Unlike traditional pharmaceutical companies that own and market their products, CFAO Healthcare South Africa operates as a fully integrated independent distributor. This approach, common internationally, is lacking awareness in South Africa. Our focus is solely on providing comprehensive, turnkey distribution services on a buy-and-sell model, including regulatory services, importation, local production, distribution, and even brand management, key account management, and medical promotion through our strategic partner, Ethica South Africa.
Author: Philippe Franiatte, CEO at CFAO Healthcare SA
This fully developed service offering, along with a pan-African presence and a strong reputation in the African pharmaceutical industry, enables CFAO Healthcare South Africa to primarily focus on existing pharmaceutical companies and help solve their distribution problems. As pharmaceutical companies face increasing pressure to do more with fewer internal resources, decision makers may ask themselves: Should they maintain a broad presence in South Africa? Should they create dedicated teams for products experiencing low or stagnant growth? Should they invest in understanding regulatory requirements across multiple African markets? For many, the answer may be negative, and that is where we provide support.
CFAO Healthcare SA offers an alternative yet proven model that has already achieved success across the continent. In West, North, and East Africa, CFAO Healthcare supplies over 11,000 pharmacies daily. We are a market leader with extensive operational reach, a deep understanding of regulatory environments, and the capacity to support both established brands and new market entrants. However, in South Africa, awareness of who we are and what we offer is still developing.
Timing is crucial. South Africa's healthcare sector is experiencing a period of significant change. As market growth stabilises and operating conditions shift, many global pharmaceutical companies are reconsidering their investment strategies.
CFAO Healthcare South Africa continues to expand. We invest with a long-term perspective. We are actively onboarding new principals and improving our internal systems. Our focus is on addressing the pharmaceutical industry's biggest challenge: how to achieve more with less across multiple markets, while remaining compliant and efficient.
Above all, CFAO Healthcare SA does not compete with pharmaceutical manufacturers. We are fiercely independent. We aim to partner with them and help them reach patients more effectively across the continent.
