The third largest pharmaceutical manufacturer in South Africa recently announced the construction of a purpose built 16 000m2 pharmaceutical storage facility in RivergatePark, Parklands N2, Cape Town.
According to Paul Miller, CEO of Cipla Medpro, the company is expecting an aggressive growth phase in line with its ethos of advancing healthcare for all South Africans. This is done through its continuous support for the Department of Health (DoH).
Working with government
‘On a monthly basis, 75 000kg of product will be moved through the facility, of which a major portion will form part of national tender supplies. This structure will serve as the main hub for all imports and distribution into southern Africa and will enable us to provide a wider variety and greater quantity of the required medication to the DoH,’ Miller explains.
A strategic location
The distribution centre will employ just under 100 staff members and will achieve a level 2 Empowerdex BBBEE rating. ‘With a warehouse capacity of 22 000 pallets, this state-of-the-art storage facility is expertly designed to meet stringent climate control regulations.’
The Western Cape was selected as the ideal location for the new facility as Cipla Medpro is headquartered in Cape Town. He adds, ‘The Cape Town harbour has a proven track record of efficiency and we are confident that this decision will ensure optimal logistics.’
Buying local is better
Local construction and design companies will be used in the completion of the project, and the facility is set to be fully operational by November 2015. ‘We are confident that this distribution centre will be instrumental in providing a wider variety of medication to the South African market and will tie into our ethos of providing affordable healthcare to all,’ he concludes.
