South Africa has secured a 1.5 billion rand financing agreement with the European Investment Bank and vaccine producer Biovac to build Africa’s first fully integrated end-to-end vaccine manufacturing facility, officials said.

The plant, expected to be completed by 2028 in Cape Town, will initially produce oral cholera vaccines before expanding production to vaccines targeting polio, pneumonia, and meningitis.

The project is part of broader efforts to strengthen Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and reduce the continent’s dependence on imported vaccines, a vulnerability exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to European and South African officials, the facility is expected to significantly boost regional vaccine supply and support long-term public health resilience across Africa.

The financing package forms part of growing economic and industrial cooperation between South Africa and the European Union, particularly in strategic sectors such as healthcare, biotechnology, and manufacturing.

The agreement also comes as Pretoria seeks to diversify its international partnerships amid strained relations with the United States on several diplomatic and trade issues.

Biovac said the future facility would support large-scale vaccine production capabilities on the continent and help develop local scientific and technical expertise.

The European Investment Bank described the initiative as a major step toward strengthening health sovereignty in Africa and supporting sustainable industrial development.

South Africa already hosts some of the continent’s most advanced pharmaceutical infrastructure and has positioned itself as a regional hub for vaccine production and medical innovation.