Pretoria: Cabinet has expressed confidence in the revitalization of local vaccine manufacturing capabilities at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) as a strategic move to help South Africa regain its Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)-free status from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). The Agricultural Research Council's Onderstepoort Veterinary Research facility has resumed Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine production for the first time in over two decades.
According to South African Government News Agency, the first batch of vaccines produced locally was officially handed over on Friday, 6 February 2026. The vaccine, which is registered as a stock remedy under Act 36 of 1947, adheres to all necessary quality, safety, and efficacy standards. Between 2010 and 2018, ARC conducted comprehensive research within its existing facilities to enhance regional vaccine capacity. This program aimed to identify new vaccine strains suitable for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, optimize strains for large-scale cultivation in bioreactors to boost yields, and evaluate their capacity to induce protective immunity both immunologically and clinically. Researchers also assessed vaccine potency and immunity duration to determine appropriate field vaccination schedules.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, during a media briefing in Pretoria, highlighted that the resumption of local vaccine production is a significant milestone in addressing the ongoing FMD outbreak, which affects over 14 million livestock in the country. The outbreak has led to substantial losses within the farming sector and threatens South Africa's agricultural export reputation. Ntshavheni extended Cabinet's appreciation to the farming community for their relentless efforts to support the Department of Agriculture in containing the current FMD outbreak.
Black Households Now 41% of High-Income Earners
In a related development, Cabinet welcomed findings from a University of Cape Town Liberty Institute of Strategic Marketing study, which highlighted a significant shift in South Africa's income distribution patterns. The study, based on data from Statistics South Africa, revealed that the proportion of black households earning over R75,000 per month increased to 41% in 2024, up from 29% in 2012. The number of Black South Africans in middle- and upper-income brackets, earning more than R22,000 per month, has quadrupled to over seven million in 2024. Overall, the total number of individuals in these income categories rose from approximately four million to over 11 million between 2012 and 2024.
Ntshavheni noted that the increase in black remuneration indicates gradual progress in the racial profile of South Africa's higher income brackets, attributing this to 31 years of democratic transformation through initiatives like employment equity and Black Economic Empowerment. However, she acknowledged that progress is still uneven and falls short of proportional demographic representation, with black South Africans predominating among the poor and working poor, and millions still living in poverty.