South Africa's foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has spread to all nine provinces, prompting a national vaccination drive and calls for better communication. Authorities are rolling out millions of vaccine doses while addressing misinformation and cross-border risks. An inter-ministerial committee has been formed to coordinate a regional response.
The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, declared a national disaster, has affected livestock across South Africa's nine provinces since late 2025. In Gauteng, 228 cases have been confirmed, impacting 297,413 animals in communal, dairy, and commercial operations. The province has administered 268,315 vaccine doses, with controlled slaughter of nearly half that number as part of containment efforts.
Economic impacts are significant, with beef contributing R46-billion and dairy R22-billion to the farm economy. Livestock and poultry account for about half of South Africa's agricultural output. Agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo emphasized that the success of ongoing vaccination efforts is critical, noting robust slaughter rates may prevent sharp meat price surges.
Gauteng's response follows a four-pillar strategy: contain, enforce, vaccinate, and communicate. On 26 February 2026, MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa announced a provincial rollout of 70,000 doses from a national procurement of one million on 21 February. A geomap platform for real-time data is under development, supplemented by a WhatsApp channel for updates.
Stakeholders highlight communication gaps. Francois Rossouw, CEO of the Southern African Agri Initiative, said farmers are 'left in the dark.' AfriForum's Lambert de Klerk called for more consistent and transparent information on vaccines and priorities. Dewald Olivier of Red Meat Industry Services noted confusion from misinformation, while Sihlobo urged the government to minimize the information void.
Opportunists have exploited the situation, with reports of scams demanding pre-payments for vaccines. Illegal consignments, including a Kenyan vaccine intercepted in KwaZulu-Natal in December 2025, threaten the strategy. Minister John Steenhuisen, in a 27 February briefing, stressed that vaccination requires data collection and surveillance, not a 'free-for-all.' He confirmed 1.5 million doses arrived from Turkey on 1 March 2026, with five million more due on 15 March, aiming to vaccinate 80% of the herd by December using 28 million doses total.
Dairy sectors face heavy losses, estimated at R524-million in KwaZulu-Natal alone. Farmer Tom Turner reported his farm spent R1.5-million on biosecurity. Updated regulations on 23 February eased burdens, allowing single pasteurization for milk and no quarantine for healthy vaccinated animals. Milk SA's Mark Chimes called this a 'huge step' for markets.
On 2 March 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa authorized an Inter-Ministerial Committee involving agriculture, home affairs, international relations, and defence departments to address cross-border infections from Lesotho and eSwatini. The committee will seek an urgent SADC meeting. In the Free State, 200,000 doses have been received, with over 76,000 distributed to high-risk areas.
