• South Africa has resumed local production of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines after a 21-year halt.

• The move comes as FMD outbreaks affect eight of the country’s nine provinces.

• Authorities aim to cut import reliance as local vaccine output gradually increases.

South Africa’s Agricultural Research Council (ARC), the public body responsible for agricultural research and development, announced on February 6 that it had produced a first batch of 12,900 multistrain doses of vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The highly contagious viral disease mainly affects ruminants, causing oral and hoof lesions as well as sharp declines in productivity.

The announcement, made through a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, marks the revival of a domestic industry dedicated to FMD vaccine manufacturing after more than two decades of inactivity.

A production system idle for 21 years

Local production of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines in South Africa had been suspended since 2005. Official data indicate that the main reason was the obsolescence of infrastructure and technologies at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute. Facilities at the time no longer met international quality and safety standards required for the manufacture of safe and effective vaccines.

As a result, South Africa became fully dependent on imported vaccines, limiting its ability to respond quickly to new FMD outbreaks and increasing the vulnerability of its livestock sector. The resumption of local production therefore opens the way toward greater vaccine autonomy.

According to the ARC, the revival follows more than two decades of research, sustained government investment, and the modernization of local infrastructure to meet quality and safety standards. In comments to Farmers’ Weekly, Faith Peta, a member of the ARC production team, said the first batch reflects many years of research and commitment and shows that South Africa has the capacity to develop safe and effective vaccines that meet regulatory standards and local disease challenges, even though production remains at a small scale.

The Ministry of Agriculture said the initial batch will be distributed across six provinces: Free State, Eastern Cape, North West, Gauteng, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga.

A response to a hard-to-contain epizootic

The announcement comes as relief for the livestock sector. According to ministry data, eight of South Africa’s nine provinces are currently facing a resurgence of foot-and-mouth disease, affecting both commercial and community farms since 2025. The current epizootic is believed to have started in 2021, with only the Northern Cape remaining unaffected so far.

In November 2025, the government announced the rollout of a nationwide strategy to vaccinate the entire cattle herd against the disease, a move expected to increase vaccine imports in the short term.

Authorities estimated vaccine needs for the 2025/2026 fiscal year at around 1.2 billion rand ($75.5 million). With the restart of local production, Pretoria hopes to gradually reduce its reliance on imports over the coming years. The shift is also expected to improve response times and strengthen disease management through more efficient vaccination campaigns.

From March 2026, the ARC is expected to supply 20,000 doses per week, with output projected to rise to 200,000 doses per week from 2027. To bridge the gap during the production ramp-up, the Ministry of Agriculture said it has secured supplies from foreign partners, including the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI), Argentine veterinary pharmaceutical firm Biogénesis Bagó, and Turkey-based company Dollvet, to ensure a steady flow of vaccines.

“The BVI has confirmed the supply of 700 000 doses of FMD vaccine by the end of February 2026. This will be followed by monthly supplies of 700 000 doses in April, May, and June. Biogénesis Bagó of Argentina will soon supply one million doses, with a further five million doses expected in March 2026.  The 1.5 million dose Dollvet vaccine from Turkey is expected to arrive in the country in the third week of February 2026, followed by a second supply of five million doses in March,” the statement said.

Stéphanas Assocle