The cabinet said on Thursday that 2.59-million cattle have been vaccinated to date as it intensifies efforts to contain the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and limit further damage to the livestock industry.
Speaking during a post-cabinet briefing on Thursday, minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said that ministers were briefed on the national vaccination programme and broader agricultural interventions aimed at stabilising the sector.
Two-million doses of the FMD vaccine had recently arrived from Turkey as part of the first tranche of a six-million-dose order, with distribution already under way across provinces.
“The department of agriculture is distributing the vaccines to provinces using a targeted, science-based allocation model informed by animal risk and population data,” Ntshavheni said.
She said an additional five-million vaccine doses had been ordered from Argentina through Onderstepoort Biological Products as the government attempts to scale up vaccinations to deal with South Africa’s most severe FMD outbreak in years.
The outbreak, which spread across seven of South Africa’s nine provinces during 2025, has placed major pressure on the red meat industry, disrupted exports and raised concerns over food security and rural economic stability.
Several international trading partners, including China, imposed restrictions on South African red meat imports after outbreaks were detected, contributing to a sharp decline in exports.
Reports indicate that South Africa’s beef exports have fallen by 26% in 2025, while exports to China dropped by 69% after Beijing’s import ban.
The government has since moved to expand vaccine procurement after criticism from farmers and industry bodies over shortages and delays in the initial response. Authorities are aiming to vaccinate about 80% of the national cattle herd, estimated at about 12-million animals.
The FMD update was part of wider cabinet discussions on economic pressures, food security, energy and immigration. The cabinet also discussed rising fuel prices, with Ntshavheni saying the government continued to intervene to cushion consumers from the effects of instability in the Middle East and disruptions affecting global fuel and fertiliser markets.
Ministers have supported the R17.2bn fuel levy subsidy announced by finance minister Enoch Godongwana, which will be implemented over a three-month period between April and June.
“The cabinet has directed the minister of mineral and petroleum resources supported by the minister of international relations and co-operation to co-ordinate a Southern African Development Community (SADC) response to assure security of fuel and fertiliser supply in the region,” Ntshavheni said.
On immigration, the cabinet has condemned the circulation of what it described as fake videos and images falsely depicting attacks on foreigners in South Africa, warning that such content risked damaging the country’s international reputation and fuelling tensions.
“The fake videos and images are not only fake, but they are intended to undermine the good reputation of South Africa internationally and undermine South Africa’s pursuit of a better Africa agenda,” Ntshavheni said.
While acknowledging growing public frustration over illegal immigration, the cabinet has warned against violence, vigilantism and “tribal mobilisation”, saying law enforcement agencies would be expected to act against those inciting unrest.
The government said interventions under way included strengthening border management through the Border Management Authority, accelerating deportations and increasing workplace inspections in sectors such as agriculture, hospitality, trucking and construction to ensure compliance with labour laws.
In the energy sector, the cabinet welcomed Eskom’s winter electricity outlook, which indicated that load-shedding was unlikely between April and August due to improved generation performance and reduced pressure on the grid.
The cabinet said load reduction had already been eliminated in the Northern Cape and Western Cape, with five additional provinces expected to follow during 2026. Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are projected to resolve their remaining load-reduction challenges by 2027.
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