The Southern Africa Network for Biosciences (SANBio) is a shared biosciences research, development and innovation platform for working collaboratively to address some of southern Africa’s key biosciences issues in health, nutrition and health-related intervention areas such as agriculture and the environment.

SANBio was established in 2005 under the African Union - New Partnership for Africa’s Development, as one of five networks established under the African Biosciences Initiative to cover the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region. The network comprises 12 SADC member states and operates as a regional hub (the CSIR in South Africa) and country nodes model. The current NEPAD-SANBio member states are Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, South Africa, Seychelles, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

NEPAD-SANBio responds to two priority areas of the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024, which is a  10-year strategy that is part of the long-term AU Agenda 2063, namely to eradicate hunger and ensure food and nutrition security and to prevent and control diseases and ensure well-being. The strategy envisages the accelerated transition of largely commodity-based African economies to innovation-led, knowledge-based economies. Such economies are underpinned by robust science, technology and innovation.

The CSIR was selected by the member states to host the secretariat on behalf of all stakeholders. The NEPAD-SANBio Hub is designed to make a significant contribution to achieving the objectives of the network by providing access to world-class research and translational infrastructure and expertise in multidisciplinary and diverse scientific fields.

Through the NEPAD-SANBio Hub, the southern African region can leverage the extensive experience and world-class facilities at the CSIR to accelerate technology development.

In pursuing its vision of being a globally recognised biosciences network for improved livelihoods in Southern Africa, NEPAD-SANBio facilitates innovation in support of the development of knowledge economy in Southern Africa. It does so by supporting an effective and dynamic regional research network; enhancing human and infrastructure capacity; and developing and commercialising innovation products in health and nutrition.