Study finds SA imports 80% of medical equipment

A new study released by the Localisation Support Fund has revealed that South Africa remains heavily reliant on foreign markets for healthcare equipment, with roughly four out of every five medical device currently imported.

The findings were released in Johannesburg. The fund’s CEO Irshaad Kathrada says the research aims to serve as a baseline for industry stakeholders to collaborate and boost local industrialisation.

The report highlights that most of these medical products originate from the United States, followed by key global suppliers China and Germany.

Khatrada says that localisation is not only about job creation or growing the economy but it is about accessing medical products when most needed.

“Localization is not just about job creation or economic development through the sector. It is about ensuring that we have a healthcare system that is sufficiently agile to scale up the availability of equipment and the provision of services to South Africans when they need them most,” he adds.