The need to establish vaccine manufacture was in response to the lack of human vaccine manufacturing  capacity on the continent of Africa. Human vaccines are a cornerstone of any primary healthcare system, and have played a significant role in eliminating diseases such as smallpox, reducing the burden of diseases such as poliomyelitis and measles and are the most effective response to pandemics. The continent of Africa is most in need of consistent supply of affordable vaccines in order to address vaccine-preventable diseases that continuously plague the continent. With less than 5 vaccine manufacturers on the continent and none in Southern Africa, it was imperative that capacity be established particularly as Africa imports in excess of a billion doses of vaccines per year but the manufacturing contribution is less than one percent of that. Biovac started its journey of building manufacturing capability by following a reverse integration approach wherein they have been importing, exporting, packaging, testing and supplying vaccines. Their leap of faith ensured that they delivered the required vaccines to the children’s vaccination program, known as the Expanded Programme on Immunisation and the private sector in South Africa and the region.

To ensure continued and seamless delivery; they coordinate supply and demand with offshore suppliers, the South African Department of Health, private sector partners and other partners to ensure that the required vaccines get to where they are needed in all nine provinces of South Africa and a few neighbouring countries. Over 15 million doses of vaccines are delivered a year via their cold and supply chain infrastructure to ensure that the quality of the vaccines at the point of use is guaranteed.