03 Jun SAHPRA strengthens trade collaboration to enhance entry to protected medicines
in Information & Updates
Pretoria, 03 June 2026 – The South African Well being Merchandise Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) convened its quarterly stakeholder engagement session with “captains of trade” in Johannesburg on 14 Might 2026. The assembly varieties a part of a structured programme of quarterly engagements that SAHPRA has maintained since 2024, offering a platform for ongoing dialogue, strengthening collaboration, addressing regulatory challenges and advancing entry to protected, efficient and high quality well being merchandise for all South Africans.
Hosted by SAHPRA Chief Government Officer Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela and senior executives, the engagement varieties a part of SAHPRA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration with stakeholders and advance South Africa’s well being merchandise regulatory surroundings.
In her opening remarks, Dr Semete-Makokotlela outlined SAHPRA’s three strategic priorities for the brand new monetary 12 months which included strengthening institutional capability, enhancing regulatory effectivity and modernising laws via the proposed overhaul of the Medicines Act.
“This initiative displays the significance of collaboration throughout the healthcare ecosystem. By working intently with trade companions, regulators and healthcare professionals, we’re strengthening the foundations of high quality, security and transparency within the medicines provide chain,” she stated.
Key areas of settlement included strengthening compliance and regulatory integrity, advancing collaboration via Reliance pathways, supporting SAHPRA’s digital transformation initiatives and enhancing entry to protected, high quality and efficient well being merchandise. Discussions additionally centered on decreasing regulatory backlogs and implementing collaborative evaluation mechanisms to speed up product registration processes.
Contributors highlighted the position of regional and worldwide collaborative platforms akin to World Well being Group Collaborative Evaluation Course of (CRP) and Pre-qualification (PQ), ZaZiBoNa, Swissmedic and African Medicines Company in enhancing effectivity and decreasing backlogs. SAHPRA additionally acknowledged ongoing capability constraints, significantly in medical gadgets and complementary medicines, and emphasised the necessity to strengthen technical capabilities and collaboration with native and worldwide regulators.
Business stakeholders welcomed the engagement and referred to as for sensible, risk-based approaches to regulation, stronger help for native manufacturing and continued engagement with the Regulator. SAHPRA reaffirmed its dedication to constructing a responsive, environment friendly and globally aggressive well being merchandise regulator that safeguards affected person security whereas enhancing well timed entry to high quality medicines and applied sciences in South Africa.
