South Africa Ramps Up Foot-and-Mouth Disease Response

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen announced new vaccination measures in early May to contain a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak across South Africa.

The initiative aims to protect the national livestock industry from further economic losses and prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus. Failure to contain the disease could jeopardize international trade agreements, and the livelihoods of thousands of farmers.

During a press conference in Johannesburg, Steenhuisen briefed the media on the status of the outbreak and the government's strategy to mitigate the damage. He said that KwaZulu-Natal is the province most affected by the disease ^[2]. To address the crisis, the government gazetted a new vaccination scheme on May 5, 2026 ^[1].

Reports on the nature of the program vary, with some sources describing it as a private vaccination scheme ^[1] and others as a voluntary routine vaccination scheme ^[3]. The goal remains the same: to bolster livestock protection through increased immunization coverage.

Steenhuisen said, "We are ramping up the national response to this outbreak."

The rollout of the vaccines has faced legal pressure. Steenhuisen said, "The court has ordered the department to expedite vaccine distribution," referring to a deadline set by the Gauteng High Court ^[4].

Despite these challenges, the minister indicated that the efforts are yielding results. Steenhuisen said, "The vaccination campaign is beginning to show early signs of progress."

The ministry continues to urge farmers to participate in the voluntary program to ensure the fastest possible recovery for the affected regions. The government is monitoring the situation in KwaZulu-Natal closely to determine if additional restrictions on livestock movement are necessary to prevent the virus from entering other provinces.