South Africa is currently facing one of its most serious foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) crises in years – one that has already locked South African farmers out of some markets. Daneel Rossouw, Head of Sales for Nedbank Agriculture, argues that stronger biosecurity measures are essential for South Africa’s livestock sector to maximise its role in global markets.

Livestock production represents the largest segment of South Africa’s agricultural economy, contributing over half of the sector’s total value. It underpins the livelihoods of thousands of commercial and emerging farmers and generates employment for millions throughout the value chain.

Although local demand makes up a sizeable portion of meat consumption, sluggish economic growth has kept real household income largely unchanged. As a result, international markets remain a critical opportunity for expansion, even amid increasing disease risks and evolving global trade dynamics.

Beyond the outbreak

Recurring animal disease outbreaks hinder this potential, triggering trade bans and wiping out billions of rand in potential exports. When countries close their markets, South Africa loses both sales and long-term credibility. Buyers quickly turn to competitors that can guarantee a consistent, disease-free supply. Rebuilding those relationships takes years – if it’s even possible.

These risks are no longer hypothetical. Recent outbreaks have already triggered import bans from key trading partners, including China and Zambia, sharply reducing beef and dairy exports, and highlighting how quickly market access can vanish when disease control falters.

What is even more frustrating is that South Africa has everything it needs to be a global powerhouse: high-quality beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and dairy with a reputation for excellent flavour. Strong meat demand exists, particularly in the Middle East and Asia, where protein consumption is rising. But these opportunities may stay out of reach without reliable biosecurity.

It’s not just about export markets

Despite sluggish domestic growth, per capita meat consumption has held steady and is expected to climb, but the scale of recent disease outbreaks has deepened the strain on producers and rural communities, with hundreds of thousands of animals affected and significant losses in production. Beyond the costs of vaccinations and containment, many farmers face reduced output, disrupted supply chains, and the stress of mounting veterinary and labour costs as export markets close and production stalls.

The dairy sector has also been hit hard by the FMD outbreak, with cases reported across all 9 provinces and movement restrictions disrupting the flow of cattle and milk. Infected cows can experience milk yield reductions of between 15% and 50%, so production volumes have fallen sharply, intensifying financial pressure on farmers. Export losses alone are estimated to exceed R1 billion since the outbreak has begun. These disruptions also contribute to higher price volatility for dairy products, threaten domestic supply resilience, and could have implications for food security if local production cannot keep pace with demand.

The underlying challenge lies not in farming expertise but in systemic weaknesses within South Africa’s animal health framework. Despite intensified response efforts, gaps in surveillance, traceability, movement control, and coordinated emergency action continue to allow disease to spread. Unauthorised practices, informal animal movement, and inconsistent compliance with control protocols further undermine containment and export confidence. Strengthening these systems with reliable surveillance and better biosecurity enforcement is essential to reducing the economic consequences of disease and protecting both domestic markets and international trade opportunities.

Encouraging signs of progress

Despite these challenges, there is positive momentum. Government has shifted towards an ‘FMD-free with vaccination’ strategy, with a nationwide vaccination campaign underway and plans to immunise the majority of South Africa’s cattle herd. Cooperation is promising, with the Department of Agriculture and industry partners swiftly containing and vaccinating affected feedlots.

Another positive development is the research led by Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) and academic partners, which aims to better understand the specific FMD strains circulating in South Africa and generate evidence-based risk assessments for meat processing and trade. This work could help refine outdated regulations and support safer market access for South African red meat.

Importantly, the Agricultural Research Council has launched the country’s first locally developed FMD vaccine in more than 2 decades, marking a step towards restoring domestic vaccine production capacity. This combination offers hope that South Africa can regain export credibility while reducing the economic impact of future outbreaks.

Traceability is key to turning crisis into opportunity

These measures require coordinated investment and strong alignment among all stakeholders in the livestock sector. Producers, industry bodies, and government recognise that collaboration is essential to strengthen resilience, improve disease management, and safeguard both domestic and export markets.

Producers are increasingly viewing traceability systems as central to these efforts – not only for meeting export compliance requirements, but also as early-warning tools for disease control and to minimise the impact of outbreaks. Beyond biosecurity, traceability provides a competitive edge, enabling producers to improve efficiency, enhance product quality, and achieve higher returns in both domestic and international markets.

Industry bodies like RMIS have progressed from advocacy to action by rolling out the next phase of a national traceability platform designed to connect farms, auctions, feedlots, and abattoirs and improve disease surveillance and market access, with explicit support from government. There is also growing industry dialogue about how traceability governance can best serve producers, including emerging farmer led initiatives that emphasise transparency and local ownership.

The stakes for South Africa’s livestock sector are high. With outbreaks impacting multiple provinces, export bans already in effect, and livelihoods at risk, action cannot wait. Strengthened biosecurity, nationwide traceability, and a revitalised domestic vaccine infrastructure offer a pathway to resilience. Success will require sustained collaboration across government, industry, and the private sector. By turning this crisis into an opportunity for structural reform, South Africa can protect farmers, safeguard food security, and restore its position as a reliable supplier in global meat markets.