BVI kickstarts new P300m plant
Pauline Dikuelo | Monday March 9, 2026 09:28
The planned upgrade includes the construction of a new blending and filling laboratory, as well as the establishment of an antigen bank.
The new plant is expected to boost production capacity as BVI eyes expansion into the Middle Eastern markets.
The facility is expected to meet regional and international Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, with installation and commissioning scheduled for completion by 2027.
This week, officials said the revamp aligns with the institute’s five-year strategic plan (2021–2026), which focuses on enhancing operational efficiency, ensuring uninterrupted delivery of high-quality vaccines and broadening the parastatal’s product offering to mitigate revenue concentration risks.
BVI’s ageing plant has become a significant operational challenge, both in terms of regulatory compliance and rising maintenance costs. The officials noted that much of the BVI’s equipment is obsolete, with spare parts no longer available on the market, making maintenance extremely expensive.
BVI Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Madeswi, told BusinessWeek that the institute is targeting both Eastern and Western markets. He noted that Eastern markets, in particular, have large livestock populations, presenting significant growth opportunities.
“We are exploring ways to penetrate the Eastern and Western markets,” he said. “We believe animal disease control systems in some of these regions are weak from our perspective. “Our production capacity can help strengthen their disease management systems and unlock greater value from their livestock sector.”
Currently, BVI supplies vaccines to SADC, as well as countries in West Africa, East Africa, and the Middle East.
During the 2025–2026 financial year, BVI supplied 3.8 million doses of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine in the fight against the disease. According to available figures, South Africa led procurement with 1.6 million doses, followed by Zambia with 1.3 million doses. Zimbabwe procured 384,100 doses, Eswatini 308,800 doses, and Mozambique 116,200 doses. Botswana received 72,000 doses during the same period.
Madeswi added that BVI has also deployed technical assistance and support to several SADC countries and is planning to extend similar support to Eswatini, South Africa, Mozambique, and Lesotho.
Looking ahead, BVI plans to diversify its product portfolio by developing vaccines for Newcastle disease, lumpy skin disease, sheep and goat pox, as well as botulism, anthrax, and quarter evil (black quarter).
BVI’s flagship FMD vaccine remains the mainstay of its business, contributing up to 86% of total sales and enjoying consistent demand across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. Between 2023 and 2024, the institute produced 14.26 million monodoses of blended FMD vaccines against a forecast target of 20.9 million, representing a 31.8% shortfall due to supply chain disruptions and ongoing plant rehabilitation works.