From the newsletter
GSK, a British multinational pharmaceutical company, expanded its senior Africa workforce by 13%, or 436 employees, in the past year, according to LinkedIn data. The total staff stands at 3,840. The fastest-growing skills were in clinical research, a growth that can be attributed to an ongoing clinical trial of a malaria vaccine in Rwanda.
The trial, which is in its second phase, started in June 2025 and is evaluating the dosing and scheduling of a second-generation malaria vaccine.
The current malaria vaccine protects only at the parasite’s early stage while the new vaccine provides the first ever attempt to protect across multiple lifecycle stages.
More details
The first ever malaria vaccine, which is currently in use, targets only the early (sporozoite) stage of P. falciparum, when the parasite first enters the body and travels to the liver. The new vaccine adds a novel antigen that targets the later blood stage, when the parasite causes illness. This offers stronger and longer-lasting protection for children under five and could reduce the number of doses per child.
The 13% growth of GSK was supported by 602 new hires, comfortably exceeding estimated departures of 4%, or about 154 employees. The workforce remains stable despite expansion. The average professional experience stands at 15.1 years, suggesting seniority across functions.
Staff growth is concentrated in GSK’s largest African markets. Egypt employs 1,514 people (39%), followed by Nigeria with 505 (13%), South Africa with 398 (10%) and Algeria with 391 (10%). Kenya accounts for 307 staff (8%). Higher attrition in Algeria at 6% (23 employees) and Egypt at 5% (76) points to pressure in mature hubs.
In its hiring, GSK continues to prioritise a commercial-led operating model. Sales functions account for 1,165 employees (30%), led by 440 medical sales representatives (11%) and 164 senior representatives (4%). Operations have 600 staff (16%), while healthcare services account for 250 roles (7%).
Pharmaceutics leads the skills set at 20% (767 staff) and pharmaceutical sales at 17% (640). Clinical research and hospital pharmacy each grew by 5%, equivalent to roughly 190 employees combined, alongside 4% growth in drug development and 3% in biotechnology.
Our take
More pharmaceutical trials in Africa are making local manufacturing possible, a shift that will shorten development timelines and strengthen the continent’s long-term self-sufficiency in essential medicines.
The continent’s low share of clinical trials, which is below 4%, has been a major setback to local pharmaceutical manufacturing and health security.