Zwelethu Bashman

Zwelethu Bashman currently serves as the Managing Director of MSD Pty Ltd across sub-Saharan Africa. MSD is a premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company that ranks amongst the top 5 best performing pharmaceutical companies in the world for 2022. Since assuming his role as MSD SSA MD in February 2021, Zweli, as he is popularly known, is primarily focused on addressing unmet healthcare needs on the continent, building sustainable health systems as well as finding innovative financial mechanisms that will broaden access to innovative healthcare on the continent. He has led MSD’s significant contributions both commercially and through philanthropic programs on the continent. These include, but are not limited to, reaching over 150 million lives across multiple African countries, particularly in the fields of vaccination, cancer care and treatment of river blindness disease. A grant through MSD for Mothers to the Unjani Clinics Network which has supported the expansion of the network to 140 clinics and created over 350 jobs. Unjani is a South African based, low fee ,primary healthcare organisation that services previously disadvantaged communities to be able to access basic services, including maternal health. To date, over 8 countries are supported through the MSD for Mothers program and have collectively received $40 million in grants.

Learning from the challenges experienced during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, under Zweli’s stewardship MSD in partnership with Africa CDC and AMREF, was central in the establishment of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Response (PHEPR) training program aimed at strengthening pandemic preparedness and response amongst African Health officials. The Inaugural PHEPR program launched with over 40 participants from across SSA. MSD has a further collaboration with IFPW Foundation to support the development of health Supply Managers through the Strategic Training Executive Program (STEP 2.0), a coordinated program, also known as STEP for the professional development tailored to the needs of health supply chain leaders and managers.

Zweli joined MSD on 1 January 2020 as Director for the HIV & Vaccines business. Successes during his tenure as HIV & Vaccines Director included the signing of voluntary licence agreements with low-cost manufacturing partners to allow the manufacturing and commercialisation of generic versions of MSD’s HIV medication, expanding access to treatment for people living with HIV and Aids in Africa.

Prior to joining MSD, Zweli held various roles within the pharmaceutical environment. He started his career at Schering-Plough in 2006, where he worked in sales and product management. His commercial experience grew at Adcock Ingram, where he led several commercial operations including HIV, Cardiovascular/CNS/Dermatology as well as Hospital Fluids & Equipment. Between 2017 and 2019, Zweli expanded his responsibilities and relocated to Tanzania where he led the key account operations for Cipla Pharmaceuticals across sub-Saharan Africa. Thereafter he joined Merck Biopharma as Head of Marketing for all English & Portuguese speaking African countries.

He matriculated at Muir College in 2002 and progressed to study Biomedical Technology at the Nelson Mandela University. He also holds a postgraduate qualification in Management Practice from Henley Business School, and an Advanced Management certification from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Zweli is a multi-faceted leader, known across the industry for being inclusive, flexible, and accessible. Outside of MSD, Zweli also serves as the President of the Innovative Pharmaceutical Association of South Africa (IPASA), which represents the interest of 27 multinational pharmaceutical member companies that contribute over R 20 Bn to the South African Economy. Zweli also serves as the Deputy Chairperson of the Pharmaceutical Task Group (PTG). The PTG’s mandate is to promote growth and investment in the South African pharmaceutical industry as well as engaging meaningfully with its strategic partners including the South African Government, the National Department of Health, and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA).

Zweli’s experience and leadership have enabled MSD to support various health systems strengthening initiatives across the region, including the Investing in Innovation (i3) initiative a pan-African support initiative for African health supply chain start-ups Funded by the Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation and sponsored by MSD, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, and AmerisourceBergen. The objective of i3 is to unite leading donors, industry, and African institutions to jump-start a new way of doing business to support African-led innovations in health. Currently 30 start-ups from 14 countries across Africa are supported and almost 50 % of which are women led and 30% of the companies are operating in Francophone Africa. The selected start-ups will receive a $50,000 grant and access to market opportunities to catalyse growth driven partnerships with donors, industry, and institutional stakeholders.

His work history includes:

Current role at MSD: Managing Director – South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa (Feb 21 – current)

Previous role at MSD: Business Unit Director – HIV & Vaccines – ( Jan 20 – Jan 21)

Previous Employers:

Merck Biopharma: Head of Marketing (Dec 18 – Dec 19)

Cipla Pharmaceuticals: Key Account Director – Sub Saharan Africa (Feb 17 – Nov 18)

Adcock Ingram: Brand manager, Business Unit Manager (x3), Head of Sales (May 09 – Jan 17)

Schering -Plough: Primary & Specialist Sales rep, Product Manager (Dec 05 – Apr 09)

Some of his achievements are:

• First South African to lead MSD across Africa in its +50-year history on the continent.
• Successfully negotiated the introduction of cervical cancer prevention vaccination programs in Nigeria & Eswatini. Cervical cancer is the deadliest cancer in Africa & Eswatini has the highest cervical cancer prevalence in the world. whilst Nigeria is the most populace country on the continent. These 2 programs will allow for MSD to protect an additional 6 million girls from cervical cancer across the continent over the next 12-18 months.
• Featured as one of the South African Stewards of Health by Forbes Africa in 2021, 2022 & 2023.
• Took MSD from being a BBBEE non-compliant in 2021 to a level 4 contributor in 2022, thus making MSD the most empowered multinational pharmaceutical company in South Africa.
•  MSD recognised as one of South Africa’s 10 Most Leading Healthcare Companies to Watch in 2022 by Insights Care Magazine

Board/ Leadership roles:

Vice-Chairperson of the US-South Africa Business Council

The US-South Africa Business Council represents America’s leading companies doing business with South Africa and in the Southern Africa region, and it is made up of senior executives of U.S. companies from every sector investing in South Africa. Its primary goal is to advance policies that attract greater investment and support trade within South Africa.

President of the Innovative Pharmaceutical Association of South Africa (IPASA)

IPASA was established in April 2013. IPASA represents the interests of twenty-seven innovative pharmaceutical companies with a presence in South Africa. It was established with the vision to be a credible vehicle for the innovative pharma industry to collectively engage with critical stakeholders, optimise patient access to innovative health technologies and ensure that South Africa remains a viable market for the introduction of innovative pharmaceutical products.

Deputy Chairperson of the Pharmaceutical Task Group (PTG)

The Pharmaceutical Task Group, established in 2004, is an association that represents the interests of over 80% of pharmaceutical companies operating in South Africa. The PTG derives its membership from 4 Industry associations, namely, Generic and Biosimilar Medicines of Southern Africa, Innovative Pharmaceutical Association South Africa, Pharmaceuticals Made in South Africa and the Self-Care Association of South Africa. The PTG represents the member associations to relevant stakeholders, the South African Government, the National Department of Health and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), on issues of issues of common interest, particularly those that will enhance access to quality healthcare in South Africa