Question NW669 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

Reply:

The development of a modern Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) production facility would be an international showcase of South Africa’s capabilities.  As this is a specialised building, highly skilled external consulting engineers and other specialists have been appointed to develop a concept layout and detailed design of the manufacturing process.

The following key steps have been completed:

• Construction related firms such as engineering, architectural, electrical, mechanical and construction to design plan and implement the construction of the new FMD factory have all been contracted
• A process engineer to develop the design or layout of the infrastructure (piping, bioreactors, purifiers, centrifuges, etc.) that will be used in the manufacturing process has been appointed. 

• A well-designed production process is essential for optimisation of the factory design, particularly for obtaining qualifications for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) which is required not only for export purposes but also by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) to grant the manufacturing license for the factory.
  • A Project Manager to manage the construction has already been recruited.

The next steps are as follows:

• Obtain all the regulatory permits and approvals for the construction of the facility. These will be secured by the firms contracted to project manage the construction phase of the project.
• Start the construction phase of the factory. The building must have certified engineering features to ensure that the highest international standards and compliance are achieved and that a world-leading environment for both staff and animals is provided.

The table below provides a summary of the key steps in the process:

 

PHASE	ACTIVITIES
Design phase [underway and expected to be completed and signed off - 1st quarter of financial year 2024/25]	Below are the appointed service providers for the development of the new FMD vaccine factory at Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Campus (OVR): Process engineering firm; Architectural firm; Mechanical Engineering firm; Electrical Engineering firm; Civil & Engineering firm; Quantity Surveying firm; Wet Services Engineering firm; and Fire Services Engineering firm. The above appointed service providers have commenced and are almost finished with various stages of the pre-construction documentation and processes which entail the design and planning, infrastructure and bulk services provision and project budget.
Construction [24 – 36 months; expected to start at the beginning of August 2024]	Ordering of specialised equipment for vaccine production; Construction of building according to specifications; and Issuing of compliance certificates of completion in relation to National Building Standards.
Validation [approximately 18 months, followed by full commercial production]	Foot and mouth disease vaccine trials; and Inspection.

 

The coordination between the different appointed service providers is underway to ensure that the building meets the minimum standards in preparation for the construction of the new facility, with accurate user specification requirements, detailed design diagrams, and cost estimates.