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The outbreak and rapid spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) at South Africa’s largest feedlots and farms has once again highlighted the country’s vulnerable biosecurity system. The outbreak in May 2025 resulted in quarantines and led to further export bans from key international markets. 

Livestock farming is South Africa’s biggest agricultural sector, contributing more than half of the industry’s total value. It supports thousands of farmers and creates millions of jobs in areas such as feedlots, slaughterhouses, transport, retail and exports. While local meat consumption is significant, slow economic growth has limited consumer spending, making the export market a critical opportunity for expansion.

Disease Outbreaks Block Exports

Unfortunately, South Africa’s potential in meat exports is regularly held back by disease outbreaks. FMD, bird flu, and African swine fever have caused countries like Saudi Arabia, China, and the EU to close their markets to South African products. These bans not only hurt short-term sales but also damage the country's reputation. Buyers often turn to competitors such as Brazil, Australia, or Botswana, which are seen as more reliable suppliers.

This is especially disheartening given South Africa’s strengths. The country produces high-quality beef, lamb, pork, and poultry that are popular around the world. Rising demand in the Middle East and Asia makes export expansion even more promising. But without trustworthy systems to prevent and manage animal disease, international buyers will hesitate to engage.

Local Effects of Poor Biosecurity

Weak biosecurity doesn’t just impact international trade – it also affects South Africans at home. Disease outbreaks cause major disruption across the entire value chain.

Farmers must cover the costs of vaccines, testing, and disease containment. Government must pay for culling, compensation, and control programmes. Movement bans interrupt the flow of animals to feedlots and abattoirs, causing supply problems and financial losses. Some producers lose entire herds or flocks, as seen when bird flu wiped out a third of the country’s poultry in 2023. Consumers end up paying higher prices due to reduced supply, and small-scale farmers – with a small financial cushion – often face serious hardship, including forced sales or job losses.

The main issue isn’t poor farming practices. South African farmers are skilled and experienced. The real weakness is a fragmented and poorly funded animal health system. Disease monitoring is unreliable, vaccination coverage is uneven, and there’s no national system for tracking animal movements. Government and industry often respond slowly and with little coordination, allowing diseases to spread widely before being detected. As a result, major outbreaks have become common, and South Africa’s international credibility continues to suffer.

Signs of Progress

Despite these long-standing problems, there have been some promising developments. In June 2025, government officials, academics, and industry leaders met at the National Biosecurity Summit to develop a five-year action plan. Key proposals include:

• New laws and rules to better manage animal diseases.
• A national traceability system to track livestock from farm to export point.
• Better vaccine production and quicker response capabilities.
• Stronger collaboration between public agencies and private companies.

Importantly, industry leaders haven’t waited for policy to catch up. In November 2024, the Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) launched the first phase of a new digital traceability platform. This system assigns a unique Production Unit Number to every farm, grazing area, auction house, feedlot, and abattoir in the country. These IDs allow for full tracking of livestock across the supply chain, from the field to the consumer.

This traceability platform is a major boost for biosecurity. It makes it easier to isolate outbreaks by pinpointing where infected animals came from and where they went. This avoids large-scale lockdowns that disrupt entire provinces. It also reduces stock theft, improves transparency in the industry, and helps South Africa meet global standards for food safety and traceability. RMIS CEO Dewald Olivier has described this platform as one of the most important developments in the country’s livestock sector since South Africa began exporting red meat.

South Africa’s largest feedlot has already adopted the RMIS system and now requires all cattle to be registered on the platform. This is a strong show of support and reflects growing trust in the system’s benefits.

Responding Faster, Backed by Science

Another encouraging sign has been the more coordinated response to this year’s FMD outbreaks. The Department of Agriculture, working closely with industry partners, acted quickly to contain the virus and carry out vaccinations. In addition, recent research from RMIS confirmed that the FMD strains currently circulating in southern Africa are less dangerous than those found in other parts of the world. The local versions are highly contagious but rarely deadly, with most cattle recovering.

This finding is important for international trade. RMIS is now asking the World Organisation for Animal Health to officially recognise that the FMD strains in southern Africa are less severe. If accepted, this could lead to more balanced trade policies, where only areas with serious outbreaks are restricted, rather than the whole country. It also shows how better data and greater transparency can help reduce the risk of blanket export bans.

All these efforts – improved planning, use of technology, faster responses, and science-based lobbying – point to a more resilient livestock sector. But progress remains fragile. Turning plans into reality will require political will, funding, and some structural changes. Vaccine production must be modernised, the RMIS system needs to be rolled out nationwide, and partnerships between the public and private sectors should be expanded. Everyone in the chain – from smallholders to large exporters – must play a role in securing animal health and food safety.

Business Has a Role to Play

Improving biosecurity isn’t just a government responsibility. Private sector involvement is essential. Nedbank has shown its support by sponsoring a number of agricultural initiatives that promote sustainability and good practices. These include the Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO) Nedbank Stewardship Awards, the MPO Western Cape AGM, and the Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO) Congress.

At the 2025 RPO Congress, the value of traceability was a major theme. Farmers and producers noted that proper tracking systems not only help meet export requirements but also serve as early warning tools for disease outbreaks. Traceability can lead to more efficient production, better-quality meat, and stability in the income revenue. It also means authorities can act quickly in the event of an outbreak, targeting specific farms rather than shutting down entire regions.

There was a broad agreement amongst participants that national adoptions of traceability would reduce the damage caused by diseases and build a more competitive industry. With the right systems in place, South Africa can avoid the economic damage of sudden bans and prove itself as a reliable supplier to the world market.

The Way Forward

The situation is urgent but not hopeless. Thousands of farmers, national food security, and the future of South Africa’s meat exports all depend on fixing this weak link. Without bold action on biosecurity and traceability, the livestock sector will remain vulnerable to disease, trade disruption, and economic losses. But with tools like the RMIS-system and growing commitment from both government and business, South Africa has a clear roadmap to a safer, more productive future.

It is time to follow through – not only with policies and promises but with full-scale implementation. The country has the knowledge, the tools, and the will. What it needs now is coordinated action.

Strengthening biosecurity isn’t just about avoiding the next crisis. It’s about building a stronger, more competitive agricultural system for all South African producers.