OUR CAPITALS
Our Intellectual Capital
OUR CAPITALS
Our Intellectual Capital
SANBS is an organisation with exceptionally strong intellectual capital, and recognised as a centre of excellence.
What Intellectual Capital means to SANBS
At SANBS, Intellectual Capital encompasses the expertise and knowledge within our organisation. It serves as a key driver enabling us to carry out our mission and achieve sustainable growth.
Our Employees
SANBS has a talented, skilled and trained workforce of 2 869 people (FY23:2 776).
We employ a range of skills including health care specialists such as doctors, nurses, technologists, technicians, phlebotomists, scientists, and all the various supporting roles in the health care sector. Important too, are supply chain experts in our logistics space and IT specialists, accountants, and business professionals, etc.
Leadership
Experienced Board
Our Board comprises of ten individuals with a diverse skills base and experience in governance roles.
See our Board for more details.
Experienced Management Team
We have an experienced Exco who have a combined 130+ year tenure at SANBS. New skills brought on board allow fresh thinking and challenge. See details of our Executive Committee.
Quality
At SANBS, quality is foundational to our reputation as a trusted blood services provider. Through our comprehensive quality framework, we track and manage all operations, from donor screening to patient transfusion, with precision and care. Our integrated quality teams are central to this process, functioning as expert advisors within operational areas.
We attain exemplary quality standards by nurturing a pervasive culture of quality, adhering to international accreditation standards, continuously improving via quality failure logs, minimising wastage and adverse outcomes, enhancing service based on stakeholder feedback, and encouraging employees to proactively log opportunities for improvement.
Product Compliance to the Standards
Blood safety index – we strive to achieve a target of >= 95% and have consistently done so since inception in 2020.
Our annual external SANAS assessment to maintain our accreditation status has enjoyed a 100% result for eight years.
Recently, we proudly received new accreditations from two prestigious organisations. First, we achieved accreditation from the Joint Accreditation Committee ISCT-EBMT (JACIE) for our cellular therapies. Additionally, we were awarded accreditation from the European Federation for Immunogenetics (EFI) for our tissue immunology practices. See Manufactured Capital.
An ISO 20387 accreditation audit for our Biorepository Laboratory by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), was scheduled for November 2023. Unfortunately, this audit has been postponed, but we are now set to pursue this important recognition in 2024.
We have addressed and completed the non-conformances related to our ISO 13485 accreditation for our Reagents Laboratory and our ISO 9001 quality audit is in progress.
Acknowledgement as a Centre of Excellence
SANBS is earning widespread recognition as a centre of excellence in the field of blood transfusion. Its national and international stature is acknowledged by increasing invitations to participate in high-level conferences, contribute to significant research initiatives, and serve in leading roles within the scientific community. SANBS is a key player in the Blood Genomics Consortium, working on an innovative multi-country project to develop a unified DNA test for blood group typing, which promises to enhance blood safety and efficacy.
The organisation has contributed to 14 notable publications in peer-reviewed journals, showcasing the expertise and growing research acumen of its staff. Additionally, SANBS leads collaborative efforts to advance blood transfusion practices across Africa, demonstrated by organising the first Africa Transfusion Indaba, which facilitated knowledge-sharing and capacity-building among 12 African countries. These strategic initiatives underline SANBS' pivotal role in advancing blood transfusion science and enhancing healthcare both locally and on the African continent.
Research, Advisory and Development
The journey to transform SANBS by embracing change and empowering our people to deliver outstanding results was the main reason we created the SANBS R.A.D Academy, with great pride in 2021. The vision of the RAD Academy is to “future-proof SANBS, its people, products and processes” in support of the SANBS iHEALTh strategy. The Academy started with the organisation recalibrating its approach to transforming learning and innovation. Oversight of the RAD academy is by the Clinical Governance Committee.
Our Achievements to Date
The Academy has four strategic goals with clearly aligned outputs for each goal. We are progressing well with the initiatives relating to each of these goals as demonstrated in the tables that follow. All outputs in green have been achieved/done; those in black are in progress and on track; the one output in amber has started and is expected to be completed in FY25.
Achieved/Done
In Progress/On Track
Started/Completing due FY25
| Goals | 1. Implement a business aligned structure | 2. Expand knowledge production |
What this means for SANBS |
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Output |
| Goals | 3. Structured knowledge dissemination | 4.Create a renewal and proactive learning environment |
What this means for SANBS |
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Output |