AQUITY Innovations appointed as implementer of one of Africa’s first DR-TB outcomes-based financing pilots — a landmark partnership with the SAMRC and the National Lotteries Commission. 

Cape Town |Leaders, policymakers, investors, and development partners from across the globe gathered at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) in Cape Town for the Outcomes Finance Alliance (OFA) Summit, advancing outcomes-based financing (OBF) as an approach to delivering sustainable social and health impact. Hosted by the SAMRC in partnership with GIZ and convened under the patronage of the Presidency, the Summit united government, the private sector, philanthropy, multilateral institutions, and civil society around a shared agenda: ensuring every rand of development spending delivers results. 

South Africa’s Leadership in Outcomes-Based Financing 

Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Honourable Nonceba Mhlauli, delivered the opening address, reaffirming government’s commitment to act as an outcomes payer across health, education, youth development, and job creation. South Africa’s flagship R300 million Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund — one of the largest employment-focused outcomes funds globally — exemplifies this commitment, with over 6,800 verified job placements and more than R220 million disbursed strictly against independently verified outcomes. 

A Historic Milestone: Africa’s First DR-TB Social Impact Bond 

The Summit’s most significant highlight was the formal recognition of the South Africa MDR-Tuberculosis Social Impact Bond (SIB) pilot — one of the first outcomes-based financing instruments of its kind on the African continent — with AQUITY Innovations appointed as lead implementer. Professor Ntobeko Ntusi, President and CEO of the SAMRC, identified the partnership with AQUITY Innovations as a defining milestone in South Africa’s journey toward outcomes-based health financing. The pilot links financing directly to treatment outcomes for patients with drug-resistant TB, including quality-of-life measures. 

“We believe outcomes-based financing will drive a more sustainable impact on TB treatment. At AQUITY, we are committed to leveraging innovation and evidence to deliver quality care, and we are honoured to lead this pioneering work on behalf of the communities we serve.” — Dr Sipho Nyathi, CEO, AQUITY Innovations  

National Lotteries Commission: Empowerment Through Sustainable Finance 

The National Lotteries Commission (NLC), represented by Commissioner Ms Jodi Scholtz — a passionate advocate for community empowerment — has provided funding support for this initiative, enabling its implementation. The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) is supporting innovative, outcomes-based approaches to addressing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa. The NLC’s participation marks a significant institutional milestone as one of the first applications of lottery funding within an outcomes-based health financing contract in South Africa, signalling a new frontier in impact-driven grant-making. 

SAMRC’s Imagine Programme: Structuring the Template for Innovation 

The SAMRC’s Imagine Programme — South Africa’s first SIB, targeting adolescent girls and young women in high-HIV-prevalence areas — provided the foundational lessons in outcomes measurement and contract design that shaped the DR-TB pilot. 

 

“This model will serve as a template for scaling quality-of-care innovation for MDR TB programs while financing it sustainably.” — Prof Fareed Abdullahi, Director of the SAMRC Office for AIDS and TB research 

“By linking funding to verified outcomes, we strengthen accountability, support innovation, and ensure resources are directed toward interventions that make a measurable difference.”  — Dr Nevilene Slingers, SAMRC Executive Programme Manager for Social Impact Bonds 

 

Global Momentum, Local Impact — and the Road Ahead 

The Summit confirmed that outcomes-based financing is delivering results worldwide — from education in Ghana to employment in South Africa — and that paying for results leads to better outcomes, more efficient resource use, and greater investment in social impact. The MDR-TB SIB is expected to strengthen South Africa’s health systems and serve as a replicable model adaptable to other health challenges over time. AQUITY Innovations is committed to rigorous delivery, independent outcome verification, and close collaboration with the SAMRC, the NLC, and the Department of Health — translating the commitments made at this Summit into lasting, measurable impact for South African communities. 

AQUITY INNOVATIONS NPC is one of South Africa’s largest implementers of TB screening services, conducting over 320,000 digital chest X-ray screenings across the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga. Operating at the intersection of technology, public health, and implementation science, AQUITY delivers programmes across TB, HIV, and broader health system strengthening. 

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Communications Office | AQUITY Innovations NPC | busisiwem@aquity.org   |www.aquityinnovations.org