• 1.5 million Dollvet FMD vaccine doses arrive from Turkey
• Shipment delayed by Middle East tensions, government statement says
• South Africa battles nationwide outbreak; over 935 cases reported to WOAH

South African Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said on Sunday, March 1, that 1.5 million doses of the Dollvet foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine had arrived at OR Tambo International Airport.

According to a government statement, the shipment from Turkey was delayed due to tensions in the Middle East. The cost of the delivery was not disclosed. It was handled by Dunevax, a company specializing in the import and distribution of veterinary vaccines, acting on behalf of the government.

The shipment arrives as South Africa continues to battle a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak that began in 2024 and now affects all nine provinces. Local media report that more than 935 outbreaks have been recorded and reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). In early 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster.

As part of efforts to contain the epidemic, the government spent more than 72 million rand ($4.4 million) buying about 900,000 vaccine doses between March and July 2025. A further one million doses were delivered on Saturday, Feb. 21, by Argentine company Biogénesis Bagó. Authorities are also pursuing plans to produce vaccines locally to reduce reliance on imports.

South Africa, the continent’s leading agricultural producer, generates nearly half of its agricultural value added from livestock and poultry. The country’s economy had a GDP of $401 billion in 2024, while beef exports rose 25% that year.

As the outbreak spreads, several countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), have temporarily suspended imports of South African cattle.

Carelle Tahou