President Cyril Ramaphosa, maybe hoping the one million doses off AstraZeneca vaccine will also ease the pressure on his government.

It has been publicly criticized by some scientists and health workers for not securing access to vaccines sooner.

Rama Poza and other top officials were at the O.

R.

Tambo International Airport to receive the supplies, which were produced by the Serum Institute of India.

The president said he was delighted the first shots had arrived at more than 1.4 million cases on over 44,000 deaths.

South Africa is the country hardest hit by the virus on the African continent, and since late last year it's been battling AIM or contagious.

Variant officials say more than 50 million vaccine doses have been secured via bilateral negotiations with pharmaceutical companies, the Kovacs vaccine distribution scheme, andan African Union agreement.

Some of those doses need to be administered twice, but it is almost enough to vaccinate South Africa's target off 40 million people or two thirds off the population.

Other African countries are more reliant on Kovacs or the African Union to deliver doses, and the majority are yet to receive their first vaccine shipments.

The shots that arrived on Monday will be checked over roughly 10 to 14 days before inoculations can begin.