Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone has established a pharmaceutical and medical cluster within Dube TradeZone in view of the growing incidence of infectious diseases, such as Covid-19, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, as well as lifestyle diseases, such as cardiovascular deficiencies and diabetes. The pharmaceutical industry has an increasingly important role to play in improving citizens’ access to healthcare.

There is a strong and growing demand for pharmaceutical products both in South Africa and across the Southern African region. Local production focuses on, especially, the production of generic products, leaving a gap in the manufacturing of biologics and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API's). This opens the door to interventions Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone might implement in line with its vision of contributing meaningfully to the growth and development of the pharmaceutical sector in the province, country and broader Southern African region.