Africa's only quinine-based malaria treatment manufacturer. Vertically integrated from cinchona farming to finished medicine. 870 employees, 2,500+ farmers, 7M+ treatments delivered annually.
by
Desiree Latu
published
February 3, 2026
Malaria caused 610,000 deaths in 2024, with 95% occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa and 76% among children under five.
Today, we're announcing an investment that's addressing this crisis head-on while creating hundreds of dignified jobs in a country where Talanton has never invested before.
Meet Pharmakina: Talanton’s Newest Portfolio Company from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
See our Press Release Here -->
Pharmakina is sub-Saharan Africa's only producer of quinine-based malaria treatments. The only one.
They're also one of the world's few vertically integrated quinine manufacturers. They grow the cinchona trees. They extract the active ingredient. They manufacture the finished medicine. All in-house. All in the DRC.
This matters. When global supply chains break down, Pharmakina keeps producing. When imported medicines become unaffordable, Pharmakina keeps prices stable. When pregnant women need safer treatment options, Pharmakina delivers over 7 million malaria treatment courses every year.
That's pharmaceutical self-sufficiency in a region where 610,000 people died from malaria last year. Ninety-five percent of those deaths happened in sub-Saharan Africa. Seventy-six percent were children under five.
Pharmakina is fighting that fight from the inside.
Pharmakina employs 870 workers who draw steady paychecks. Another 2,500 smallholder farmers partner with Pharmakina through sustainable agriculture programs. Our investment will help grow that farmer network to over 5,500.
In a region where formal employment is scarce, this matters.
The company provides disease-resistant seedlings, training, and support. Farmers build livelihoods. Families build futures. Communities build stability.
Behind every malaria treatment is a worker with a paycheck, a farmer with a future, and a family with hope.
You know Talanton's approach. We invest in growth-stage businesses across sub-Saharan Africa that create jobs and transform lives. We do rigorous due diligence. We provide hands-on support after we invest.
Pharmakina passed our 4-month vetting process.
The numbers are strong. They hit 82% of their 2025 production targets by mid-year. Domestic sales grew 24% over the prior year. Export revenue jumped 123%.
The mission alignment is stronger. Roland Decorvet, Pharmakina's Chairman, told us:
"We see much more than obvious business opportunities but an alignment in our vision of helping Africa become self-sustainable in providing for itself with its own resources."
Our investment supports Pharmakina's next phase: doubling API extraction capacity from 2.5MT to 5MT, modernizing manufacturing lines, and scaling production to serve more patients across more countries.
We believe God is paving the way for financial, social, and spiritual transformation in sub-Saharan Africa. Investors should have trustworthy pathways for meeting the moment.
Some investment opportunities are comfortable. The DRC isn't one of them.
But we've never believed that comfort and calling go together. Many investors avoid frontier markets. We believe the Gospel calls us to the margins.
Pharmakina proves something we've seen again and again: excellence isn't limited by geography. It's fueled by mission.
With Pharmakina, Talanton now operates across five countries. Our portfolio companies support over 109,000 jobs. We manage $47+ million in investments.
Every one of those investments started the same way. We found a values-aligned business doing excellent work in a hard place. We did the diligence. We made the commitment.
Pharmakina joins a portfolio of companies proving that the sub-Saharan Africa opportunity is real. Not theoretical. Not hopeful. Real.
If you're already a Talanton investor, thank you. Investments like Pharmakina are possible because of your partnership.
If you're exploring faith-driven impact investing for the first time, we'd welcome a conversation. Our investments combine financial returns with social impact and spiritual purpose. We call it the triple bottom line.
Pharmakina needs capital to double its production capacity. Without it, they serve fewer patients, employ fewer workers, and miss a generation of farmers ready to partner. The need is now.
P.S. Behind every malaria treatment is a worker with a paycheck, a farmer with a future, and a family with hope. That's pharmaceutical self-sufficiency meeting Kingdom impact
Talanton is a faith-driven impact investment fund. We invest in growth-stage businesses across sub-Saharan Africa that create jobs, bring hope, and transform lives.
Pharmakina is sub-Saharan Africa's only producer of quinine-based malaria treatments and one of the world's primary quinine manufacturers. Through vertically integrated production, sustainable agronomy programs, and partnerships with smallholder farmers, Pharmakina delivers essential medicines while creating jobs and economic opportunity in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
