In the study, KPMG has compiled information for selected Sub-Saharan African countries regarding business conditions, regulatory requirements, incentives and existing life sciences clusters that are supportive of investments into manufacturing facilities for pharmaceuticals, biologics and medical devices. Find out more in our study:

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Background information to study

The report was released in December 2022 to address topics relevant to biopharma and medtech players looking for manufacturing locations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The study was conducted by an international team of KPMG Site Selection and Life Sciences experts located in Sub-Saharan Africa and in Switzerland.

The study was carried out over the period of seven months, with various investment promotion agencies assisting in validating the information and content.

Key findings at a glance

The African continent currently hosts the lowest number of local manufacturers of life-saving medicines, vaccines and diagnostics worldwide. There are approximately just 340 manufacturers present in Africa, compared to 5,000 in China and 10,500 in India.

Those manufacturers with a presence are highly concentrated across the North African countries, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, leaving the Sub-Saharan region with a lack of resilience and a struggle to meet domestic demand for medicines, diagnostics and devices.

Several Sub-Saharan national governments and international organizations are strongly supportive of investments in Life Sciences manufacturing and are improving business conditions and offering incentives for Biotech, Pharma and Medtech companies that have expansion plans for the region.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.