Read the Conversation
Conversation highlights:
- 2025 as disruptive: Geopolitical shifts significantly influenced SAMRC's activities; 2026 expected to bring new and renewed initiatives and partnerships, and create collaborative momentum
- SAMRC positioned as Southern Africa's health research leader: Nationally grounded with global reach, managing a broad mandate spanning research, funding, capacity development, innovation, research translation, and policy-to-implementation support across South Africa
- "By Africa for Africa" localization drive: Prioritizing African-led research design, execution, data management, and analysis to move away from "parachute science"; building self-sustaining capacity while maintaining strategic global partnerships
- Diversified funding strategy: Reducing reliance on U.S. funding by expanding partnerships with Japan, the EU, Canada, the UK, and other countries and philanthropic organizations; actively pursuing private sector collaborations for training, capacity development, and research advancement
- Ambitious innovation pipeline including 110K human genome sequencing project: Launching African reference genome initiative, diagnostics innovation accelerator, mRNA vaccine R&D hub phase 2, Strategic Health Innovation Partnerships program, and medical device and plant-based medicine ecosystem support to create seamless pathways from discovery through implementation with built-in accessibility commitments
EF: What word would you use to describe 2025, and what are you looking forward to for 2026?
MM: 2025 has been “disruptive.” Geopolitical shifts have significantly influenced and disrupted our usual ways of working, but they have also prompted us to think differently about collaboration and funding on a global scale.
Looking ahead to 2026, I see great momentum. We have several initiatives and partnerships, some renewed and some newly launched this year, that are beginning to come together under a unified vision. We have been developing this direction for several years, and it is exciting to see it take shape.
This renewed focus is driven by several key developments: the launch of our new five-year strategic plan for the SAMRC, the submission of new business plans for both the Strategic Health Innovation Partnerships (SHIP) program and the Medical Device and Diagnostic Innovation Cluster (MeDDIC) program, and a stronger alignment across all initiatives toward innovation and measurable impact. With these foundations in place, 2026 promises to be a year of progress and renewed energy, positioning us to turn long-term plans into meaningful outcomes.
EF: Could you briefly share the footprint of SAMRC today, and what are your current priorities?
MM: The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) positions itself as the leading steward of health research and innovation in the country. As the only science council in South Africa specifically mandated for health and operating under the National Department of Health, the SAMRC plays a pivotal role in shaping both the national and continental health research agenda.
With a presence in Cape Town, Pretoria, and Durban, the Council maintains a strong national footprint while building a growing global reputation. We are recognized as the principal partner for health research and innovation in Southern Africa, combining global partnerships with a deep understanding of local needs, institutions, and capabilities.
Its broad mandate covers conducting in-house research, funding external research and innovation projects, supporting health research capacity development, and facilitating the translation and dissemination of research outcomes. The SAMRC supports product development and generates evidence to inform policy and practice, and we facilitate implementation, ensuring that new technologies, practices, and services reach end users and deliver real-world impact.
The Council is committed to strengthening the entire health research and innovation ecosystem by investing not only in people and projects but also in shared platforms and infrastructure, together with our funding partners. This approach ensures that every stage of the value chain, from early discovery to product development and introduction, is supported and aligned to improve health outcomes nationally and across the continent.
EF: How do you choose the projects and initiatives you work on?
MM: At the SAMRC, we conduct priority-setting exercises approximately every five years, as our core priorities remain relatively stable over time. We are careful not to duplicate efforts already underway in the national research landscape. For instance, the National Health Research Summit, convened by the National Department of Health, brings together key stakeholders from across South Africa to establish the country’s health research agenda. The outcomes of that summit and the priorities set by the National Health Research Committee significantly inform our strategic direction.
In addition, our in-house Burden of Disease Research Unit provides data on morbidity and mortality trends, which guides where we focus our investments. We also undertake more granular priority-setting processes where required. For example, we convened stakeholder workshops with end users from fields such as HIV, tuberculosis, digital health, antimicrobial resistance, maternal and child health, and non-communicable diseases. These dialogues helped identify pressing needs and research gaps.
We complement these engagements with consultations involving leading researchers to refine the key research questions and define the products or interventions required. This dual approach, balancing end-user needs with scientific insight, enables us to compile a comprehensive list of priorities. We then assess our existing portfolio to determine which priorities are already being addressed and identify areas where new partnerships or programs are needed.
EF: What is your pitch when attracting investment?
MM: One of our key driving principles is the localization of research, innovation, manufacturing, and implementation, which we call “by Africa for Africa.” It is about finding the right balance between globalization and self-sustainability and sovereignty. We must remain engaged in global partnerships to stay relevant and collaborative, but at the same time, we are focused on building the capacity to stand independently and sustainably.
When we speak of localization, it means that African researchers must be integral at every stage of the research process, from design and execution to data management, analysis, and interpretation. This represents a crucial shift away from so-called “parachute science,” where local scientists were once limited to collecting samples for analysis elsewhere. The solution to Africa’s challenges must be led by African scientists, drawing insights rooted in the local context and ownership.
We believe in shared investment through demonstrated local commitment. We commit public funds to programs as a way of leveraging external contributions. While our fiscal space is limited, our approach maximizes every contribution, generating impact that is far greater than the sum of individual investments.
Over the past few years, our primary focus has been to diversify our funding partnerships, a strategy that began even before the recent reduction in U.S. funding. We have successfully built collaborations with partners across China, Japan, the European Union, the UK, Canada, and others, enhancing our financial resilience. The EU, in particular, has become a strong supporter of several large programs in which we are now actively engaged, reducing our dependence on specific funding streams.
Looking ahead, we plan to expand partnerships into new regions, especially in the Middle East and additional European countries. A major focus will be on strengthening engagement with the private sector. Initiatives such as our collaboration with Thermo Fisher, which established a public training laboratory, and our partnerships with MGI and Illumina in genomics, illustrate how industry collaboration can drive shared progress. These partnerships are not about supporting industry, but about aligning public and private efforts to advance research, innovation, and capacity development.
EF: What legacy would you like to leave behind after all these wonderful initiatives?
MM: My goal is to see a well-established health innovation ecosystem where collaboration thrives across all sectors, government, academia, industry, and civil society. This is already beginning to take shape, with stakeholders working together toward a shared objective: building the capacity to progress from discovery to full-scale implementation.
I envision more locally developed products that reflect an understanding of our specific context, designed, manufactured, and launched within the country before expanding to global markets. We are already seeing promising outcomes in medical devices and diagnostics. The next milestones are bringing a locally developed vaccine and a homegrown pharmaceutical to market.
Equally, I hope to see a flourishing plant-based medicines industry that integrates Indigenous knowledge systems and fully includes traditional healers. As a significant portion of our population relies on traditional medicine, mainstreaming these practices would represent a remarkable step forward for both innovation and inclusivity.
