South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has announced that early data indicates South Africa's mass Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination strategy is producing positive results, with no new breakthroughs recorded in herds that have already been vaccinated.

Since February 2026 up until 26 March 2026, provinces have vaccinated a total of 2 033 289 animals, providing what the minister described as a clear indication that the vaccines are effective and the strategy is working to protect the national herd.

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Although outbreaks have been reported across all nine provinces, the intensity varies significantly. As of 10 April 2026, a total of 1 317 cases has been recorded nationally. Free State leads with 328 cases, followed by North West with 247 and Gauteng with 241. KwaZulu-Natal has recorded 225 cases, Mpumalanga 140, Eastern Cape 71, Limpopo 49, Western Cape 13 and Northern Cape 3.

Steenhuisen attributed the recent increase in reported numbers to improved government capacity rather than a worsening of the outbreak. "We have strengthened surveillance and implemented a centralised reporting system, allowing for earlier detection and faster data capture. Furthermore, heightened awareness has helped identify sub-clinical cases where animals carry the virus without showing obvious symptoms, which previously might have gone unnoticed," he said.

Vaccine Supply and Roll-out

The Department of Agriculture has secured a steady vaccine supply. To date, four million doses have been received, comprising 2.5 million doses from Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina and 1.5 million doses from Dollvet in Turkey. An additional two million doses from Dollvet are expected before the end of April. A separate order of five million doses has been placed with Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) from Biogénesis Bagó, with 3.5 million of those doses also expected to arrive before end of April 2026.

Vaccination is being managed through a risk-based approach that prioritises areas with high concentrations of susceptible animals. All recorded dairies in the Free State have been vaccinated, and all major dairies in the Western Cape have been fully attended to. KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape have received the largest allocations due to their high animal populations, with over 78 000 doses already provided to the Milk Producers Organisation (MPO) in the Eastern Cape alone. KwaZulu-Natal had 250 000 doses allocated, with an additional 100 000 doses recently added.

Routine Vaccination Scheme

On 10 April 2026, Minister Steenhuisen announced the intention to publish the Routine Vaccination Scheme for Foot and Mouth Disease (RVS-FMD) under Section 10 of the Animal Diseases Act, 1984. The closing date for public comment was 17 April 2026, with the final scheme envisaged for publication on 24 April 2026.