• South Africa plans to produce its own foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine starting in 2026.

• Livestock accounts for 41% of the country’s agricultural GDP and supports over 500,000 people.

• The government has spent over 72 million rands on imported FMD vaccines amid a recent surge in outbreaks.

South Africa moves decisively to reduce reliance on imported vaccines by developing a local foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine. Livestock contributes 41% of the nation’s agricultural GDP and employs more than half a million people. Ongoing outbreaks threaten this vital sector’s growth.

The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) is building a state-of-the-art vaccine production facility set to begin operations in 2026. ARC CEO Litha Magingxa told Farmer’s Weekly on July 22 that the vaccine is already registered. The council is now installing equipment to start intermediate vaccine production early next year.

“We have registered the vaccine and are now procuring equipment for a mid-scale production system that will provide a vaccine by early next year,” the official explained, adding that “This vaccine will cover all the FMD strains circulating in South Africa and the wider Southern African region." 

FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that affects ruminants, causing mouth and foot lesions and leading to severe productivity losses.

The facility's production capacity hasn’t been disclosed. Still, officials believe it could lay the foundation for a sustainable local vaccine industry. The current reliance on imports has proven costly and inefficient. Since March 2025, the government has spent more than 72 million rands (about $4.1 million) to secure 900,000 vaccine doses from abroad.

Since early May 2025, South Africa has recorded 39 new foot-and-mouth disease outbreak sites, with 32 located in Gauteng province, according to the Agriculture Ministry’s latest report. This brings the total number of active outbreaks since 2021 to 249.

In this context, producing vaccines locally has become a national priority. It would allow for quicker responses and better protection of livestock through targeted immunization efforts.

Until domestic production begins, the country remains dependent on imports — a vulnerability that increases the risk of delays, limited supply, and inflated costs during health emergencies.

This article was initially published in French by Stéphanas Assocle

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum