South Africa imports 80% of medical equipment, study finds
A study by the Localisation Support Fund finds that 47% of local medical technology manufacturers run at less than half their production capacity. The fund estimates imports of medical technology at R155 billion between 2021 and 2025.
Locally made devices accounted for 29% of public-sector procurement and 25% of private-sector purchases, the study found. The Localisation Support Fund (LSF) says the findings give an evidence base for strengthening the local industry and reducing reliance on imports.
LSF chief executive Irshaad Kathrada said price is not the main obstacle to local products. He said government is not strategic enough in public-sector buying, and that individual hospitals buy on their own.
Kathrada said piloting across spheres of government could help, including hospitals, provincial health departments and national buying programmes. He said this has worked in the Western Cape. The LSF also says more predictable procurement, better coordination of public demand and targeted support for existing manufacturers could expand local production.
Key facts
- Who
- Irshaad Kathrada (Chief Executive Officer of the Localisation Support Fund (LSF)); Stephen Grootes; Localisation Support Fund (Organisation that conducted the study)
- What
- According to a new study by the Localisation Support Fund (LSF), South Africa imports about 80% of its medical equipment, with 47% of local medical technology manufacturers operating at less than half their production capacity. The article also reports an estimated R155 billion in medical technology imports between 2021 and 2025, and locally produced devices accounted for 29% of public-sector…
- When
- 2 November 2026
- Where
- South Africa, Africa
- Status
- Reported