The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), invite you to a ceremony on 14 May 2025 at which grants will be presented to six innovative biotechnology projects selected through a competitive proposal process.
The grants are provided under the GIZ SAVax programme, which is co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) as part of the Team Europe Initiative MAV+. The grants will support the development of vaccines, medicines and health technologies that address healthcare challenges in South Africa and the rest of the continent.
The ceremony will recognise the six consortia of private sector and research institutions that have been selected for grants under the SAVax Joint Action. SAVax seeks to strengthen South Africa's biotechnology capabilities and the capacity of the vaccine development and production ecosystem in South Africa.
The goals of SAVax align well with the vaccine innovation and manufacturing initiative led by Minister Blade Nzimande to enhance the domestic development and production of vaccines for priority diseases affecting Africa.
Ms Sandra Kramer (Ambassador of the EU Delegation in South Africa), Mr Enrico Brandt (Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy), Mr Thomas Schaef (GIZ Country Director for South Africa, Lesotho and eSwatini) and Ms Gugulethu Zwane (Acting Director-General of Science, Technology and Innovation), will be among those attending.
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