A shortage of test kits has undermined South Africa's early response to the coronavirus crisis, but a local biotechnology firm is stepping up to try and plug the shortfall in testing capacity.

CapeBio Technologies, a privately-held company which was spun out of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 2018, plans to roll out 5 000 test kits per day from the end of July, with support from the government.

The World Health Organisation has said shortages of test kits are a challenge in Africa.

At 5 000 tests kits per day, CapeBio could meet approximately a tenth of the country's current daily testing capacity.

READ | Eastern Cape health workers wait up to one month for Covid-19 test results

Confirmed cases of coronavirus passed the 100 000 mark this month, making South Africa the hardest-hit country on the continent.