Deputy President Mashatile Rallies Private Sector to Strengthen South Africa’s HIV and TB Response
- Karabo Makgato
The South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) took a significant step towards strengthening multisectoral collaboration in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) when Deputy President Paul Mashatile, in his capacity as Chairperson of SANAC, met with private sector captains of industry at Aspen Pharmacare in Woodmead, Johannesburg, on 4 June 2026.
Hosted under the SANAC Private Sector Forum (PSF), the high-level engagement brought together leaders from government and the business sector to explore innovative solutions for sustaining South Africa’s HIV and TB response amid growing funding challenges.
Addressing the gathering, Deputy President Mashatile described the meeting as more than a stakeholder engagement, calling it “a call to action” and an opportunity to strengthen collaboration between government and business to improve the lives of millions of South Africans.
The Deputy President highlighted the interconnectedness of health and economic growth, noting that a healthy workforce is essential for productivity, innovation and sustainable development. “We have made remarkable progress in our response to HIV and TB over the past two decades, yet we know that much work remains to be done,” he said.
The engagement came at a critical time for South Africa’s HIV response, following the withdrawal of significant United States government funding support. This has created substantial service delivery and financing gaps that threaten to reverse hard-won gains in HIV prevention, treatment and care.
SANAC CEO Dr Thembisile Xulu presented a compelling case for increased private sector participation, emphasising that the HIV epidemic is not only a public health issue but also an economic challenge with direct implications for workforce productivity and business sustainability.
Dr Xulu highlighted that South Africa is currently facing a funding gap exceeding R7 billion, alongside significant losses in health workforce capacity and community-based services. “The choice before us is clear,” Dr Xulu said. “We can absorb the rising costs of inaction, or invest now in sustaining a healthy, productive workforce and a stable economy.”
She further warned that without replacement funding and sustained interventions; South Africa could experience up to 296,000 additional HIV infections and as many as 65,000 additional AIDS-related deaths by 2028.
To address this challenge, SANAC introduced the Coordinated Donor Fund, a transparent and jointly governed financing mechanism designed to mobilise resources from both public and private sectors while ensuring accountability and measurable impact.
Launch of the SANAC Private Sector Forum
The event also marked the formal launch of the fully constituted SANAC Private Sector Forum across all nine provinces, strengthening SANAC’s multisectoral approach to implementing the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for HIV, TB and STIs 2023–2028.
The Forum serves as a platform for business leaders to actively contribute to national health priorities through workplace programmes, investments, innovation, advocacy and strategic partnerships.
Deputy President Mashatile welcomed the growing role of the private sector, noting that government cannot achieve the NSP goals alone. “Government cannot achieve these goals alone. Neither can civil society, labour nor the private sector achieve them independently,” he said.
The engagement took place on the eve of South Africa’s historic rollout of lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable HIV prevention medicine administered only twice a year.
Describing the introduction of lenacapavir as one of the most significant scientific advances in HIV prevention in recent years, Deputy President Mashatile stressed that its success would depend on effective implementation, sustainable financing and strong partnerships across sectors.
He called on business leaders to support awareness campaigns, workplace education programmes, logistics and supply chain efforts to ensure equitable access to this groundbreaking prevention tool.
The engagement concluded with a renewed commitment from government, business and development partners to work together in accelerating progress towards the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, ending TB as a public health threat, and strengthening South Africa’s overall health security.
Deputy President Mashatile emphasized that the rollout of lenacapavir, the fight against HIV and TB, efforts to combat gender-based violence and the drive to expand opportunities for young people are all part of a broader national mission. “That mission is to build a healthier, more equal, more productive and more resilient South Africa,” he said.