South Africa, which has yet to receive its first coronavirus vaccine, has been promised 9-million doses by Johnson & Johnson, the Business Day newspaper reported on Monday, citing a health ministry spokesperson.

The government of Africa's most advanced economy is scrambling to secure enough Covid-19 vaccines, after health workers and scientists publicly criticised it for not moving fast enough to inoculate its people.

The country has recorded more than 1.3-million infections and more than 37 000 deaths related to the virus, the most in Africa.

Business Day said the 9-million J&J doses took the total amount of doses South Africa had been promised to more than 30-million. Roughly 12-million doses are coming from the COVAX global vaccine distribution scheme, around 12-million from an African Union arrangement, and 1.5-million from the Serum Institute of India which is making AstraZeneca shots.

Health ministry spokesperson Lwazi Manzi did not respond to messages or a phone call seeking comment. J&J did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Anban Pillay, deputy director-general at the health ministry, told Reuters that in addition to the 20-million doses that President Cyril Ramaphosa said last week had been secured, "additional doses have been secured but we cannot make announcements until we close a couple of matters with the suppliers".

The health ministry said earlier this month that it was in advanced negotiations with J&J. Local pharmaceutical company Aspen will be manufacturing J&J shots but unless a firm agreement is signed with the South African government all those doses will be exported.