JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s Department of Agriculture welcomed the arrival of one million foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccine doses from Argentina this weekend, a shipment the government says is critical to containing a widespread outbreak that has impacted livestock industries across multiple provinces.
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen stated the delivery represents the first phase of a larger agreement, with an additional five million doses expected from international suppliers by the end of March. The vaccines will be prioritized for distribution in KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, North-West Province, and to a lesser extent, Mpumalanga, regions that have experienced the most significant outbreaks, according to Steenhuisen.
“We will continue to develop sure that we have enough to roll out so that we’re able to break the back of this current outbreak, but then as well to acquire South Africa firmly onto a new path,” Steenhuisen said. “We spent a lot of years running around after FMD. These vaccines will give us an opportunity to get ahead of it.”
The arrival of the Argentine vaccines follows the delivery of two million doses from the Botswana Vaccine Institute since the recent outbreak began, with monthly shipments scheduled to continue. Additional supplies are also expected from Dollvet in Turkey. The department has also begun utilizing locally produced vaccines, with the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) handing over an initial batch of 12,900 doses earlier this month – the first locally produced FMD vaccines in over 20 years. The ARC is currently producing 20,000 vaccines per week and aims to scale up to 200,000 per week in 2027.
As of February 16, the country reported 836 open outbreaks to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), indicating cases that have not yet been resolved. The department has established a dedicated FMD control centre and a toll-free support line (0860 246 640) to provide expert guidance to farmers.
Steenhuisen emphasized a targeted vaccination strategy, focusing on primary sectors where the disease is most prevalent, including cattle cosmos, dairies, and feedlots, as well as communal areas. The minister, who was appointed to the agriculture portfolio following the 2024 election that saw the African National Congress lose its parliamentary majority for the first time, has faced criticism over the handling of the FMD outbreak.
The Democratic Alliance, led by Steenhuisen prior to his appointment as minister, joined the ANC in a government of national unity after the election. He announced earlier this week that he would not seek re-election as leader of the DA, a decision following internal party tensions and allegations of misused funds, though he was later cleared of those allegations by an internal investigation.
