South Africa’s
Go-To Integrated Clinical Trial Network

Delivering end-to-end clinical trials through patient-first approaches, accelerated timelines and the highest ethical standards.

A Direct Model for
Clinical Trials in Africa

MERCLINCO is South Africa’s leading Direct Clinical Research Network, supporting Sponsors,
CROs and SNOs in delivering high performing and quality trials across Africa.

Through our Principal Investigator Owned and managed site network, we provide a fully integrated model for clinical trial delivery, from feasibility and regulatory approvals through to recruitment, data management and study close-out.

Our centralised operational structure eliminates unnecessary intermediaries, allowing Sponsors to work directly with experienced teams across the continent.

The result is faster study start-up and timelines, stronger recruitment performance, improved access to diverse patient populations, reliable trial execution and consistent accountability across all site locations.

A Single Point of Contact
for End-to-End Clinical Trials
Across Africa

MERCLINCO delivers full clinical trial lifecycle management through a single point of contact, simplifying accountability and, ensuring speed, consistency and quality across all sites.

20% of disease. 3% of trials. Africa is underserved.
Merclinco is rewriting the equation through:

Feasibility and site selection

Reducing delays caused by fragmented site identification and limited access to high-performing research sites

Regulatory strategy and ethics approvals

Navigating regulatory fragmentation and approval timelines across multiple regions through centralised coordination

Budget and contract management

Streamlining complex negotiations and reducing delays through a structured, centralised approach

Project management and centralised site coordination

Eliminating operational fragmentation across sites with a single point of accountability

Patient recruitment, retention and community engagement

Addressing unpredictable recruitment and retention challenges through structured, site-specific strategies and real patient access

Access to GCP-compliant, directly owned site networks

Overcoming limited availability of certified research sites through a directly managed, high-quality network

Data quality coordination and support

Ensuring data integrity and consistent monitoring through standardised processes and central oversight

We combine operational excellence, ethical standards and patient-first delivery to support successful clinical trials across the continent.

Recruitment
Built Around Patients

Patient recruitment is one of the greatest challenges in clinical trials and research
– and where most studies are often delayed or fail

MERCLINCO’s addresses this through a structured recruitment model built on direct access to high-volume and diverse patient populations, integrating community engagement and established healthcare referral networks. We design site-specific recruitment strategies, tailored to each study and site location, ensuring high enrolment.

This model has delivered proven results, including over 3,000 participants screened and 1,490 randomised in a single TB vaccine study, making it the highest recruiting numbers globally.
MERCLINCO is also the only site network globally to have received the SCRS SPRIA Award twice for innovative methods of patient recruitment.

A Directly Managed African Site Network

MERCLINCO operates a network of PI-owned and managed clinical research sites,
ensuring accountability, consistency and quality across all trials.

We position our sites beyond traditional metropolitan centres, within underrepresented peri-urban and rural communities, recognising that access to care matters.

This enables access to diverse patient populations, improved recruitment performance and equitable participation to clinical care. Through this model, MERCLINCO supports clinical trials across high demand therapeutic areas including vaccines, infectious diseases, respiratory conditions, epidemiology, and chronic diseases including diabetes and osteoarthritis.

Trusted by Global Sponsors
and Research Partners

Some companies we’ve worked with:

Our Reach Across Africa

MERCLINCO’s network provides Sponsors and CROs with the infrastructure needed
to run large-scale clinical trials across diverse patient populations.

Countries

Clinical research operations across multiple African markets

Research Sites

Established clinical research sites embedded within healthcare environments

Million Patients

Access to large patient populations through site databases and healthcare partnerships

Extended
Network & Experience

sites in South Africa

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Strong local presence across high-density and underrepresented regions

across Africa

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Expanded network supporting multi-country trial delivery

clinical studies

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Proven experience across a wide range of therapeutic areas

Building Clinical Research Capability Across Africa

MERCLINCO combines operational delivery with long-term capability building, ensuring that clinical trials are not only executed effectively, but sustained at scale.

Through a structured training and development framework,
all personnel are continuously upskilled, qualified and aligned to global clinical research standards, including Good Clinical Practice (GCP), protocol execution, clinical procedures, data systems and regulatory requirements.

This ensures that every study is delivered with consistency, high quality and audit readiness across all sites.

Beyond our own operations, MERCLINCO invests in the future of clinical research through a fully funded graduate development programme, building a pipeline of skilled professionals and strengthening research capacity across South Africa and Africa.

Improving Health Outcomes
Through Clinical Research

Despite accounting for approximately 17% of the global population, Africa hosts less than 3% of global clinical trials.

This gap is not driven by a lack of patients, but by systemic challenges including fragmented research infrastructure, limited coordination across sites, unstructured recruitment systems, and regulatory complexity across regions.

MERCLINCO addresses these challenges through a direct, integrated clinical research network model, enabling Sponsors, CROs and SNOs to conduct studies with greater efficiency, consistency and access to diverse patient populations across Africa.

By centralising delivery through a single, coordinated model, MERCLINCO strengthens trial performance, improves access to participation, and supports better health outcomes across the continent.

Designed to address Africa’s clinical trial challenges, from fragmented infrastructure and limited site coordination to unstructured recruitment systems and regulatory complexity, MERCLINCO delivers integrated, solution-driven systems that turn barriers into breakthroughs.

Our Vision
To lead clinical trial delivery across Africa by advancing science and improving patient outcomes.
Our Mission
To deliver ethical, patient-first clinical trials at speed and scale through a directly managed site network.

Work with Africa’s
Trusted Clinical Trial Network

Looking for a single point of contact and a trusted partner to deliver clinical trials across Africa?

Partner with Africa’s trusted clinical trial network, MERCLINCO delivers direct site access,
diverse recruitment, and end-to-end execution for results that matter.

South Africa’s Go-To Integrated Clinical Trial Network

South Africa’s
Go-To Integrated Clinical Trial Network