SA medtech accelerates action for women’s economic inclusion and empowerment
Johannesburg, 7 March 2025 – Women empowerment in the South African medtech sector for 2024 has been benchmarked, and an aggregate score of 44.2% represents a practical consolidation as well as a broader strategic analysis of the industry’s deliberate focus on gender equality, inclusivity, transformation and growth.
The South African Medical Technology Industry Association (SAMED) is celebrating women this International Women’s Day, 8 March and is driving accelerated action by sharing valuable information on what works, where the biggest gaps are, and how to do more of what works faster.
Women’s employment and representation contributed most to the aggregate score (14.36%) followed by women’s development (13.61%), women in leadership (13.29%) and business ownership (2.94%).
These are four key metrics that have yielded the first set of results by the SAMED Women Empowerment Index. This pioneering sectoral initiative was implemented last year to track, measure, change and improve women’s empowerment across and beyond the medtech value chain.
SAMED Executive Officer Tanya Vogt says the medtech industry is committed to using its voice and considerable market presence to raise awareness and promote gender equality among SAMED’s 170 member companies and extensive government, health-specific and other private and civil society networks.
“We wanted to challenge stereotypes and limiting beliefs that perpetuate the significant obstacles women face on their way to education, employment and being the boss. SAMED co-created the Women Empowerment Index with member companies and Deloitte to provide authentic, current and ongoing quality data for strategies, resources and activities that promote women’s rights and inclusion in the economy and support and facilitate the implementation of initiatives.”
Only aggregated data generated from individual submissions by SAMED member companies is published and provided by SAMED to relevant authorities, including the Health Department, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), private hospital networks and health funders. Vogt says the response – 26 members so far – is welcome but that the intention is to secure support and involvement from the entire SAMED collective.
“SAMED Women Empowerment Index is being noticed and although not yet formally, used by procurement officers including those from the leading hospital groups to screen bidders and formulate decisions.
“The participating companies which provide their data and help build the Index receive a much bigger and more strategic benefit. They gain access to certified company-specific data which they can use to substantiate tenders and marketing and tap into R200-billion-worth of public procurement earmarked by government for women-owned businesses,” says Vogt. “In other words, by sharing your data with us, we will share credible data to help you grow your business.”
The initiative is partly in response to broader industry-specific figures that underscore insufficient gender transformation. Globally, women are underrepresented in leadership, with 24% of C-suite positions in medtech being filled by women. Only 17.3% of South African companies have women CEOs and chairpersons, while only 1-6% of government procurement ends up with women-owned businesses.
By providing accurate and up-to-date data, the initiative fosters equality and diversity in the medtech industry, showcasing its commitment to transparency and inclusivity and to ensuring that every individual, regardless of gender, race, creed or age, has the opportunity to participate in the industry.
The intervention aligns with and enhances other SAMED and sector objectives and programmes including (i) YES 4 Youth, through which 45 SAMED member companies have created 3 402 youth jobs (62 % female youth employees) and injected R191 872 800 into local economies through YES Youth salaries and (ii) the 2024 MEDTECH Masterplan goal to generate 1 000 new jobs in the medtech sector over the next three years.
“Including and empowering women within your company and the supply chain has proven benefits. It increases company performance, productivity, innovation, creativity and profitability as diverse perspectives lead to better decision-making. Tracking and comparing your scores against peers enables you to identify gaps that need attention. This is a quick-win opportunity to improve your B-BBEE rating and prepare the company for the imminent implementation of SAHPRA’s Draft B-BBEE Policy, which will affect the prioritisation of licences,” concludes Vogt.
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