South Africa’s R1.3 billion Foot and Mouth Disease Crisis Is Getting Worse

South Africa is facing an escalating foot and mouth disease crisis, with the outbreak threatening the country’s livestock industry, wildlife populations and agricultural exports.

The government is already spending hundreds of millions of rand on a nationwide vaccination campaign, but the disease continues to spread, raising concerns about whether the country has enough money and vaccines to contain it.

The latest warning is particularly concerning because the outbreak is no longer limited to cattle. Wildlife populations in several provinces are also being affected.

The Department of Agriculture told lawmakers that more than 14 million cattle, representing over 90% of South Africa’s national herd, have been vaccinated during 2026.

The vaccination programme is beginning to take effect, but authorities say the country will need approximately 15 million vaccine doses every year going forward to keep the disease under control.

This creates a significant financial challenge for national and provincial agriculture departments, which have warned that they can no longer sustain the cost of purchasing vaccines.

The Department of Agriculture has requested R1.3 billion from National Treasury for the 2026/27 financial year to support the vaccination campaign.

However, the funding already identified falls considerably short of that request.

In its October 2026 midterm budget, National Treasury announced that:

Together, these amounts represent R606.4 million, leaving a substantial gap against the department’s R1.3 billion request. The full amount requested has not been confirmed as approved.

Perhaps the most concerning development is the spread of foot and mouth disease into wildlife populations.

Officials have reported the largest number of wildlife outbreaks in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

Cases have been identified in several species, including:

The situation is particularly concerning around the Kruger National Park, where the disease is already naturally present in buffalo populations.

The spread into wildlife creates additional challenges for conservation authorities and the country’s game industry.

Foot and mouth disease is highly contagious among cloven hoofed animals, including cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.

Although it does not generally pose a serious health risk to humans, it can cause devastating economic consequences.

Infected animals can face movement restrictions, while affected farms and exporters may lose access to important markets.

South Africa’s outbreak has already resulted in export restrictions and substantial financial losses for cattle farmers.

The government now faces the difficult task of maintaining a large scale vaccination programme while dealing with the financial pressure on agricultural departments.

The latest developments show that South Africa’s foot and mouth disease problem is far from over.

With more than 14 million cattle already vaccinated, the government has made considerable progress. However, the need for millions of additional vaccine doses every year means the financial commitment will continue.

The R1.3 billion funding request highlights the scale of the challenge facing the country.

Without sufficient funding, consistent vaccination and effective disease control South Africa risks further damage to its livestock industry, wildlife populations and agricultural exports.

Source: South Africa’s R1.3 billion problem is getting worse – Daily Investor

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