South Africa Nuclear Imaging Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

South Africa Nuclear Imaging Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

South Africa nuclear imaging market was valued at USD 64.72 million in 2021 and is projected to register a CAGR of 3.3% during the forecast period (2022-2027).

According to a study titled “Nuclear Medicine Operations in the Times of COVID-19: Strategies, Precautions, and Experiences” published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine in May 2020, the nuclear medicine staff in the country have been instructed to have refresher courses on infection control management and basic emergency management. South Africa saw a reduction in the clinical service for nonurgent scans, and inpatient and urgent outpatient studies, especially in oncology. The country had an inbuilt supply of many radioisotopes, as the country has nuclear reactors from Jubilant Pharmova and therefore was not affected by shortages of radiopharmaceuticals, but the country was dependent on overseas supply for many kits and reagents and the shutdown of airline flights have caused shortages for those kits and reagents.

However, COVID-19 has opened many opportunities for the market players in the industry to identify and tap the market and expand their operations to generate revenue for their company. For instance, In 2020, Jubliant Pharmova, one of the provoders of radiopharmaceuticals, started its own office in South Africa as part of its long-term plan of going direct to market with its own sales team. This will bring investment in the South African economy thus improving the country’s economic condition.

Nuclear imaging is hugely capable of diagnosing cancer and cardiac diseases. Nuclear medicine scans ( also known as nuclear imaging, radionuclide imaging, and nuclear scans) can help doctors find tumors and see how much cancer has spread in the body. Cardiac nuclear medicine imaging evaluates the heart for coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy (diseases of the heart muscle). It also may be used to help determine whether the heart has been damaged by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Additionally, as per the 2021 data from International Society for Optics and Photonics, South Africa is rapidly acquiring high-tech medical imaging equipment such as multi-slice helical computed tomography (CT) scanners, as well as hybrid imaging technologies like combining single photon emission computed tomography and positron emission tomography with CT. This adoption of nuclear imaging equipment is expected to boost the market growth in South Africa over the forecast period.

Key Market TrendsSPECT Radioisotopes are Expected to Witness Strong Growth Over the Forecast Period

South Africa is found to be a global hotspot for technological advancements, which is leading to the expansion of hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centers and the adoption of new equipment and technologies.​ For instance, in December 2020, Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited and DuChemBio Co, Ltd., a South Africa-based radiopharmaceutical company went into an agreement for commercialization and partnership for Telix’s prostate cancer imaging product TLX591-CDx (68GaPSMA-11).

SPECT radioisotopes are gaining attention in South Africa owing to their significance in diagnostics. For instance, the article ‘Lung perfusion findings on perfusion SPECT/CT imaging in non-hospitalized de-isolated patients diagnosed with mild COVID-19 infection’, published in 2021 stated that the value of VQ SPECT/CT imaging is used in detecting and differentiating the various types of perfusion abnormalities.

Moreover, as per the World Nuclear Association 2021, South Africa is considered as world’s sixth main producer of radioisotopes. In addition, it comes at the third position in producing medical nuclear isotope Mo-99. As of the year 2022, the department of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Pretoria is collaborating with several international organizations and institutes to promote nuclear imaging tools for diagnosis as it has several applications in the diagnosis and treatment of many chronic disorders. Some of the international collaboration institutes include the University of Ghent, Belgium, European Commission DG Joint Research Centre, and University Medical Centre Groningen, Holland.

Therefore, owing to the above-mentioned factors, it is believed that the segment will witness strong growth in the coming years.

Competitive Landscape

The nuclear imaging market is highly competitive and consists of a few major players. In terms of market share, few of the major players currently dominate the market. Companies, like Bracco Imaging SpA, Curium, Cardinal Health Inc., Koninklijke Philips NV, GE Healthcare, and Siemens Healthineers, among others, hold the substantial share in the market.

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