#Aids2026: Thembi Xulu, the hip-hop mum trying to bring the anti-HIV jab home
From negotiating South Africa's bid to make the groundbreaking HIV prevention injection lenacapavir, to helping to chart the country's Aids programmes through unprecedented donor funding cuts, Thembi Xulu has become one of Africa's most influential HIV leaders. As delegates gather in Rio for the International Aids Conference, Bhekisisa profiles the woman helping shape the next chapter of South…
Thembi Xulu, the CEO of South Africa's National Aids Council (Sanac), is renowned for her ability to mediate conflicts among various stakeholders, including drug makers, government officials, and activists. As the country prepares to host the 26th International Aids Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Xulu is determined to lead South Africa in the production of the anti-HIV jab, lenacapavir, locally.
The CEO is currently traveling to international meetings, such as the Southern African Development Community health and finance ministers' meeting in Harare and the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria board meeting in Geneva, to discuss the country's plans for local production despite a severe donor funding crisis.
Xulu is also known as a "hip-hop mama," an avid dancer who taught herself to dance to support her daughters in international dance competitions. She asserts her skills in dance competitions, even challenging others to a dance-off. Xulu's laughter is infectious, characterized by a multi-dimensional meme cackle. Her role in HIV sustainability efforts has gained international recognition, with her plan serving as a model in the UNAids 2024 Sustainability Primer.
Written by urgent.news from Bhekisisa's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
