We’re Not Just Producing Vaccines, We’re Producing Knowledge, Independence, and a Future Africa Can Call Its Own: Petro Terblanche, CEO of Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines

Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines, founded in 2014 by Dr. Steven G. Reed and Erik Iverson of Seattle’s Infectious Diseases Research Institute (IDRI), is not a company shaped by fleeting ambition. Based in Cape Town, Afrigen stands as a purposeful force, built on the conviction that Africa should not only consume biotechnology but have the power to create it. 

The company’s strategic direction and support come from Avacare Healthcare Group and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of South Africa. Leading the charge is CEO Petro Terblanche, a respected figure in biotechnology circles, whose leadership has sharpened Afrigen’s focus on turning local healthcare needs into actionable solutions.

Afrigen’s business — covering product development, bulk adjuvant manufacturing, and the supply and distribution of critical biologicals — is unapologetically African in its mission. Where many multinational pharmaceutical companies see Africa as a market, Afrigen sees it as home ground.

Petro explains why the company’s mission is non-negotiable. “We are not just producing vaccines — we are producing knowledge, independence, and a future Africa can call its own,” she says. Her words carry the clarity of a leader who knows that decades of structural inequality cannot be solved by good intentions or scattered projects.

Afrigen’s crowning achievement to date is the establishment of Africa’s first adjuvant production and formulation technology centre. In partnership with IDRI, it focuses on the development of next-generation vaccine adjuvants — chemical agents that enhance the immune response, making vaccines more potent and longer-lasting. This is not just a technical milestone; it is a geopolitical one. Africa’s entry into adjuvant manufacturing means the continent begins to lessen its reliance on foreign pharmaceutical monopolies.

Building Local Capacity, Not Just Products

Afrigen’s model intentionally emphasizes local capacity building. For Petro, this is not just about adding more products to the shelves. “Capacity building means we grow scientists, engineers, technicians, and policymakers who understand our needs and are equipped to address them,” she says.

The company trains local scientists and technicians, ensuring that knowledge and know-how remain in Africa rather than being siphoned off by the Global North. This means African diseases and health challenges — from neglected tropical diseases to regional outbreaks — are addressed by people who live in affected communities, not by distant labs driven by commercial priorities.

Afrigen’s reach extends beyond its own walls. It acts as a hub for a wider network of collaborations across African countries, universities, and research institutions. Partnerships with universities ensure that pipeline talent is cultivated early, while collaboration with regional health authorities ensures that developed solutions are context-appropriate.

The result is a biotechnology ecosystem that does not rely on imported expertise. That matters, especially when crises hit. As Petro notes, “When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, Africa was left at the back of the line for vaccine access. That should never happen again. We need to be able to respond, produce, and deliver within our own borders.”

Innovation Rooted in Practicality

Afrigen’s innovation is not abstract. The company’s research into next-generation adjuvants is designed with specific regional needs in mind. Unlike many Western pharmaceutical companies focused on diseases prevalent in high-income markets, Afrigen invests in solutions targeting Africa’s unique health profile.

This includes vaccines with therapeutic potential, not just preventative use. Afrigen is exploring vaccine technologies that could, for example, help treat chronic infections or offer improved responses for immunocompromised populations. It is a nuanced, practical approach — one that uses cutting-edge science to address real-world problems rather than simply chasing market trends.

That practicality extends into Afrigen’s manufacturing strategy. By setting up local production, the company reduces logistical delays, cost barriers, and import dependencies that typically plague African healthcare systems. This local-first mindset creates resilience and ensures that innovations reach the populations that need them without being bottlenecked by international supply chains.

Petro is quick to emphasize that Afrigen’s success does not mean isolating itself. “Our partnerships, especially with IDRI, are critical. But these partnerships are built on mutual respect. We are not a junior partner or a downstream player. We are co-creators,” she explains.

A Broader Legacy for African Biotech

Afrigen’s ambitions go well beyond its own balance sheet. The company is positioning itself as a catalyst for the broader African biotechnology sector. By demonstrating that Africa can not only participate in but lead high-end biotech production, Afrigen hopes to inspire a wave of local biotech enterprises.

This is a long-term play. Building a continental biotech ecosystem requires policy support, education investment, regulatory strength, and financing — all areas where Africa has historically been underdeveloped compared to the West. Afrigen’s success offers a proof point, but it does not mean the structural challenges are solved.

Petro’s reflections on Afrigen’s future are grounded yet determined. “Afrigen was founded to meet local healthcare needs, but it has evolved into something larger — a symbol that Africa can own its scientific destiny. That does not happen overnight. It requires consistent effort, accountability, and the will to invest in our own capacity,” she says.

Afrigen’s journey is not one of rapid headline success or overnight disruption. It is the deliberate, sometimes slow, work of building a robust, self-reliant biotech base in Africa — one vaccine, one scientist, one partnership at a time. That kind of work is easy to overlook in a world obsessed with quick wins and inflated promises, but in the long run, it may prove to be the most important kind of progress Africa can make.

In the end, Afrigen’s legacy will not just be the vaccines it produces but the people it empowers and the sovereignty it helps Africa reclaim. It is a reminder that true innovation is not about novelty for novelty’s sake. It is about the hard, steady effort of building systems that serve people where they live, with solutions designed for the realities they face.

That is the work Afrigen is doing — and it deserves close attention.

Petro Terblanche | CEO

Petro Terblanche, the CEO of Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines, brings a depth of experience shaped by years at the intersection of science, leadership, and African healthcare challenges. With a background grounded in biotechnology and a sharp understanding of the continent’s needs, Petro has positioned Afrigen not merely as a manufacturer but as a force for regional empowerment. Under her leadership, the company has moved beyond transactional projects, embedding itself in long-term partnerships, capacity building, and the creation of scientific infrastructure. Petro’s approach is unapologetically practical — she recognizes that the future of African healthcare depends not just on innovation but on the systems and people capable of delivering it. Her leadership style reflects a belief in accountability, shared expertise, and the steady advancement of Africa’s scientific independence.

We are building more than a company. We are building the scientific strength Africa has long been denied.