Egypt leads Africa’s pharmaceutical sector with largest market

Egypt has reaffirmed its leadership in the African pharmaceutical sector, with the largest market on the continent valued at over US$6.2 billion. The announcement was made by Ali El-Ghamrawy, Chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), as reported by Sada el-Balad, a partner of TV BRICS.

He noted that the Egyptian market accounts for more than 27 per cent of the African pharmaceutical sector, despite the country representing only 8 per cent of the continent's population. The industry includes over 12,000 registered pharmaceutical products, with annual sales exceeding 3.5 billion units and a compound annual growth rate of 15 per cent in 2023, surpassing global averages.

Egypt's pharmaceutical manufacturing infrastructure comprises 179 human medicine factories, including 11 internationally accredited facilities, alongside 150 medical device factories, 4 biological product facilities, 130 cosmetics factories, and 5 raw material plants.

According to the source, the national production base is supported by nearly 2,370 production lines, 990 of which are dedicated to medicine, more than 1,600 pharmaceutical distribution companies, and approximately 80,000 pharmacies.

It is also reported that Egypt has achieved 91 per cent self-sufficiency in pharmaceuticals, the highest rate in the Middle East and Africa, with plans to raise this to 94 per cent within the next three years as part of the national localisation strategy.

Egypt’s pharmaceutical exports currently reach more than 150 countries worldwide and have expanded into new markets in Africa and the Arab world.