South Africa will embark on a decade‑long national vaccination campaign to curb the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, says agriculture minister John Steenhuisen.
The initiative, framed as a “monumental task”,will also see the department asking cabinet todeclare the outbreak a state of disaster, in the hopes of mobilising law enforcement to handle movement control of livestock.
Steenhuisen, at a media briefing on Wednesday, emphasised that vaccination was “not a silver bullet” and cannot replace good on‑farm biosecurity and strict adherence to movement protocols.
The phased plan, developed by a ministerial advisory task team led by Emily Mogajane, .will prioritise high‑risk provinces including KwaZulu‑Natal, Free State, Gauteng and North West, with immediate mass vaccination to be repeated within three months.
Targets are 100% coverage in feedlots and dairies, 90% in commercial herds and 80% in communal cattle. Biannual campaigns will be launched in border hotspots such as Mpumalanga and Limpopo, where buffalo farming poses heightened risk.
The Eastern Cape will see biannual vaccination in hotspots and the establishment of a protection zone. The Northern Cape remains the only province without reported outbreaks.
Vaccine supply will be secured through multiple channels, including international partnerships with Biogenesis Bagó of Argentina, which is expected to deliver 1-million doses within two weeks of permit approval and a further 5-million by March 2026.
The Botswana Vaccine Institute has confirmed availability of SAT2 bulk antigen, while Turkey’s Dollvet vaccine has been authorised for import.
Locally, the Agriculture Research Council (ARC) and Onderstepoort Biological Products will activate production lines, initially at 20,000 doses per week, scaling to 960,000. The ARC has been instructed to send field strains to the Pirbright Institute for antigenic matching, ensuring vaccines correspond to circulating virus strains.
In response to questions from ActionSA MP Athol Trollip, Steenhuisen’s clarified that the department would seek a disaster declaration to unlock policing support for roadblocks and enforcement to ensure movement controls.
He also noted that unreported outbreaks would impact the department’s intervention efforts, reiterating that vaccination will be conducted by state vets and animal health technicians in partnership with private veterinary services to maintain surveillance integrity and accountability.
Regarding vaccine procurement, he added that local production being supplemented by imports would avoid single‑supplier dependency, and confirmed that a cabinet memorandum is being prepared to secure disaster status and funding.
The surveillance and traceability architecture will be strengthened through the ARC‑Onderstepoort Veterinary Research network, supported by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Red Meat Industry Services traceability platform.
A digital livestock identification and traceability system will be implemented to track movements and support enforcement. These measures carry administrative implications for provincial veterinary services, private veterinarians and auction operators, including certification requirements and restrictions on congregating animals to reduce transmission risk.
The feasibility of the plan rests on vaccine supply continuity, laboratory throughput and farmer compliance with reporting and movement restrictions.
The minister cited Brazil’s 20‑year path to foot-and-mouth-disease freedom as precedent, underscoring the long‑term nature of the commitment.
If implemented as outlined, the campaign could reduce outbreaks by 75% in high‑risk areas within a year and achieve recognition of freedom through vaccination in the medium term. — Business Day
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