US multinational corporation Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has signed a contract to deliver 220-million vaccine doses to Africa, with South Africa to receive 30-million doses.

President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement this week, saying he was pleased that J&J had signed a contract with the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team.

He made the announcement during his oversight visit alongside Deputy President David Mabuza to the Aspen Pharmacare sterile manufacturing facility and Coega Special Economic Zone, at Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape.

The visit to the Aspen Pharmacare Covid-19 sterile manufacturing facility focused on progress in vaccine production as part of the partnership between government and the private sector in the national vaccination programme.

The President said he was pleased with the push that both the Deputy President and Health Minister Zweli Mkhize had made to ensure the manufacture of vaccines for the entire continent by J&J.

“This Aspen here belongs to us as South Africans and it is making life-saving vaccines. As South Africa, we need to be in pole position to get the vaccines that are manufactured here. But we want the rest of the continent to also receive the vaccine with immediate effect.” said the President.

He added that the Aspen facility would also create jobs for the people of the Eastern Cape.

“We are pleased that the facility is here in the Eastern Cape where we want to continue to create jobs. This province is slowly becoming more than a manufacturing base . . . for South Africa.”