Foot-and-Mouth Crisis Devastates Eastern Cape Farmers as Vaccination Campaign Struggles to Catch Up

Pointing at a motionless calf in a green field outside Humansdorp in South Africa's Eastern Cape, farmer Igsahn Felix sighed:

"That one is not going to make it."

The Eastern Cape — home to more than two head of cattle per person and more than four million animals in total — has become the epicentre of a nationwide foot-and-mouth disease crisis declared a national disaster in February.

The highly contagious viral disease causes fever and painful blisters around the mouth and hooves, leaving affected animals unable to feed and many emaciated. Nearly 1,000 separate outbreaks have been recorded across all nine provinces, and cases have recently appeared in neighbouring Botswana, Eswatini and Zimbabwe.

Control Measures and Local Impact

Roadside signs now mark "Foot-and-Mouth Disease Control Areas." Vehicles entering affected zones are sprayed with disinfectant and strict quarantines have been imposed — in some areas prohibiting the sale or slaughter of animals and meat. The virus can survive for up to six months in cow dung, complicating containment.

Felix's cooperative owns 245 animals: 128 have fallen ill and 14 have died. The cooperative of 22 largely subsistence farmers normally earns about 540,000 rand (roughly $32,000) annually; losses from the outbreak have already reached around 180,000 rand. Farmers also face added expenses buying fodder while herds are confined and paying for sanitisation measures.

Economic And Trade Consequences

Beyond the immediate toll on herds and household incomes, the outbreak has triggered trade repercussions: Zambia and China have imposed bans on South African beef. Local officials warn of larger economic damage if the virus reaches major dairy operations — notably Woodlands Dairy in Humansdorp, which employs more than 1,000 workers.

Vaccination Drive and Criticism

In January the government launched a 10-year plan to vaccinate nearly 20 million cattle. In late February, South Africa received 2.5 million imported doses targeted at the strains currently circulating. Veterinarian Anthony Davis, a member of the government vaccination task force, said:

"This is going to be our test because this vaccine has never been used in this country before."

Farmers, however, say vaccination and other responses were delayed and allowed the outbreak to escalate.

South Africa lost its foot-and-mouth-free status in 2019; subsequent outbreaks since 2021 spread across the country. Humansdorp previously suffered heavy losses during a 2024 episode that, according to local farmers, cost five to seven million rand per 1,000 dairy cows.

Political Fallout

The crisis has become politically charged. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen cited the epidemic when he announced he would not seek re-election as leader of the Democratic Alliance; critics say the outbreak and the government's handling of it have weakened his and the party's position ahead of local elections.

As authorities scale up vaccinations and control measures, farmers and communities across the Eastern Cape remain anxious. With a dense cattle population, wind-borne spread a concern, and trade bans already in place, the path to recovery will be long and costly unless containment improves rapidly.

Reporting notes: figures and quotes drawn from local farmers, veterinary officials and government statements. Continued monitoring of the outbreak and vaccination rollout is ongoing.