mRNA Vaccine Manufacturing Technology Hub

Afrigen Biologics, based in Cape Town, was selected by the WHO in June 2021 as the global mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub. Working with Biovac and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Afrigen reverse-engineered mRNA vaccine technology to create a platform that can be adapted for multiple diseases — not just COVID-19 but tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, and cancer. The hub has already begun transferring the technology to recipient manufacturers in Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, and beyond.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed Africa's devastating dependence on imported vaccines — the continent manufactures less than 1% of the vaccines it uses. When wealthy nations hoarded vaccine supplies in 2021, African countries were last in line. The mRNA hub represents a structural response to this vulnerability: building indigenous manufacturing capability so the continent is never again at the mercy of external supply chains for essential medicines.

The strategic significance extends beyond vaccines. mRNA is a platform technology — once mastered, it can be used to produce therapeutics for diseases that disproportionately affect Africa but receive little attention from global pharmaceutical companies. Afrigen is building Africa's capacity to not just manufacture but design biological medicines. This is the beginning of pharmaceutical sovereignty for a continent of 1.4 billion people.