Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation

What Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation does

The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF), formerly the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, is a South African non-profit health research organization established in 2004 in association with the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the University of Cape Town. DTHF conducts clinical trials (Phase I-IV), delivers community-based health services, and runs training and fellowship programmes focused on HIV, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, and related infectious diseases. It operates from a head office in Woodstock, Cape Town, with clinical research sites at Groote Schuur Hospital, Gugulethu, Emavundleni, and Masiphumelele, a fixed youth clinic (Mpilo Health Park), mobile health units (Tutu Tester and Tutu Teen Truck), and an Eastern Cape site in the Buffalo City Health District. Target populations include adolescents and young people, LGBTQ+ communities, key populations (MSM, sex workers, people who inject drugs), and underserved general community members in Cape Town and the Eastern Cape.

All clinical and preventive services — HIV testing and counselling, PrEP, antiretroviral therapy referral, TB screening, STI management, and family planning — are provided free of charge to study participants. DTHF does not generate service revenue; its operating model is grant- and donation-funded, drawing on government agencies (NIH Fogarty, U.S. Office of AIDS Research, SAHPRA-regulated trials), international organizations (IAVI, Africa Health Research Institute, Mildmay Uganda, Grassroot Soccer), pharmaceutical collaborators (Gilead Sciences on lenacapavir), philanthropic foundations, and individual donors, with cross-border tax-deductible giving enabled through Myriad USA and a retail loyalty partnership with Woolworths/MySchool. The foundation monetizes its research expertise through competitive grant proposals, clinical trial site services, and educational products (online training courses, HIV and STI factsheets, the We Move webinar series, and KiSS-TP and LGBTQI+ Health Research Fellowships). Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu serves as Patron, with Professor Robin Wood and Professor Linda-Gail Bekker as Executive Directors.

Name

Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation

Legal name

Desmond Tutu Health Foundation

Website

https://desmondtutuhealthfoundation.org.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

DTHF is a South African non-profit health research organization, founded in 2004 and affiliated with the University of Cape Town, that conducts HIV, TB, and STI clinical trials and delivers free community-based preventive services to adolescents, LGBTQ+ communities, and key populations across Cape Town and the Eastern Cape.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Clinical Trials & Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) (HLAJAOAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disease-Specific Global Initiatives (HIV/TB/Malaria/NTDs) (HLAJAOAE), Sexual & Reproductive Health & Family Planning (SRH/FP) Programs (BPADAIAD)

Keywords

• HIV research
• Clinical trials
• Public health
• HIV prevention
• Community healthcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Funding: The foundation relies on external funders and donors including government agencies, international organizations, private foundations, and individual donors. Researchers actively apply for competitive grants through detailed proposals outlining research objectives, methodologies, and expected outcomes.
2. Tax-Deductible Donations: Donations in South Africa qualify for S18A tax deduction certificates. U.S.-based donors can make tax-deductible contributions through American Friends of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation via Myriad USA.
3. Retail Partner Donations: Partnership with MySchool/MyVillage/MyPlanet program allowing supporters to designate DTHF as beneficiary when shopping at Woolworths

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DTHF is a non-profit health research foundation conducting clinical research on HIV, TB, and related infections. It provides free community-based healthcare services including HIV testing, counseling, PrEP, ART referrals, TB screening, and STI support through research sites, mobile clinics, and the Mpilo Health Park youth clinic in Cape Town, South Africa. The foundation also operates fellowship programs, online training courses, and Phase I-IV clinical trials for HIV prevention and treatment in partnership with organizations including Gilead Sciences, IAVI, and the NIH.

Product overview

The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF) is a non-profit health research organization offering a portfolio of healthcare services, educational resources, and fellowship programmes focused on HIV, TB, and related infections. The core services include the Mpilo Health Park youth clinic and mobile clinics (Tutu Tester, Tutu Teen Truck) providing HIV testing, PrEP, TB screening, and STI management. The organization provides educational resources including HIV and STI factsheets, online training courses, and sensitivity training manuals for healthcare workers. DTHF also operates fellowship programmes including KiSS-TP for PhD training in the Eastern Cape and LGBTQI+ Health Research Fellowship. Video content and the We Move adolescent health webinar series support community education and engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mpilo Health Park: Youth clinic offering a range of health services including HIV testing, PrEP, TB screening, STI management, and family planning.
• Tutu Truck (Tutu Tester, Tutu Teen Truck)
• Centre for Adherence and Therapeutics (DCAT)
• LGBT+ Health Division
• Men's Health Division
• Adolescent Division
• Safe Spaces Network
• We Move

Quantifiable outcome

• First public clinic in South Africa to offer antiretroviral therapy
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IAVI (International AIDS Vaccine Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership for adolescent health research webinar series. IAVI and DTHF co-hosted the We Move webinar series covering topics like HIV & COVID-19 Intersection, Mental Health & Wellbeing, and Gender & Sexually Diverse Populations.
• Grassroot SoccercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint workshop to disseminate and discuss the Goals 4 Girls study findings. Collaboration on adolescent health programs.
• Myriad USA (formerly KBFUS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorU.S. fiscal sponsor allowing American donors to make tax-deductible contributions to DTHF. Operates as a U.S. public charity under Sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code.
• Woolworths (MySchool Program)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDTHF is a beneficiary of the MySchool/MyVillage/MyPlanet loyalty program. Cardholders can swipe their cards at Woolworths and the foundation receives donations at no cost to the supporter.
• University of Cape Town (UCT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDTHF is established in association with the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, an accredited research centre within the Faculty of Health Sciences at UCT. Professor Robin Wood serves as Emeritus Professor at UCT and Director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre.
• Africa REACHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership and advocacy collaboration on HIV prevention initiatives. DTHF issued press releases supporting Africa REACH's efforts and public health policy advocacy.
• Africa Health Research OrganisationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOBILE MEN Programme collaboration for pioneering HIV prevention among mobile men in Sub-Saharan Africa, operating in South Africa and Uganda.
• Legends BarbershopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMobile unit partnership for community engagement events. Collaborated on International Men's Day activities providing haircuts and HIV tests in Philippi Village.
• Gilead SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Lenacapavir HIV prevention study. DTHF celebrated landmark results from Gilead's Phase 3 PURPOSE trials for lenacapavir as PrEP.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CAPRISA (Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa): CAPRISA is a UNAIDS-collaborating centre based in Durban conducting HIV prevention and treatment clinical trials, including tenofovir gel and broadly neutralizing antibody research. It is the closest direct peer to DTHF: both are South African HIV clinical research NGOs with UCT-style academic affiliations, Phase I-IV trial infrastructure, and global funding relationships.
• Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI): AHRI is a South Africa-based (KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga) HIV/TB research institute running population-based cohorts and clinical trials. It is DTHF's MOBILE MEN programme partner and shares the dual academic-affiliation and community-service model, making it a direct peer.
• Wits RHI (Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute): Wits RHI is a University of the Witwatersrand-affiliated research institute running HIV prevention trials, PrEP implementation research, and key-population programs across southern Africa. Comparable scope of clinical research, key-population focus, and multi-country footprint to DTHF.
• Aurum Institute: Aurum Institute is a South African health systems and TB/HIV research NGO with international operations in TB vaccine and treatment trials. Comparable scale, donor mix (PEPFAR, NIH, Global Fund), and HIV/TB clinical research focus to DTHF.
• Perinatal HIV Research Unit (PHRU): PHRU is a Soweto-based HIV research unit of the University of the Witwatersrand running prevention and treatment trials, including notable work on TB and maternal/child HIV. Comparable academic affiliation, clinical trial infrastructure, and South African footprint to DTHF.

Emerging players

• International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI): IAVI is a global product development partnership focused on HIV vaccine and antibody research. It is an existing DTHF partner (We Move webinar series) with overlapping adolescent HIV research interests and shared global funder base.

Broad incumbents

• amfAR (Foundation for AIDS Research): amfAR is the largest US-based HIV/AIDS research foundation, funding HIV cure, prevention, and treatment research globally. It is a broader-incumbent peer to DTHF because while it funds research rather than operating sites directly, both organizations occupy the global HIV research-funder and advocate space.
• EGPAF (Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation): EGPAF is a global non-profit focused on pediatric HIV prevention, treatment, and research with major operations across sub-Saharan Africa. A broader-incumbent peer that overlaps with DTHF on maternal/child HIV, PrEP access, and capacity-building work, but operates at greater scale and across more countries.

Others

• International AIDS Society (IAS): IAS is the world's largest association of HIV professionals, hosting the International AIDS Conference and shaping HIV research policy. DTHF leadership (Bekker, Osborne) has held senior IAS positions, making it an institutional peer and partner rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Mildmay Uganda: Mildmay Uganda is a Kampala-based HIV/AIDS health services and research organization providing ART, training, and community outreach. It is DTHF's MOBILE MEN programme partner and a regional peer with overlapping HIV service-delivery and capacity-building mandates.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dthf_sa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@desmondtutuhealthfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/130266611027
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/desmond-tutu-health-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/desmondtutuhealthfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation