SAMED ANNUAL REPORT MAY 2024 - MAY 2025
Chairperson's Report
Executive Officer's Report
I’m extremely proud to contribute my report to SAMED’s 40th anniversary annual report. The SAMED that we see in 2025 is a grown up, established Institute for Collaboration and I believe our theme, SAMED at 40: Breaking Barriers for Inclusive, Innovative and Impactful Medtech as reflected in this publication illustrates our endurance, unity in purpose and contribution of our sector to healthcare.
Chairperson's report
As the 2025 SAMED Chairperson, it is my honour to acknowledge SAMED’s incredible 40th birthday milestone and to pay homage to my predecessors and the many colleagues and members who were part of our Association’s journey.
As humans, we grow up observing and celebrating how we change each year. I believe that the same applies to an industry collective like SAMED where many exemplary individuals from different branches of our medtech sector and beyond worked together to define, defend, develop and realise the incalculable value of medtech in saving and improving lives.
Way back in 1985, the then Registrar of Medicines, Johan Schlebusch advised that Act 101 was to be amended to include medical devices into the regulatory framework. Dr Roger Balding of Johnson & Johnson convened a meeting of local manufacturers to discuss the implications of such legislation, and it was decided to form SAMED – the South African Medical Device Industry Manufacturers’ Association.
The early objectives of the Association were to engage with the regulatory authorities on impending registration of devices.
Our founding member forefathers were: Brittan Healthcare Group; Browning Medical cc; Marcus Medical (Pty) Ltd; Orthomedics (Pty) Ltd; Safmed (Pty) Ltd; Smith & Nephew (Pty) Ltd; Southern Implants (Pty) Ltd.
The Association membership was restricted to local manufacturers for the initial seven years. Multinationals were excluded as they were de facto well advanced regarding regulatory compliance. In 1990 the proposed changes to Act 101 were released and SAMED objected vehemently as the intent was merely to add the words ‘medical devices’ to legislation that dealt with pharmaceutical products. Since it was not created for medical devices, it would have been impossible for any device company to comply with such irrelevant legislation.
Due to SAMED’s staying power and incredible efforts over four decades, we finally have medical device-specific regulations and SAMED continues to advocate that these be harmonised, fit-for-purpose and that they keep up with the times. Because who would have known 40 years ago that artificial intelligence would today be enhancing diagnostics? Could we have foreseen remote monitoring technology transforming chronic disease management and telemedicine bringing consultations with HCPs to people who until recently might not have had access to healthcare?
Together, we have identified, developed, provided and shared expertise, research and resources with medtech suppliers, policy makers, funders, regulators, healthcare professionals (HCPs) and South African patients. This legacy has allowed SAMED to gain perspective and harness learnings and relationships to ensure that we can confidently look towards a prosperous future for the medtech sector and its vital role in patient care.
From an industry association to an Institution for Collaboration
The high regard for SAMED in the market is reflected by the many local and international entities that approach SAMED for advice and assistance and shows that South Africa is an enticing place to be for the medtech industry. Despite its headwinds, South Africa provides one of the best routes into Africa.
In recognition of how SAMED’s role has expanded from primarily fighting for the vital conditions for a functioning medtech industry to holistically impacting the health system and socio-economic transformation, this year the board proclaimed SAMED as an Institute for Collaboration (IFC). The progression is truly an exciting demonstration of our elevated voice and the ability to influence South Africa’s broad trajectory.
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That SAMED functions as an IFC which relies on partnerships to achieve its mission to serve as the collective voice of the medtech industry. A crucial aspect of this function is to empower member companies with information and tools to help them navigate through the evolving regulatory and healthcare landscape.
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SAMED’s role in shaping and enabling efficient industry policy and regulation, supporting its members and their commercial goals and addressing macroeconomic, regulatory and competitive challenges.
As SAMED turns 40, we ought to note significant dynamics that are part of today’s context and tomorrow’s trajectory for the medtech sector. South Africa and the African continent are at the same time home to recognised healthcare centres of excellence and some of the most unequal and under-served health systems worldwide.
With her youthful population, Africa can rapidly adopt and optimise digitisation and other new technologies to improve healthcare, as well as other ESG (environment, social, governance) goals and indicators. In addition, a fundamental common spirit of togetherness – in South Africa expressed as uBuntu – provides a foundation to unite and amplify the value that our diverse businesses and services bring to each patient across vastly different healthcare settings.
SAMED's ESG-centred future-forward strategy
Hence, I am confident SAMED’s strategy which is defined in the context of ESG and led by the assigned board members can deliver on these objectives.
The environmental work-stream concentrates on advancing the objectives of the MEDTECH Master Plan as a blueprint for growth, innovation and sustainability of the sector and enabling a constructive regulatory environment. Both points require a nuanced yet persistent engagement with South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) and the Department of Trade Industry Competition (the dtic) to ensure that global best practices are adopted and that they support stakeholders and the growth of the industry. SAMED, together with other trade associations, is co-funding the MEDTECH Master Plan Project Coordinator Vic van Vuuren. Furthermore, the workstream is getting immersed into our sector’s carbon footprint and the other rising environmental sustainability priorities. Multinational member companies that must report on these indicators are ahead of our other members and SAMED is developing ways to support our entire member base in embracing these necessary changes.
The social work-stream will drive SAMED’s mission to foster a more inclusive, representative and impactful medtech sector.
Its primary focus is to enhance SAMED’s visibility and influence power through strategic, high-impact public relations, while embedding social transformation at the core of the industry's growth. Key to the success is understanding the different generations that make up our stakeholder constituency that ranges from Baby Boomers to Gen Zs. They consume information and data differently. We need to be agile and nimble in the development and use of information technology to relate to them as well as provide insights to our members. We will further harness the Women Empowerment Index and YES 4 YOUTH partnership to collectively promote gender equality, youth inclusion and ultimately, the sustainable transformation of the sector. I can assure you that this is not only the right thing to do, but these initiatives are critical in opening and sustaining constructive dialogue with many key stakeholders. In addition, the work-stream will continue to support SAMED members with ongoing information sessions on key topics including ethics and legislative changes like the Employment Equity Act and the deployment of sectoral targets.
For the governance work-stream, the implementation of NHI presents both a significant opportunity and a challenge for the medtech sector. The team continues to proactively engage with stakeholders to ensure that the rollout of NHI supports long-term viability and sustainability of our industry. Supporting members and government to resolve the outstanding payments challenge is taking place within this context.
In conclusion
Thank you firstly to our member companies – your membership sustains SAMED as well as access to medtech products and services needed by the health system and South African patients. Thank you to the SAMED board, whose guidance and expertise have been invaluable – I truly value your time and support. I also extend my appreciation to the SAMED team. Linda, Alwi, Ntokozo, Emily, Ntombikayise, Nomthi and our knowledgeable and committed EO Tanya. This year's achievements would have been impossible without your hard work, education and passion for the industry. We thank you for your unwavering commitment to the industry and our members.
Scott de Oliveira
CHAIRPERSON
Increasing the value of SAMED membership
Throughout the past year, our members have dealt with several complex yet interrelated policy and market dynamics. Each of our strategic topics demands a deep understanding of the landscape and thorough, ongoing engagement, both internally as well as externally with government, private and non-profit stakeholders. Addressing them firstly requires being proactive.
As our Executive Officer Tanya highlights in her video in this report, we can sit by and have things happen to us – but that’s not how we act together or get the most of our membership. Or we can drive the conversation. That means that internally, in our SAMED community that acts as a serious and impactful institution for collaboration, we must participate, argue, decide, provide data, skills, time and more.
I call on my SAMED peers and the entire SAMED family to look beyond what is urgent on our daily to-do list and work on what is material and important for our progress and sustainability.
Executive Officer's report
I’m extremely proud to contribute my report to SAMED’s 40th anniversary annual report. The SAMED that we see in 2025 is a grown up, established Institute for Collaboration and I believe our theme, SAMED at 40: Breaking Barriers for Inclusive, Innovative and Impactful Medtech as reflected in this publication illustrates our endurance, unity in purpose and contribution of our sector to healthcare.
To say that SAMED of today is vastly different to SAMED in its inception year 1985 and even to the one I joined in 2006 is to state the obvious. I believe that many incredible leaders that we had along the way have been instrumental in getting us to this milestone. I want to remember and make mention of those who have played consequential roles in SAMED and in my development. We cannot understate the value that both men and women leaders bring to our growth and help empower us.
The inaugural chair in 1985 was Andre du Plessis followed by Frans Erasmus and then Rob Millar who has been with SAMED since its earliest days, serving on the board, both as a chairperson and treasurer and who played an instrumental role in the development of our Code of Marketing and Business Practice. For his invaluable service to SAMED, last year Rob became our first lifelong Honorary Member.
How we broke and continue breaking barriers
SAMED’s 40th anniversary theme, Breaking Barriers – Inclusive, Innovative and Impactful Medtech, encapsulates essential messages and themes. Breaking Barriers is a rallying call to identify and overcome systemic and operational challenges that constitute many of the pain points of SAMED members – such as the need for robust and relevant regulations as well as procurement and reimbursement difficulties in both the public and private health sectors.
The medtech industry has the responsibility to be inclusive – to assist health systems in all their forms and varieties to provide access to relevant and quality medtech. Inclusivity likewise entails our commitment to women and youth inclusivity and the sector’s transformation, diversity and sustainability.
The way we embrace innovation and invest in technological advancement across the entire medtech value chain needs to ensure the relevance, quality, cost-effectiveness and efficiency of products and services required by our market.
The profound and multi-faceted impact medtech has on the lives of patients, users of medtech and health systems needs to be quantified and recognised.
Between them, SAMED's 130 ordinary member companies have nearly 10 000 permanent employees and contribute many times that number in terms of training and employment opportunities generated. Together with all the products and services provided by the medtech value chain, we directly enable and strengthen the health systems we interact with.
We acknowledge and celebrate our impact, these milestones and the opportunities to support healthcare and socio-economic progress for years to come!
Graph 1: Insight into SAMED membership composition
"SAMED is not an office.
SAMED is every company who
is a member of SAMED."
- Dr Sybil Seoka,
SAMED board member
Dr Seoka's words are deeply resonant as we look at the evolving membership composition, illustrated in various graphs. Underscoring SAMED’s relevance to smaller, local companies and the growing number of small/medium-sized enterprises joining the Association demonstrates the benefits of being a member of SAMED and the valuable access this affords to business-essential information and assistance. SAMED’s representation of companies of all sizes and both local and international role players shows how we can come together to jointly address the needs of the medtech sector and to serve South African patients and the healthcare system.
I'm delighted to include in this report graphs based on data provided recently by the members - thank you! It reveals a vibrant South African medtech sector and how it shows up internationally.
The trends still reflect the more established, pre-COVID-19 flow of health products, with South Africa importing the bulk of medtech from the larger global economies and exporting mainly into Africa.
As leaders and professionals in your various fields, I am confident you will appreciate the high value of this data. Given the various geopolitical and local dynamics, these insights assist SAMED members and medtech stakeholders to inform their short- and longer-term strategies.
Therefore, SAMED will deliberately continue to focus on research, information gathering and provision of reliable medtech sector data.
Graph 3: Main countries of medtech export from South Africa
Graph 2: Main countries of medtech import into South Africa
Graph 4: # of companies that sell products by GMDN code
Specifically, our industry has this year faced various external matters, including regulatory complexity, economic volatility, geopolitical risks, and technological disruption. Compliance with evolving South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) regulations, procurement shifts, and EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR) requirements continue to add layers of complexity to business operations. Additionally, outstanding public sector payments, exchange rate fluctuations and shifting global trade conditions present further challenges for our medtech businesses. The industry must navigate issues related to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital transformation and the growing influence of non-traditional players.
During the year, three specific interconnected policies and market-related challenges emerged:
National Health Insurance: SAMED’s recently released 10-point position paper on NHI strives to simplify key factors for the transition and provide tangible, implementable, best-practice recommendations.
MEDTECH Master Plan: SAMED is a leading, highly involved medtech stakeholder in the realisation of the Master Plan.
Resolution of the public sector debt owed to members: Much time and effort is afforded daily to raise awareness and mobilise urgency among government role players to resolve the issue as a foundation for a better-resourced, sustainable supply of essential health technology and a functional health system going forward.
Solving a billion-rand government debt problem
Throughout various engagements, SAMED continued to highlight primary requests and recommendations:
Improving/streamlining communication between suppliers and the responsible provincial officials.
Focusing on longstanding debt in addition to making payments for the more recent invoices.
Strengthening provincial budgets to avoid provinces having to use next year’s budget to settle current invoices.
I wish to emphasise that the best leverage we can use for these engagements is data. We need information on how much is owed to member companies so we can present accurate, current data to credibly elevate the urgency and importance of this challenge. During the year, an increasing number of member companies were submitting their information to the portal, which speaks to the relevance and seriousness of the problem. The data from the portal is pulled and analysed quarterly, and the most recent May 2025 figures are represented here. So, if your business has government debt, please participate in the next round of data collection.
Graph 5: Outstanding payments by province
Graph 6: Outstanding payments by age analysis
Throughout these engagements, SAMED continued to highlight primary requests and recommendations:
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Improving/streamlining communication between suppliers and the responsible provincial officials.
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Focusing on longstanding debt in addition to making payments for the more recent invoices.
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Strengthening provincial budgets to avoid provinces having to use next year’s budget to settle current invoices.
I wish to emphasise that the best leverage we can use for these engagements is data. We need information on how much is owed to member companies so we can present accurate, current data to elevate the urgency and importance of this challenge. During the year, an increasing number of member companies are adding their information to the portal, which speaks to the relevance and seriousness of the problem. The data from the portal is pulled and analysed quarterly, and the most recent May 2025 figures are represented here. So, if your business has government debt, please participate in the next round of data collection.
Table 1: Outstanding payments to SAMED members | May 2025
Addressing other reimbursement matters
During the year, SAMED initiated dialogues with the private medical scheme sector and the regulator, Council for Medical Schemes (CMS), relating to gaps in the representation of medtech expenditure and to request clearer, more transparent, accurate and medtech-appropriate data/terminology use in reimbursement processes and reports.
This data is critical! It is the basis for reimbursement guidelines, setting of fees and payment procedures.
Without insight into this information, it is difficult to correctly apportion fees and payments for medtech to suppliers against allocations for hospital or HCP fees or to challenge insufficient, misinformed or inequitable allocations for medtech products. SAMED ensured our representatives were prepared for these engagements and that we used them as strategic platforms to communicate other essential information about the industry and how to ensure medtech and innovative solutions function well across the diverse conditions under which they are applied.
I am pleased to report that we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CMS that will assist to realise this imperative. The MOU provides a framework for collaboration between CMS and SAMED, with a view to sharing information, data and research on medtech and supporting each other on joint projects by consulting on experiences and challenges in our respective business environments.
The partnership has facilitated SAMED’s participation in CMS’s policy roundtable where SAMED reiterated the message that the medtech sector lacks access to data which is vital for value-based procurement (VBP) and standardised health technology assessment (HTA) processes and requirements across multiple schemes.
SAMED held a productive engagement with Discovery Health early in the year to put forward the members’ voice on cost pressures our sector faces and manages every day. In the context of value-based outcomes, the sector’s contribution to essential health services and the sustainability of our industry, SAMED has requested from Discovery Health as the dominant funder to review its reimbursement models and consult with SAMED and industry when they create reimbursement models to ensure optimal health outcomes.
SAMED has also raised the matter of the high cost of commercialised published data and that it is in everyone’s interest – most importantly the patients’ – if those reports can be more easily accessed by the medtech industry to inform strategies.
Addressing these areas will provide insights for our sector and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of healthcare financing in South Africa. The achievements speak directly to the SAMED strategy in multiple ways – not least of all universal healthcare access, and we undertake to keep you posted on the future benefits and outcomes of this intervention.
Another key aspect of reimbursement – and cause of the frustrations felt by some members – that SAMED addressed relates to HTAs and health economics and outcomes research (HEOR). SAMED initiated a collaboration with a service provider, Syenza, to empower members with the critical knowledge and skills needed to navigate HTAs and HEOR for market access and more effective reimbursement. The nine-month course is only accessible to SAMED ordinary members at this stage so make sure your company benefits from this offer!
Compliance and regulatory report
This SAMED pillar was exceptionally active during the year. I would like to recognise the Code Committee for their insights, commitment and many hours that went into revamping and upgrading the central piece in SAMED’s sector self-regulatory framework – the Medical Technology Code of Ethical Marketing and Business Practice.
The Code is now a user-friendly digital resource that is proving to be a valuable component in the broader SAMED compliance programme. The Code is patient-centred. It promotes and encourages ethical principles and practices during medtech supplier-customer interactions. Despite its depth and breadth, the Code is nevertheless easy to navigate and contains valuable information about the activities that govern the way medtech companies do business in South Africa and their interactions with HCPs.
With leadership from SAMED’s Compliance and Regulatory Manager, Alwi Spearpoint, SAMED has updated and aligned the Certification questions and criteria with the Code, as well as streamlined the certification processes and opened the Certification up to all stakeholders including healthcare professionals (HCPs) and professional conference organisers (PCOs) with the objective of deepening the Code’s adoption and use. Furthermore, becoming a signatory of the Code – as a demonstration of uBuntu and accountability – has been extended to all medtech companies, regardless of their membership of SAMED and is open to SALDA and MDMSA members as well. The intention is to raise awareness of bribery and corruption risks and to build a movement dedicated to ethics and governance throughout the industry.
To publicise and mobilise interest and uptake of the Code and completing the Certification test among external stakeholders, SAMED published a CPD-accredited article in leading medical media and through organisations such as the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as part of a communication and marketing drive targeted at professional societies and conference organisers.
The graphs below illustrate the status of Code Certification:
Well done to Alwi for getting the Code Certification by HCPs CPD-accredited. This will increase the established value of this SAMED initiative, with plans to expand accreditation to other SAMED Code compliance events.
HCPs from different health disciplines are on board: 21 HCPs received certification since January and 42 have requested the Certification Voucher that allows them three free attempts (thereafter a nominal fee applies).
The certification of member companies’ staff, namely the Compliance Officers and all customer-facing employees whose certification is in progress.
SAMED diligently facilitated and monitored member company certifications, as well as managed four cases reported to the Code Hotline during the year and responded to 10 requests for advisory opinions.
As the graph on advisory opinions illustrates, the selection of compliant venues for HCP education is a complex and frequently raised topic that SAMED intends to address in collaboration with MedTech Europe and MECOMED so that SAMED gains access to the CVS platform used by these entities with the intention to simplify venue vetting for SAMED members.
Graph 7: The increasing Code certification by HCPs
Graph 8: Code certification by compliance officers of member companies
Graph 9: Update of The Code advisory opinions
Table 2: The Code Hotline use during the year
SAMED has participated in meetings and workshops hosted by the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum (HSACF), which as a multistakeholder collaboration includes various entities such as the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the National Department of Health, SAHPRA, Section 27, the Board of Healthcare Funders, the South African Medical Association (SAMA) and the HPCSA.
SAMED and HSACF are collaborating on the identification and appropriate sanctions for bogus doctors.
Substandard and falsified medical (SF) products have been identified as one of the urgent global challenges of this decade. SAMED is participating in the SAHPRA/WHO collaboration on the essential strategies to prevent, detect and respond to substandard and falsified medical products in the national supply chain.
SAMED has participated in meetings and workshops hosted by the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum (HSACF), which as a multistakeholder collaboration includes various entities such as the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the National Department of Health, SAHPRA, Section 27, the Board of Healthcare Funders, the South African Medical Association (SAMA) and the HPCSA.
SAMED and HSACF are collaborating on the identification and appropriate sanctions for bogus doctors.
Substandard and falsified medical (SF) products have been identified as one of the urgent global challenges of this decade. SAMED is participating in the SAHPRA/WHO collaboration on the essential strategies to prevent, detect and respond to substandard and falsified medical products in the national supply chain.
These initiatives are strategically connected to Project 18C that seeks Ministerial recognition of industry self-regulation codes, including the Medical Technology Code, the MCA (Marketing Code Authority) as well as the applicability of the codes to all relevant suppliers of health products. The initiative is an added element in our regulatory engagements with SAHPRA which, it is envisaged, will be a responsible party in the enforcement of these codes.
SAMED has also undertaken the following activities as part of compliance and regulatory affairs. I would like to note the stellar work by SAMED secretariat and committees which committedly apply their attention and time to source, analyse and prepare the submissions which benefit every SAMED member.
Table 3: SAMED participation in regulatory affairs
Advocacy, networking, events and public relations
The Board strategy recognises and gives prominence to these functions within the Social pillar with some of the KPIs being to: (i) establish SAMED as the go-to authority on medtech in South Africa; (ii) develop strategic lobbying and policy influence efforts; (iii) strengthen member engagement and buy-in; and (iv) improve communication with patient groups and the public.
I hope that you have noticed and have engaged with SAMED’s diverse member and stakeholder communication platforms which are among key benefits to members. SAMED News and the dedicated recently introduced SAMED Compliance & Regulatory News mailers are a treasure-trove of practical, relevant, curated information. The SAMED Annual Conference and last year’s AGM along with 23 other top-notch events that were attended by 3 709 delegates is worthy of celebrating!
SAMED secretariat has been recognised for our active, quality, multichannel and interesting content we prepare and distribute, for growing our LinkedIn community, for ensuring members have resources they need on the website and for advocacy, PR and networking that elevates SAMED and helps us demonstrate leadership on topics that are material to members’ businesses and the medtech value chain.
To highlight just a few of the prestigious invitations and opportunities that were extended to SAMED during the year speaks to the credibility of the Association and the relevance of our work to the top-tier business, government and public sector partners and stakeholders:
The 9th Healthcare Expo Taiwan in December 2024
Launch of B20 in February in Cape Town and the follow-up G20 High-Level Ministerial Dialogue in April 2025 with focus on accelerating localised and regionalised manufacturing by leveraging the AfCFTA
Shortlisting and interviewing candidates in NDOH appointment process for the Essential Equipment Specialist position
Women Economic Assembly (WECONA) in March 2025 in Gauteng
GMTA Board meeting and MedTech Europe Forum in May 2025
‘Reimagining Medtech in South Africa’ and scenarios for linkage-to-care workshop held at the University of Johannesburg in June 2025
High Commission of Canada Trade Office in June 2025.
In closing, I am truly grateful to the SAMED Chairperson Scott de Oliveira for his dynamic and wise leadership and to all the Board members and Committee leadership for driving our agenda, visibility and projects, as well as engaging with stakeholders and the media during interviews on diversity, local manufacture, NHI, the outstanding public debt and ethics. These initiatives bring to life the voice of the medtech sector across public platforms and is greatly valued and appreciated.
The SAMED secretariat team – thank you for tremendous and recognised work and efforts this year! I am excited by what is ahead of us as we continue to provide value to member companies and grow the membership of SAMED and our sector.
Tanya Vogt
EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Diversity and inclusion
In deliberately and vigorously driving transformation and diversity, SAMED has amplified the positive impact of the medtech industry beyond the straightforward contribution to healthcare and patient outcomes to address other social dynamics including youth and women empowerment.
We are immensely grateful to all the SAMED members that have supported two critical medtech industry interventions where we got to show our mettle – SAMED Women Empowerment Index (WEI) and SAMED YES 4 Youth employment programme. While these initiatives are an expression of good corporate citizenship by members, they also provide the member companies with tangible transformative business benefits.
In deliberately and vigorously driving transformation and diversity, SAMED has amplified the positive impact of the medtech industry beyond the straightforward contribution to healthcare and patient outcomes to address other social dynamics including youth and women empowerment.
We are immensely grateful to all the SAMED members that have supported two critical medtech industry interventions where we got to show our mettle – SAMED Women Empowerment Index (WEI) and SAMED YES 4 Youth employment programme. While these initiatives are an expression of good corporate citizenship by members, they also provide the member companies with tangible transformative business benefits.
By signing up to WEI – at no cost to your company, you can obtain a certificate that benchmarks your entity’s women empowerment status and progress against the industry average. This certificate can be included in business bids and tenders to improve the competitiveness of your organisation compared to suppliers that are not yet part of the initiative.
So far 29 member companies have completed their WEI data inputs on our secure Data with Integrity platform. The average member index score currently stands at 45% (see the metrics summary in the table below).
SAMED continued to promote the WEI to members as well as significant stakeholders such as SAHPRA and private hospital groups. The Executive Officer attended the 2025 Women Economic Assembly (WECONA) and presented the WEI as a blueprint that WECONA plans to introduce to other key industry sectors to enable them to follow our lead and ensure that these organisations play an active role in gender equality and transformation. WECONA was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa with the objective to unlock partnerships to improve inclusion for women-owned-businesses in the economy and specifically supply chains.
There is great synergy between WECONA and SAMED and this relationship is of strategic significance as it propels us as a thought leader in high-level business and government networks.
The first published result of WEI serve as a critical baseline for members to benchmark their individual progress and for customers and other role players to track medtech industry’s impact.
The score is based on data from four key metrics. The fifth metric on Women Remuneration is voluntary and not yet included in the overall score.
By signing up to WEI – at no cost to your company, you can obtain a certificate that benchmarks your entity’s women empowerment status and progress against the industry average. This certificate can be included in business bids and tenders to improve the competitiveness of your organisation compared to suppliers that are not yet part of the initiative.
So far 29 member companies have completed their WEI data inputs on our secure Data with Integrity platform. The average member index score currently stands at 45% (see the metrics summary in the table below).
SAMED continued to promote the WEI to members as well as significant stakeholders such as SAHPRA and private hospital groups. The Executive Officer attended the 2025 Women Economic Assembly (WECONA) and presented the WEI as a blueprint that WECONA plans to introduce to other key industry sectors to enable them to follow our lead and ensure that these organisations play an active role in gender equality and transformation. WECONA was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa with the objective to unlock partnerships to improve inclusion for women-owned-businesses in the economy and specifically supply chains.
There is great synergy between WECONA and SAMED and this relationship is of strategic significance as it propels us as a thought leader in high-level business and government networks.
As the first published result of WEI, it serves as a critical baseline for members to benchmark their individual progress and for customers and other role players to track medtech industry’s impact.
The score is based on data from four key metrics. The fifth metric on Women Remuneration is voluntary and not yet included in the overall score.
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Whether your organisation is a medtech supplier, a hospital or another healthcare service provider, you can support YES next time you are recruiting.
All you need to do is go to the SAMED X YES Alumni portal [use password samedmemberCVportal123] to access profiles for hundreds of young, trained administrators, stock controllers, marketing and other professionals.
YES 4 Youth is an invaluable resource, and we call on all SAMED members to sign up to help boost diversity, transformation, workplace energy and competitiveness across the medtech supply chain.
Simply put, there is enormous benefit to opening our companies and teams to young, educated and enthusiastic professionals who enrich our collectives and help us appreciate and embrace every individual’s own personality and competencies.
SAMED has onboarded the second YES youth, Ntombikayise Mabuza who has already shared her talents for public relations and communication while working with SAMED’s Nomthi Mnisi, Marketing, Communications and Events Manager, on SAMED’s 40th anniversary branding and the upcoming annual conference. The first YES youth, Dikapo Magolego, completed his one-year tenure with SAMED having shown eagerness to get involved and learn, be helpful to the SAMED team and members, and taking personal pride and ownership of his work and contributions. Dikapo has recently been absorbed by Merit Medical as a Data Analyst. We wish Ntombikayise, Dikapo, and all the YES youth much success in their professional and personal endeavours!
Transformation remains a key strategic pillar for SAMED and our members. In 2024, we gathered B-BBEE data to analyse the member transformation landscape and used some of this vital information in our submissions on SAHPRA’s draft B-BBEE policy and Employment Equity regulations.
The findings show encouraging progress, with many companies improving their B-BBEE levels between 2019 and 2024. However, there is still room for growth, particularly in addressing non-compliance.
Graph 10: SAMED member companies' latest B-BBEE scores
Progress on local manufacture
SAMED has remained a driving force in the implementation of the MEDTECH Master Plan which was signed in May 2024. We established a Local Manufacturers Interest Group with the objective to identify synergies and activities to support the growth of the medtech manufacturing sector. The interest group is not limited to local manufacturers and welcomes engagements with all parties keen on exploring this objective, including distributors and multinationals.
SAMED coordinated the collaboration between the different industry associations with local manufacturing interests, namely MDMSA, SALDA and the Western Cape Cluster to present a unified approach by the sector towards the Master Plan. Together with these associations, SAMED has committed to a significant financial contribution to the Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) as the dtic-appointed provider of Master Plan Services. The funding is specifically for the Project Manager responsible for the execution of the MEDTECH Master Plan. Vic van Vuuren was appointed as the Project Manager with effect from 1 February 2025.
Two SAMED board members, Reiner Gabler and Ian Wakefield, have been appointed to the Steering Committee for the MEDTECH Master Plan with the brief to represent the interest of SAMED member companies. SAMED also has a presence in the four sub-committees.
Table 4: SAMED representation on MEDTECH Master Plan sub-committees
Financial and governance report
Thanks to the support of member companies, SAMED ended 2024 with healthy financial results. The board believes that SAMED has adequate financial resources to continue its operations for the foreseeable future and that the financial governance of SAMED is strong.
A total of 91 members (54% of SAMED membership) took the option to settle membership fees early, thereby benefitting from a 3.5% fee reduction for 2024.
The board members led by the chairperson oversaw SAMED’s robust governance processes and procedures. For the first time in SAMED’s 40-year history a new chairperson had to be elected during the year when the previous chairperson resigned from a member company, thereby making him ineligible to remain in the chair. The board acknowledges Scott de Oliveira who took up the vacated chairperson role. The chair and vice chairs have provided valuable expertise and dynamic, hands-on leadership and decision-making, as well as ensured monthly engagement sessions with the SAMED Executive Officer. The board has since instituted amendments to the Association’s Constitution to include roles relating to the election of chair, vice chair and treasurer and specifying the process in case of a split vote/tie in the number of votes each nominee receives.
SAMED Board members - 27 May 2024 to 27 May 2025
Scott de Oliveira
SAMED Chairperson
Vice President: Africa & Iraq
Merit Medical
Ian Wakefield
SAMED Vice Chairperson
General Manager: Africa
BD
Reiner Gabler
SAMED Treasurer
Managing Director
Gabler Medical
Anthony Lowther
Resigned 28/02/2025
Vice President
Smith & Nephew
Avanthi Govender Bester
Associate Director – Regulatory Affairs
& Quality
Alcon Laboratories
Ayanda Swana
CEO
Siemens Healthineers
Donata Kubheka
Resigned 14/06/2024
Madeleine Pearce
Director of Regulatory Affairs: International Region, Middle East, Türkiye, Africa
Philips Healthcare
Monica Lucas
General Manager
Werkomed
Peter Mehlape
Resigned 27/05/2025
Independent
Stuart Blackbeard
Design Engineer
Southern Implants
Dr Sybil Seoka
Managing Director
Ample Resources
Tracy Moonsamy
Group Sustainability and Risks Executive
Beier
SAMED committees
SAMED secretariat | 27 May 2024 - 27 May 2025
From left to right: Ntombikayise Mabuza (YES Youth Marketing, Communications, Events Intern); Linda Crystal (Executive Secretary and Membership Relations); Alwi Spearpoint (Compliance and Regulatory Manager); Tanya Vogt (Executive Officer); Ntokozo Dlamini (Projects Coordinator); Nomthi Mnisi (Marketing, Communications and Events Manager); Emily Metlhape (Office Administration Assistant)
SAMED Membership
ORDINARY MEMBERS
Abbott Rapid Diagnostics (Pty) Ltd
Abex Pharmaceutical (Pty) Ltd
Absolute Orthopedics (Pty) Ltd
Acino Forensics (Pty) Ltd
Advanced Orthopaedic Solutions (Pty) Ltd
Africoncur Medical (Pty) Ltd
AHG Health Solutions (Pty) Ltd
Akacia Medical (Pty) Ltd
Alcon Laboratories (Pty) Ltd
Allenco Medical and Dental Supplies
Alltech Healthcare (Pty) Ltd
Ample Resources (Pty) Ltd
Anstem Medical (Pty) Ltd
Ariste Health (Pty) Ltd
Arjohuntleigh South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Arterial Medical (Pty) Ltd
Ashanti Medical cc
B.Braun Medical (Pty) Ltd
Bausch + Lomb
Bcc Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd
Becton Dickinson (Pty) Ltd
Beier Drawtex Healthcare (Pty) Ltd
BioTech Africa (Pty) Ltd
Bloemed Medical Supplies and Services cc
BMG Orthopaedic Solutions (Pty) Ltd
Bone SA
Boston Scientific South Africa (Pty) Ltd
BSN Medical (Pty) Ltd
Carl Zeiss (Pty) Ltd
Casmed Logistics (Pty) Ltd
Centre for Tissue Engineering
Chairman Industries (Pty) Ltd
Cherrymed Enterprises (Pty) Ltd
Coloplast A/S
Continuous Oxygen Suppliers (Pty) Ltd Trading
as VitalAire
Convatec South Africa
Corin SA (Pty) Ltd
Cossni Medical (Pty) Ltd
Creatori Health (Pty) Ltd
Dahlhausen (Pty) Ltd
Demant South Africa (Pty) Ltd (previously Oticon)
Dimela Health (Pty) Ltd
Dr Temp (Pty) Ltd
Dräger South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Duzane-Africa Medical (previously Future Med Co)
Edwards Life Sciences South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Elegant Line Trading 64 cc
Elekta (Pty) Ltd
Endosurgical (Pty) Ltd
Ethitech (Pty) Ltd
Fluorovizion Holdings
Fresenius Medical Care South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Gabler Medical (Pty) Ltd
GE Medical Systems South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Grobir Medical Suppliers (Pty) Ltd
Guerbet South Africa (Pty) Ltd
H.A.S.S Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd
Hartmann Vitamed (Pty) Ltd
HemoCue South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Hi Care Surgicial (Pty) Ltd
Imperial Market Access Healthcare SA (Pty) Ltd
Implantcast South Africa (Pty) LtdImvula Health care Logistics (Pty) Ltd
JaLo Enterprise (Pty) Ltd
Johnson & Johnson Medical (Pty) Ltd
K2 Medical (Pty) Ltd
Karl Storz Endoscopy SA (Pty) Ltd
Kiara MedTech (Pty) Ltd
Langamedics (Pty) LtdLatroglo
Medics (Pty) Ltd
LDK Intertrade (Pty) Ltd
Lechoba Medical Technologies (Pty) Ltd
Ligamed (Pty) LtdLorumir D (Pty) Ltd
Lukatit Investments 14 (Pty) Ltd ta Unitron
SAMaars Medical (Pty) Ltd
Maisha Med (Pty) Ltd
Maquet Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd
Marcus Medical (Pty) Ltd
MED-EL Distribution (Pty) Ltd
Med-EL Impant Systems South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Medhealth Supplies (Pty) Ltd
Medical International Orthopaedic cc
Medical Plant Africa (Pty) Ltd
Medtronic Africa
Meducat Medical (Pty) Ltd
Melemo Medical
Mental Link International (Pty) Ltd
Merck Life Science
Meril SA (Pty) Ltd
Merit Medical South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Mezotrix (Pty) Ltd
Modiro Medical (Pty) Ltd
Morgan Joshua Innovation
Mossmed (Pty) Ltd
MyOrtho Solutions (Pty) Ltd
National Bioproducts
Institue NPC
Neurophysics (Pty) Ltd
NGL Logistics Solutions
Nipro Medical South Africa (Pty) Ltd
NuAngle Solutions (Pty) Ltd
O&M Halyard South Africa
Obsidian Health (Pty) Ltd
OMS Medical (Pty) Ltd
Optimum Orthopaedics (Pty) Ltd
Ortho-Design (Pty) Ltd
Orthomedics
Ortho-Xact (Pty) Ltd
Osteologix SA (Pty) Ltd
Paragon 28 Medical Devices Trading Limited
Patient Medical Care T/A Zebra
MedicalPerryhill International Trading (Pty) Ltd
Philips South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Phoenix Neomed
Pinnacle Innovations (Pty) Ltd
Pointer Medical (Pty) Ltd
Population Services International SA (Pty) Ltd
PrimeSafe (Pty) Ltd T/A SteriTech
PrionGuard
Priontex
SAPrism Inter Africa cc
Procter & Gamble South African Trading
Professional Orthopaedics (Pty) Ltd
Progress Medical Supplies
Progressus Digital
Q-Surgical
Responsive Orthopaedics (Pty) Ltd
Roche Diagnostics (Pty) Ltd
SA Biomedical Holdings (Pty) Ltd
Safarmex (Pty) Ltd
Safmed (Pty) Ltd
Sea4 Medical Logistics (Pty) Ltd
Selective Surgical (Pty) Ltd
Siemens Healthcare (Pty) Ltd
Smith & Nephew (Pty) Ltd
Soflens
Southern Ear Nose and Throat (Pty) Ltd
Southern Implants (Pty) ltd
Staar Surgical (Pty) Ltd
Stiegelmeyer Africa (Pty) Ltd
Stryker South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Supra Healthcare (Pty) Ltd
Sure Medical (Pty) Ltd
Surgical and Ophthalmic Supplies (Pty) Ltd
Surgical Innovations (Pty) Ltd
SXS Surgical Solutions (Pty) Ltd
Synthecon Sutures Manufacturing SA cc
Systagenix T/A Solventum
Tara Healthcare
Teekay Link Medical Solution
Teleflex Medical (Pty) Ltd
The Scientific Group
Thogwa Medicals and Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd
Umsebe Healthcare
Vertec Scientific SA (Pty) Ltd
Vertice Healthcare (Pty) Ltd
Viking BCT (Pty) Ltd
Viking Cardiovascular (Pty) Ltd
Werkomed (Pty) Ltd
WS Audiology South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Zimmer Biomed South Africa (Pty) Ltd
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
AfriPharm SA (Pty) Ltd
BRANDTECH Health Technology Consulting
CEASA (The Clinical Engineering in South Africa)
CSIR
DI Medicine Regulatory Consultants
Diverse Conversations
Dr Vitor MLdeA Ferrao Executive Consultant
DSV Solutions (Pty) Ltd
Enterprise Ireland
Institute of Bio Research Auditing and Training in Southern Africa (IBRATSA)
IQuad Integrated Management Systems (Pty) Ltd
JC Auditors
JPJ Medical
KOTRA
Mark Banfield & Associates
Masoom Training Solutions
Mawele Investments cc
MC Pharma Consulting (Pty) Ltd
MEDInc SA
Regulatory For Africa
HONORARY MEMBER
Rob Millar
Towards the next 40 years
Driving member value and involvement
NHI with essential equipment list and HTA
The Code, ethics and conference vetting system
Patient voice and patient-centric medtech for populations
of different gender and ageAI and its regulation and responsible use
ESG across member company contexts
All-important regulations and ISO 13485
