Supply Issues Leave South African Women Struggling for Contraceptives Amid Production Snags

• SA women hit by contraceptive supply strain after production disruptions at a major pharma facility
• Aspen executive points to supply chain and rollout issues affecting how pills reach clinics and pharmacies
• In other news: health campaign pushes for a closer look at a popular injection, raising fresh concerns and public debate

Since early this year, many South African woman are struggling to get their monthly birth control pills after shortages affected several commonly used contraceptives nationwide.

The Department of Health said products including Triphasil, Nordette and Microval have limited availability at clinics and pharmacies. According to a BussinessTech report on 25 June 2025, the shortage has been linked to production issues at Aspen Pharmacare after its East London contraceptive manufacturing facility was shut down earlier this year.

What is causing the problem?

Speaking on Cape Talk, Dr Stavros Nikolaou, who is the Aspen Pharmacare Group's senior executive, he noted that the main issue is not a total lack of stock, but supply chain and regulatory changes affecting how birth control pills are made and distributed.

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Women campaign for review of contraceptive injection after brain tumour diagnoses

He explained that Aspen stopped local production of some contraceptives because it became too expensive to maintain, partly due to unstable government tender contracts. As a result, production was moved to imported stock, which is still being supplied to South Africa.

“The single biggest cause of this is the lack of certainty or predictability in public sector volumes.”

According to him, the public sector is actually receiving enough stock, sometimes even more than required. However, some clinics or provinces may still experience gaps due to distribution issues.

In the private sector, there are temporary delays because regulatory approvals are needed to switch branding and import alternatives, but substitutes are available.

UK campaign pushes review of contraceptive injection

Briefly News previously reported that a woman-led campaign has called for a review of the contraceptive injection after concerns emerged about a possible link to developing brain tumours (meningiomas), with several women sharing personal experiences of diagnosis and treatment after long-term use. The report highlights growing legal and medical scrutiny around progestogen-based injections like Depo-Provera, as affected individuals and campaigners push for stronger warnings and clearer information on potential risks, while health authorities maintain that the overall likelihood remains low and continue to advise patients to consult healthcare providers before making decisions.

Read also

“South Africa needs this law”: Parliament’s bold move to protect children and youth with new tobacco law

More Briefly News on contraceptives

• Briefly News reported that condoms were allegedly selling out following a “Jonasi” polygamy storyline in Gomora, as viewers reacted strongly to the character’s behaviour and the storyline sparked online conversations about relationships and sexual health.
• Briefly News reported that South Africans reacted with excitement after news emerged of a student developing a potential male contraceptive, with many seeing it as a “step in the right direction” toward shared responsibility.
• Briefly News reported that a Cape Town mother shared the high cost of giving birth at a private hospital, sparking reactions from South Africans about the rising expense of childbirth and the financial pressure many families face

Source: Briefly News