather than relying exclusively on technologies developed and manufactured elsewhere.
However, these potential benefits depend on long-term execution. Training programmes need to be supported by career opportunities, ongoing professional development and facilities where participants can use their skills.
Businesses, in turn, require predictable regulatory processes, access to financing and sufficient demand to justify investment in manufacturing infrastructure. Public procurement policies and regional cooperation may also influence whether locally manufactured products can compete effectively with imported alternatives.
For vaccines and biologic medicines, the objective should not simply be to increase the number of manufacturing facilities. The priority must be to establish dependable production systems that consistently deliver products meeting recognised quality and safety requirements.
Regional collaboration can help distribute the costs of specialised infrastructure and technical training while creating opportunities for countries to share knowledge and build complementary capabilities.
The CSIR’s programme represents a practical contribution to this broader objective, although further evidence will be needed to determine its long-term impact on manufacturing output, workforce development and access to medicines.
Conclusion
South Africa’s latest reported biomanufacturing training initiative highlights the importance of developing the specialised workforce required to support vaccine and biologic medicine production across Africa.
The programme brought together twenty participants for practical and theoretical training in downstream processing, filtration, purification, formulation, quality control and regulatory requirements. Delivered through the Southern African Biomanufacturing Training Hub at the CSIR, it forms part of a wider effort to strengthen the region’s biotechnology skills base.
Its long-term significance will depend on how effectively participants apply their knowledge, how consistently training opportunities are sustained and whether investment in infrastructure, research and manufacturing grows alongside workforce development.
Although skills development alone cannot eliminate Africa’s dependence on imported healthcare products, it is an important part of building the technical capacity needed to manufacture them locally.
For South Africa, the opportunity is to connect scientific excellence with industrial development. For the wider African region, it is to strengthen cooperation, expand access to specialised expertise and create the conditions for a more resilient biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector.
