President Ramaphosa to officiate Launch of the CSIR FuturePharma Facility
TO ALL MEDIA/NEWS EDITORS
President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow, 7 October 2026, officiate the launch of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's (CSIR) FuturePharma facility, which aims to advance pharmaceutical innovation and manufacturing.
The launch will take place at the CSIR in Pretoria and marks an important milestone in efforts to strengthen South Africa's pharmaceutical innovation ecosystem and expand domestic capacity to develop and manufacture critical medicines and pharmaceutical products.
FuturePharma is an open-access pharmaceutical innovation and manufacturing facility established by the CSIR to support the development and production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and other pharmaceutical technologies, while strengthening South Africa's pharmaceutical value chain.
The facility aims to bridge the gap between promising laboratory research and the development, scale-up and commercialisation of pharmaceutical technologies. It will provide researchers, innovators and industry partners with access to specialised infrastructure and expertise to advance technologies towards manufacturing, while supporting technology transfer and skills development.
The facility will also support local API and medicine production, helping to reduce dependence on imports and strengthen security of supply. In addition, it will contribute to South Africa's preparedness for future pandemics and health emergencies by strengthening local pharmaceutical capabilities.
The launch will bring together members of the Executive and senior representatives from government, the science and innovation community, and industry.
President Ramaphosa will officiate the launch as follows:
Date: Wednesday, 7 October 2026
Time: 10h00
Venue: CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria
NOTE TO MEDIA: Government Communications and Information System (GCIS) has completed the accreditation process. For accreditation related queries, contact Takalani Mukwevho (GCIS) on 082 227 9308.
Media enquiries:
Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President – media@presidency.gov.za
Kulani Chauke (CSIR) on +27 71 266 0019
Veli Mbele (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation) on +27 64 615 0644
Issued by the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa
