South Africa’s foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak has moved from “serious animal-health incident” into full-blown national crisis management. In a Government Gazette notice under the Disaster Management Act, the outbreak was classified as a national disaster (Section 23), signed by the Head of the National Disaster Management Centre,  

That classification matters because it’s designed to unlock coordinated action across spheres of government and accelerate the tools that hinder FMD: movement control, surveillance, biosecurity enforcement, and mass vaccination capacity.

First, a quick clarification: “state of emergency” vs “national disaster”

People often use “state of emergency” as shorthand, but South Africa’s current step is the classification of a national disaster under the Disaster Management Act—not a constitutional “state of emergency”. The disaster classification still enables stronger coordination and resource mobilisation, with the National Executive designated to coordinate and manage the response.

Why FMD is so hard to contain

FMD is one of the most contagious livestock diseases. It affects cloven-hoofed animals (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs) and spreads via direct contact, contaminated vehicles/equipment/clothing, and by air over short distances—meaning people and logistics can move the virus even when animals look “fine”.

It doesn’t pose a meaningful public-health risk to people, but economically it’s brutal: production losses, movement shutdowns, auction disruptions, and export knock-ons.

The vaccination programme: what the government says the plan needs to achieve

The government’s stated aim is to get South Africa back to WOAH-recognised FMD-free status with vaccination, but the standard is tough: officials note the country must prove no virus transmission for at least 12 months, backed by controlled vaccination rollout, official surveillance, strict movement control, and documented vaccination coverage.

A key technical point is that FMD has multiple strains, and each strain requires a specific vaccine. So “vaccination” only works if the vaccine matches the strains circulating on the ground.

Vaccines “coming in”: what’s confirmed, from where, and when

South Africa’s supply picture has three pillars: restarted local production, regional supply from Botswana, and additional imports—with regulators fast-tracking approvals where needed.

1) Local production is back — but starting small

In early February 2026, the Department of Agriculture announced the first locally produced FMD vaccines in more than 20 years, developed at ARC Onderstepoort. The initial batch is 12,900 doses, with an initial provincial distribution plan (including Free State, Eastern Cape, North West, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga).

From March 2026, the government says ARC should be able to supply 20,000 monovalent doses per week (SAT1, SAT2 or SAT3), with an ambition of 200,000 monovalent doses per week from 2027.

2) Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) remains the backbone of near-term supply

The government says the state has already acquired/monitored/administered two million vaccines via BVI, with 700,000 doses, they were expected by the end of February 2026, and 700,000 monthly in April, May, and June.

3) Large import batches: Argentina and Turkey

The government’s briefing also set out two major import streams:

• Biogénesis Bagó (Argentina): 1 million doses “soon”, plus a further 5 million expected in March 2026.
• Dollvet (Turkey): 1.5 million doses expected third week of Feb 2026, plus 5 million in March 2026.

4) What SAHPRA’s approval means (and why it’s important)

Because some vaccines are not yet registered locally, SAHPRA confirmed it granted Section 21 authorisation (with conditions) for importation of the Dollvet FMD vaccine, noting that Section 21 is a controlled, temporary pathway used to respond rapidly in urgent situations while maintaining standards of quality, safety and efficacy.

The national disaster declaration: what it can trigger in practice

The Gazette notice does three practical things farmers will feel:

1. Central coordination: It places primary coordination responsibility at the national level.
2. Whole-of-state mobilisation: It calls on organisations of the state across these spheres to strengthen the support and contingency arrangements.
3. Pressure on behaviour at farm/market level: It explicitly encourages improved targeted FMD management practices and discourages practices that increase the spread—this is where stricter enforcement around movements, auctions and compliance typically follows.

What farmers can do right now (even before vaccine teams arrive)

Vaccination helps, but it doesn’t replace discipline. The best changes that most farmers can do is too monitor movement and increase hygiene:

• Stop unnecessary animal movement; treat every new introduction as high risk.
• Control access: limit visitors, maintain a clean/dirty line, and track who enters livestock areas.
• Disinfect vehicles, loading ramps, handling facilities, and shared equipment—especially anything that’s been to auctions/feedlots/other farms.
• Report suspicious symptoms early (lameness, fever, mouth/hoof lesions) and isolate the animals immediately.
• Keep records (movements, visitors, vaccinations). If the national goal is WOAH status with vaccination and control, data matters.

The bottom line

South Africa’s FMD outbreak is now officially treated as a national disaster, enabling tighter coordination and faster mobilisation. The vaccination drive is shifting from “scarce doses” to a clearer pipeline: local ARC production restarting, continued BVI supply, and major import consignments from Argentina and Turkey—supported by SAHPRA fast-tracked authorisation where required.