South Africa should become a world leader in pharmaceuticals, Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor said in Durban on Monday.

"We have made it part of our ten-year innovation plan... to establish South Africa as a world leader in pharmaceuticals based on the nation's indigenous resources and expanding knowledge base," Pandor said while opening the 2010 Indigenous Knowledge Systems Expo.

She believed that research and innovation would make South Africa a major producer in pharmaceutical, nutritional and cosmetics industries.

This department and the Environmental Affairs Department were working closely to promote the protection of indigenous knowledge and related biological resources.

"Government is working towards putting in place a legal framework that will put a definite end to multinational companies and local companies neglecting their obligations to seek prior informed consent, and to share benefits when using biological resources from the developing countries as required by national laws.

"The National Recordal System will record and store indigenous knowledge for the benefit of our communities."