Pharma giant Roche grows Africa presence by a fifth

Launched in September 2023, in partnership with the World Health Organization, the initiative aims to enhance early detection, diagnosis and treatment. In Ivory Coast, services are integrated into existing clinics, with trained health workers screening and treating at the primary healthcare level.

Roche’s growth in Africa resulted in 444 new hires alongside 75 recorded departures, leading to a net increase of 369 staff. South Africa remains Roche’s largest hub on the continent, accounting for 32% of the workforce.

Since 2014, Roche has partnered with Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Health to improve access to cancer and hepatitis B care. By 2019, this collaboration provided treatments for multiple cancers, hepatitis B, renal anaemia and haemophilia at no out-of-pocket cost. Roche also enhanced health system capacity by training oncologists and decentralising diagnostics, increasing the number of oncologists from 4 in 2014 to 14 by 2021.

Roche's talent acquisition was strongest from Pfizer, Sanofi and Eva Pharma, attracting five, four and three professionals from each, respectively. In contrast, there were minor outflows to AstraZeneca, Beckman Coulter Diagnostics and Acino. With an overall attrition rate of just 4%, Roche's workforce retention appears relatively stable.

South Africa remains Roche's largest employment hub in Africa, accounting for 32% of its total workforce, followed by Egypt (15%) and Morocco (14%). These growth rates indicate that Roche is pursuing regional expansion beyond its traditional strongholds in southern Africa. The highest growth has been seen in Côte d'Ivoire, with Morocco and Algeria following closely at +29% and +27%, respectively. Kenya and Nigeria also show promising workforce increases, with 30 and 29 new hires over the past year.

The workforce is highly educated, with 37% of staff holding a Master’s degree and 13% possessing a PhD, slightly above the industry average for postgraduate qualifications. Notably, Roche employs a strong cohort from top African universities, including Stellenbosch University (73 employees), University of Cape Town (61), and University of South Africa (52). Field specialisations align closely with the company’s pharmaceutical and biotech core, with the highest concentrations in Pharmacy (7%) and Biotechnology (4%).

In terms of skills, Roche’s workforce is predominantly focused on pharmaceutics, pharmacy and pharmaceutical sales, which together account for over 50% of listed skills. Emerging competencies, such as analytical skills, data analysis, and product specialisation, have shown significant growth over the past year. This shift highlights Roche’s growing emphasis on data-driven operations, likely linked to digital transformation trends in pharmaceutical research and marketing. Roles in biotechnology, oncology and molecular biology further reflect the company's continued investment in therapeutic areas.

Attrition rates are well-controlled across departments, with most business functions recording exit rates of less than 5%. Exceptions include Healthcare Services (6%) and Business Development (6%), where higher attrition could indicate retention challenges in client-facing or external engagement roles. The most populated functions are Sales (13%), Operations (11%), and Information Technology (10%), with Project Managers, Key Account Managers, and Product Specialists comprising a significant share of recent hires. Notably, the title "Salesperson" has seen a growth of 190%, indicating a strategic focus on enhancing field-level sales engagement.

Roche’s growing footprint in Africa signals increasing opportunities in cancer care, diagnostics and pharmaceutical innovation. The sharp workforce growth tied to its cervical cancer programme suggests expanding clinical roles, especially at the primary care level. 

For those with expertise in oncology, diagnostics, or health systems strengthening, this momentum could translate into meaningful career prospects, training and impact-driven work across underserved regions.