SCIENCE ACROSS AFRICA
Follow the research.
A directory of African institutions investigating medicinal plants, extract quality and natural-product drug discovery. Follow original programmes and papers; research-stage work is distinguished from proven treatments.
Kenya · Research programme
KEMRI
Centre for Traditional Medicine Research
Connects traditional medicine investigation with natural-products research and quality assurance. Its NAPREDA programme provides a route into Kenyan drug-discovery work.
Explore botanical authentication, extract screening and the evidence needed to move from a candidate substance to a usable medicine. Programme descriptions do not establish that a commercial supplement has been clinically validated.
KEMRI — Centre for Traditional Medicine Research ↗Natural Products Research & Drug Development programme ↗
Tanzania · Laboratory research
MUHAS
Institute of Traditional Medicine
Works on Tanzanian medicinal plants, including computational and laboratory assessment of bioactive compounds, medicinal botany and herbal development.
The institute lists in silico and in vitro work on compounds for cancer research. These are discovery-stage methods, not evidence that a herb treats cancer. A May 2026 university report describes its research, products and herbarium showcase.
MUHAS — Institute of Traditional Medicine ↗Research and innovation showcase · May 2026 ↗
South Africa · Translation & benefit-sharing
CSIR
Indigenous Knowledge & Health Innovation
Develops extraction, filtration, distillation and scale-up methods for products based on indigenous knowledge, including African ginger.
African ginger work links process development with agreements intended to share commercial benefits with knowledge-holding communities. Process optimisation and commercialisation milestones should be distinguished from results of controlled clinical trials.
CSIR — indigenous knowledge programme ↗African ginger: sustainable commercialisation ↗
Ghana · Product development
CPMR
Centre for Plant Medicine Research
Brings phytochemistry, agrobotany, microbiology, pharmacology and toxicology into the development and evaluation of plant medicines.
The phytochemistry department examines plant constituents while pharmaceutics addresses formulation design and assessment. These complementary activities help translate a raw botanical into a reproducible preparation; safety and clinical effectiveness still need their own evidence.
CPMR — Phytochemistry Department ↗Pharmaceutics and formulation research ↗
Uganda · Training & translation
PHARMBIOTRAC
Mbarara University of Science and Technology
A centre for pharm-biotechnology and traditional medicine with research training, product-development laboratories and herbal quality-assurance programmes.
Its published programme includes pharmacognosy, pharmaceutical analysis and the development of products and services. University success stories provide routes into individual projects; they should be followed through to methods and published results.
MUST — PHARMBIOTRAC ↗Research and product-development stories ↗
Nigeria · Laboratory research
NIPRD
National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research & Development
Investigates antimicrobial properties of plants and natural products, including activity against drug-resistant organisms.
Its microbiology and biotechnology department describes antimicrobial-resistance work and the testing of natural products. Laboratory inhibition is an early result: dose, toxicity, exposure in the body and controlled clinical outcomes remain separate questions.
NIPRD — Microbiology & Biotechnology Department ↗Research publications compendium ↗
South Africa · Research collection
University of the Western Cape
Herbal science and medical biosciences
An accessible research collection spanning herbal chemistry, product quality, extract bioactivity and safety questions.
The institutional repository preserves herbal science studies, including older work that remains useful for methods. Current medical bioscience project descriptions include medicinal plant science and reproductive biology. Check the date and research model of each paper rather than treating an archive as a list of new breakthroughs.
UWC — herbal science research repository ↗Medical biosciences research projects ↗
