Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela

Chief Executive Officer, SAHPRA

Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela is Chief Executive Officer of SAHPRA, in the role since January 2020.

SAHPRA, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, is the national regulator of medicines, medical devices and related health products. It gave Sinovac's Covid-19 vaccine conditional approval in July 2021 and rejected Sputnik V in October 2021.

In the job

  1. SAHPRA gave China's Sinovac vaccine conditional emergency approval. Source

  2. SAHPRA rejected Russia's Sputnik V vaccine over a lack of safety data. Source

  3. SAHPRA signed a memorandum of agreement with the HPCSA to act against substandard and falsified health products. Source

Career before

  1. Senior researcher, CSIR
  2. Postdoctoral researcher, University of Nottingham and EPFL
  3. General manager for research, development and innovation, Innovation Hub Management Company
  4. two yearsMcKinsey Leadership Fellow
  5. Executive director for Biosciences, CSIR

Education

PhD in Biochemistry, North West University; MSc in Management Finance and Investment, Wits Business School; BSc and Honours in Genetics, University of Pretoria

Sources

  1. sahpra.org.za
  2. topbusinesswomen.co.za
  3. dailymaverick.co.za
  4. medicalbrief.co.za

Facts last checked 3 November 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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