CSIR invests USD 1.4M to unveil Africa’s first microencapsulation facility
The investment reflects a new era of localized health and cosmetic innovation with wide-reaching economic and social benefits.
SOUTH AFRICA – The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria has launched Africa’s first Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) Microencapsulation Facility, a pioneering advancement that empowers local manufacturers to develop microencapsulation technologies on the continent for the first time.
Commissioned with an investment of R25.9 million (USD 1.4 million) from the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the facility addresses a critical gap in the local manufacturing landscape by enabling South African and African companies, especially small and medium enterprises (SMMEs), to access advanced encapsulation techniques without relying on expensive and distant overseas services.
Beyond producing pilot-scale batches for field trials and market testing, the facility offers toll-manufacturing services and serves as a national innovation platform to develop and upscale bio-based ingredients for nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, food, and animal health applications.
Dr Thulani Dlamini, CSIR CEO, stated, “The facility opens the door for local researchers, entrepreneurs and manufacturers to test, refine and scale their innovations right here at home, reducing reliance on international facilities and accelerating the path from laboratory to market.”
This state-of-the-art pilot-scale facility leverages supercritical CO₂—a green, solvent-free fluid state of carbon dioxide—to encapsulate delicate bioactive ingredients such as probiotics, essential oils, and vitamins at low temperatures around 30°C.
This encapsulation protects these sensitive ingredients from oxygen, heat, and moisture, significantly enhancing their shelf life, bioavailability, and efficacy, while also recycling most of the CO₂ used, making the process environmentally sustainable.
The CSIR’s microencapsulation technology—developed and patented in South Africa—has already been commercialized by local businesses like Velobiotics, which produces gut health supplements that can survive stomach acid due to encapsulation, exemplifying practical market impact.
The launch reinforces South Africa’s aspiration to lead in sustainable, high-precision encapsulation innovation, supporting local job creation, fostering indigenous knowledge valorization, and elevating the continent’s bioeconomy through cleaner, more effective product formulations.
This facility significantly reduces barriers for African biotech development, positioning the region at the forefront of a globally competitive, green manufacturing future.
The CSIR’s endeavor is thus a landmark achievement for the continent’s scientific and industrial progress, heralding a new era of localized health and cosmetic innovation with wide-reaching economic and social benefits.
Sign up to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World HERE.
