The Africa anticancer drugs market size is projected to reach US$ 3.23 billion by 2031 from US$ 1.81 billion in 2024. The market is expected to register a CAGR of 8.8% during 2025–2031. Artificial intelligence accelerating cancer care is likely to be a key Africa anticancer drugs market trend.
The increasing incidence of cancer and surging initiatives to improve cancer awareness are crucial factors driving the Africa anticancer drugs market. Burgeoning investments and government initiatives are further expected to contribute the market growth in the future. Moreover, the elevating number of clinical trials is expected to create ample opportunities for market growth during the forecast period.
Africa is gradually gaining prominence in the anticancer drugs market owing to the increasing prevalence of cancer and growing awareness about its treatment. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are heavily investing in the region to ensure the availability of anticancer drugs for better treatment options. South Africa is one of the most developed countries in the region, followed by Egypt. In 2020, Egypt reported approximately 150,578 new cancer cases, with breast, liver, and bladder cancers being the most prevalent disease conditions. Age-standardized incidence rate stood at 166.1 per 100,000 population, indicating a demand for effective oncology treatments. As per The Global Economy 2025, healthcare expenditure per capita was US$ 180 in 2021, reflecting the government's efforts to improve healthcare services.
As per Trading Economics 2025, pharmaceutical imports were valued at US$ 3.62 billion in 2023. As per the Global Risk Community 2025, the country faces drug shortages, particularly for essential medications, due to supply chain disruptions and economic constraints. Despite these challenges, as per the ArabFinance 2024, Egypt exported US$ 1 billion worth of pharmaceuticals in 2023, with a further target of exports worth US$ 1.5 billion in 2024.
Egypt’s oncology landscape is undergoing transformation, bolstered by a growing domestic pharmaceutical industry and a renewed focus on innovation. However, access to cutting-edge treatments such as immunotherapies remains uneven, often concentrated in urban centers. Addressing workforce imbalances, decentralizing cancer diagnostics, and fostering international research partnerships could serve as high-impact strategies. Egypt’s long-term success will depend on its ability to integrate these efforts into a scalable, sustainable cancer care model.
Cancer has emerged as a major health challenge in Africa, with alarming statistics underscoring its impact. According to the article titled "Emerging Cancer Disease Burden in a Rural Sub-Saharan African Population," published in July 2024, Africa contributed ~5.7% (1,100,100) incidence and 7.2% (712,800) mortality rates to the global cancer burden in the year 2020. It is estimated that cancer will cause a mortality of about one million by 2030 in Africa. As per GLOBOCAN 2022 data, 1.18 million new cancer cases were reported in Africa in 2022, and cancer-related mortality reached 763,843 in the same year.
Countries such as Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa are experiencing the highest incidence and mortality rates. For instance, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) latest global cancer database, Egypt faced an estimated burden of over 150,500 new cancer cases in 2022 and more than 95,000 cancer-related deaths in the same year. The GLOBOCAN 2022 estimates indicate that Nigeria recorded 127,763 new cancer cases in 2022. This surge in cancer cases is primarily attributed to risk factors such as urbanization, aging populations, and lifestyle changes.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world. As per the article "Why Southern and Eastern Africa Have the World's Highest Rates of Cervical Cancer," published in March 2023, more than 300,000 women die from cervical cancer globally, including the death of nearly 80,000 women in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting an urgent need for effective cancer treatments. As cancer cases continue to rise across Africa, the region experiences a persistent need for both immediate and long-term treatment solutions; thus, the development and accessibility of anticancer drugs are essential for offering targeted and effective treatment options that cater to the unique healthcare needs of diverse populations in Africa. Thus, the rising number of cancer cases favors the growth of the Africa anticancer drugs market.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the cancer survival rates – as measured by the cancer mortality to incidence ratio – are nearly half that in high-income countries, which indicates an urgent need for research to bridge this gap. A review published in ClinicalTrials.gov (a National Institutes of Health repository) on clinical trials found only 26 cancer-related interventional trials across Africa, of which 6 were conducted in countries with predominantly brown patients. However, the picture seems to be changing, and there are signs of progress. As per an article titled "The Kenyan Clinical Research Unit Bringing Precision Cancer Medicine to East Africa," published in May 2024, Roche, a Swiss pharmaceutical giant, runs 61 clinical trials in African countries, and two-thirds of these are focused on oncology. These trials span North African nations such as Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, and Sub-Saharan countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa.
Expanding clinical trial capacities and investments have been key strategic goals of the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC). As per an article titled "Landscape of Oncology Clinical Trials in Africa," published in July 2020, Egypt leads in terms of clinical trial activity among all African countries with 45 oncology trials, followed by South Africa with 11, and Algeria and Kenya hosting 10 each. North Africa was the densest region, with 63 clinical trials. These trials predominantly focus on breast, cervical, and lung cancers, indicating a targeted approach against cancer types that are prevalent in the region. Notably, academic institutions sponsor the majority of these trials, underscoring the importance of research-driven initiatives in advancing cancer treatment in Africa. The involvement of major pharmaceutical companies, including Hoffmann-La Roche, also underlines the mounting importance of the continent in the global cancer research landscape. Moreover, the establishment of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) aims to harmonize medical product regulations across the continent, enhancing the efficiency of clinical trials and facilitating the introduction of new anticancer drugs.
Initiatives such as Yemaachi Biotech's African Cancer Atlas and 54gene's efforts to enhance African genomic data representation are pivotal in the region's transformation into a cancer research destination. These projects aim to build comprehensive cancer databases, facilitating the development of targeted therapies tailored to African populations. Thus, an upsurge in the number of clinical trials in Africa presents significant opportunities for the further development of anticancer drugs.
Key segments that contributed to the derivation of the Africa anticancer drugs market analysis are drug class, indication, therapy type, dosage form, and sector.
The African anticancer drugs market is subsegmented into South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Libya, and the Rest of Africa. Issues of affordability, access, and health system inequality shape the adoption of anticancer drugs in South Africa. As per the Cancer Alliance, only 7 out of 24 essential cancer medicines are available in the public sector, which serves 84% of the population, while 21 are accessible in the private sector, which serves just 16%. According to CANSA, 7 of the most expensive specialty drugs in the country are cancer-related, with lenalidomide costing R882,000 (US$ 48,158.5) per year locally versus less than R32,000 (US$ 1,747.25) in India. Discovery Health reports that five-year survival rates are better in the private sector, highlighting disparities in care. The Competition Commission notes that oncology drugs, though just 1% of the total pharmaceutical market, face disproportionately high pricing and access barriers.
As per the HSP News Service, L.L.C. 2025, the country allocates approximately 8.5% of its GDP to healthcare, with 84% of the population relying on the public sector and 16% accessing private care. In 2020, nearly 110,000 new cancer cases were diagnosed, and this number is projected to rise to 138,000 by 2030 and 175,000 by 2040. Leading cancer types include breast, prostate, colorectal, and cervical, with breast cancer being the most prevalent among women and prostate cancer among men. Currently, cancer treatment in South Africa encompasses chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies. However, access to these treatments is uneven in the region. In 2023, Discovery Health Medical Scheme paid over R3.2 billion (US$ 0.174 billion) for cancer treatments, marking a 19% increase from the previous year. However, only 17.1% of the population is covered by medical schemes, leaving individuals to face high out-of-pocket expenses. As per the Observatory of Economic Complexity, South Africa's pharmaceutical trade reveals a reliance on imports. In 2022, the country imported US$ 1.75 billion worth of packaged medicaments, primarily from India, Germany, and France, while exporting US$ 322 million worth of these commodities, mainly to neighboring countries such as Namibia and Zimbabwe. This trade imbalance underscores the domestic market's dependence on foreign-manufactured oncology drugs.
The high cost of innovative therapies limits affordability, especially in the public sector. Additionally, regulatory complexities can delay the introduction of new drugs. Geographic disparities exacerbate access issues, with rural areas often underserved due to a concentration of healthcare professionals in urban centers. As stated by the South African Medical Research Council and the Cancer Alliance, improving access to generics and biosimilars, updating patent laws, and enhancing procurement systems could reduce costs and improve equity. With collaborative public–private strategies and stronger health policy frameworks, South Africa has the potential to create a sustainable anticancer drug market in the years ahead.
The regional trends and factors influencing the Africa Anticancer Drugs Market throughout the forecast period have been thoroughly explained by the analysts at Insight Partners. This section also discusses Africa Anticancer Drugs Market segments and geography across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and South and Central America.
| Report Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Market size in 2024 | US$ 1.81 Billion |
| Market Size by 2031 | US$ 3.23 Billion |
| Global CAGR (2025 - 2031) | 8.8% |
| Historical Data | 2021-2023 |
| Forecast period | 2025-2031 |
| Segments Covered |
By Drug Class
|
| Regions and Countries Covered | Africa
|
| Market leaders and key company profiles |
The Africa Anticancer Drugs Market market is growing rapidly, driven by increasing end-user demand due to factors such as evolving consumer preferences, technological advancements, and greater awareness of the product's benefits. As demand rises, businesses are expanding their offerings, innovating to meet consumer needs, and capitalizing on emerging trends, which further fuels market growth.
Market players density refers to the distribution of firms or companies operating within a particular market or industry. It indicates how many competitors (market players) are present in a given market space relative to its size or total market value.
Major Companies operating in the Africa Anticancer Drugs Market are:
Disclaimer: The companies listed above are not ranked in any particular order.
The Africa anticancer drugs market is evaluated by gathering qualitative and quantitative data post primary and secondary research, which includes important corporate publications, association data, and databases. A few of the developments in the market are listed below:
The “Africa Anticancer Drugs Market Size and Forecast (2021–2031)” report provides a detailed analysis of the market covering the following areas:
The anticancer drugs market majorly consists of the players such Amgen Inc, Gilead Sciences Inc, Novartis AG, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, BeiGene Ltd, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, GSK Plc, Sanofi SA, Cipla Ltd, Johnson & Johnson, Aspen Holdings, Pfizer Inc, AstraZeneca Plc, Merck & Co Inc, and Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd.
Based on drug class, the Africa anticancer drugs market is segmented into cytotoxic drugs, targeted drugs, hormonal drugs, immunotherapy drugs, gene therapy drugs, radiopharmaceuticals, and others. The cytotoxic drugs segment held the largest market share in 2024.
By indication, the market is segmented into lung cancer, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and others. The lung cancer segment held the largest share of the market in 2024.
In terms of therapy type, the market is segmented into chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy, radiopharmaceutical therapy, and others. The chemotherapy segment held the largest market share in 2024.
Anticancer drugs are the medications used for the treatment of different cancer by controlling the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body. They work by either killing cancer cells directly or preventing them from multiplying. Unlike regular cells, cancer cells divide uncontrollably and can spread to other parts of the body. Anticancer drugs target these abnormal cells while trying to minimize damage to normal cells. There are many types of anticancer drugs, each working in different ways to attack cancer. Some damage the cancer cells’ DNA, some block the nutrients they need, and others help the immune system fight cancer.
The South Africa has dominated the anticancer drugs market owing to affordability, access, and health system inequality shape the adoption of anticancer drugs in South Africa which is expected to fuel the Africa anticancer drugs market by 2031.