SED Initiatives

Johannesburg, South Africa – Aspen Pharmacare, a global specialty and branded pharmaceutical company and Africa’s largest pharmaceutical company, has announced a further investment of some R500 million to its flagship pharmaceutical manufacturing site in Gqeberha. The announcement comes in the wake of more than R8 billion which Aspen has already invested in this world class manufacturing site in the Eastern Cape. Implementation of the project commenced in November 2021 and the investment will provide additional capacity for fill and finish of a range of sterile products including vaccines. Addressing guests at the South Africa Investment Conference hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa, Stavros Nicolaou, Aspen Group Senior Executive Strategic Trade said, “Aspen remains committed to South Africa – this is where our roots are, so Gqeberha is a natural base from which to expand our manufacturing capacity for the African continent. This additional investment in capacity expansion will increase output of our 2R vaccine vials from 60 million to 150 million per annum and it will assist Africa in addressing the unequal distribution of vaccines and provide enhanced capacity for pandemic preparedness.” As a strong advocate of local partnerships, Aspen has engaged engineering consultants and contractors from Gqerberha and Johannesburg for the project which is expected to complete in March 2023. Aspen’s highly specialised sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities at the site provide employment and skills development opportunities to nearly 500 employees.

Johannesburg, South Africa – Aspen Pharmacare, Africa’s largest pharmaceutical company, has extended its support to Ukraine with donations of life-saving medicines required for urgent surgical intervention. This action further demonstrates Aspen’s ongoing commitment to saving lives and improving the quality of life of patients irrespective of their location or circumstances. Stavros Nicolaou Aspen Senior Executive said, “We are in the business of saving lives and the impact of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine cannot be ignored. Ukraine is desperate for critical care, surgical and life-saving interventions and as a leading global supplier of anaesthetics and other critical medicines, we are doing everything in our power to support this humanitarian effort. We have worked tirelessly with the Embassy of Ukraine in South Africa regarding logistics and transportation and we have arranged multiple donations of anaesthetics and other medications, the first of which have arrived in Ukraine from the United Kingdom. This shipment will ensure that 40 000 life-saving surgical interventions can take place to assist critically injured and maimed patients. A second shipment, which is being dispatched from Germany and is expected to arrive in Ukraine imminently, will provide medical supplies for an additional 22 000 surgeries. The total value of these donations is approximately R11 million (approximately US$740 000). The provision of further shipments of medical supplies is currently being assessed. South Africa has also been impacted by the unfolding crisis. To this end Aspen has arranged for the safe repatriation of 25 South African students who were studying at universities in Ukraine and who were forced to flee the conflict to avoid becoming casualties of war themselves. Ten highly traumatised and emotional students were welcomed home by their families at OR Tambo International Airport on 10 March 2022 and the last two students are expected to arrive in the country within the week. Ms Liubov Abravitova, Ukraine’s Ambassador to South Africa said, “The Russian/Ukrainian conflict has resulted in a significant humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by the bombing of critical infrastructure, which has left many citizens critically injured and without medicines, water and electricity. We are grateful for Aspen’s support and life-saving medicines which brings hope to the people of Ukraine. Many Ukrainian healthcare workers are fighting the war at the frontline, working under desperate circumstances to keep the healthcare system going and this donation of critical and life-saving medicines will assist these healthcare workers to save the lives of both injured civilians and those in the armed services.”

Aspen partners with South African Government to evacuate South African Student’s from the Ukraine conflict Johannesburg, South Africa – Aspen Pharmacare, Africa’s largest pharmaceutical company, has partnered with the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (“DIRCO”) to assist in the emergency evacuation of South African students who have been studying at various Universities in the Ukraine.   These students, many of whom have limited resources, where forced to flee the Ukraine into neighbouring countries as the Russian invasion of Ukraine erupted. A total of 25 students were stranded in the neighbouring countries of Hungary, Poland, Romania, all unable to afford emergency flights back to South Africa. After learning of the plight of these students, Aspen joined forces with DIRCO to expedite both the travel and funding requirements to assist with their safe return to South Africa.  The first group of 10 students are expected to arrive via Air France at OR Tambo International Airport imminently. Stavros Nicolaou, Aspen Senior Executive Strategic Trade, said, “The Russia-Ukraine conflict has created a significant humanitarian crisis, which has affected citizens of that nation as well as South African students studying in the Ukraine.  After the student’s appeal to our Government and corporate South Africa, Aspen, who has a presence in Ukraine and neighbouring territories, joined forces with the South African Government to ensure the timeous and safe return of these students so that they could be reunited with their loved ones.  Our youth are our future and it is a privilege for Aspen to demonstrate a spirit of Ubuntu by ensuring the safe return of these students who will hopefully be able to resume their studies as soon as circumstances permit. We expect 23 of the 25 students to be safely home by the weekend with the remaining two returning next week”. Clayson Monyela, Deputy Director General DIRCO said, “We would like to thank Aspen Pharmacare for heeding the call of our Government to partner with us and bring our citizens back home. We also want to extend a word of gratitude to all our Ambassadors, team of diplomats and South African volunteers (at home and abroad) who played a role in this project. This is the diplomacy of Ubuntu in practice”.