Livestock, the largest sector in South African commercial agriculture, comprises 30%-40% of commercial agriculture, followed by mixed farming (livestock and crops) at about 20%-30%, followed by crops. Together, these industries employ about 950,000 people.
This underscores just how central animal production is to the country’s economy, and why veterinary scientists, veterinary nurses and veterinarians are vital to safeguarding it. As the frontline of animal and human health, and of food security, they carry responsibility for animal production, animal welfare, food safety and disease research. They also advise the government on biosecurity and disease control, functions that are indispensable to the stability and resilience of South Africa’s economy.
To address the FMD crisis, it is essential to put in place the biosecurity and veterinary protocols advised by veterinary and technical experts in collaboration with the minister of agriculture. The imperative is to curb and control the spread of FMD as well as zoonotic diseases such as brucellosis, which are on the rise and infect wildlife, livestock and humans. Other serious recurring diseases are African swine fever in pigs, bovine TB in wildlife and cattle and avian flu, which threatens broiler and egg production.
These are significant national animal management and biosecurity threats, which have, to a large extent, been neglected for a long time, with an insufficient budget allocated to state veterinary services and insufficient support from police in enforcing animal movement controls. Some years ago, responsibility for veterinary services moved from the national government to provincial and municipal authorities. This makes it difficult to implement national animal health policies and veterinary protocols.
Realistically, South Africa needs to increase the number of active vets to at least 100 per million people
There has also been a tendency to divert the budget needed to provide effective state veterinary services — such as the associated transport, medical and equipment requirements — to other social needs. Although the importance of other social needs is not questioned, the reprioritisation of budgeted resources away from effective state veterinary services is short-sighted, as it compromises human and animal health.
A compounding factor is South Africa’s severe shortage of state veterinarians; there are only about 320 throughout the country, with huge gaps in the rural areas. In the private sector, there are about 3,000. Add them together, and it equates to 65–70 active veterinarians per million citizens, which is significantly below the international benchmark of between 200 and 400 per million people. Realistically, South Africa needs to increase the number of active vets to at least 100 per million people.
We need all state veterinary positions filled, by offering salaries that would entice more vets to pursue careers in state service. In addition, there is a pressing need to introduce a much-needed public-private partnership which would see the state work with vets in private practice to assist with animal management and disease control.
The services provided by animal health technicians also need to be strengthened. The minister of agriculture has recognised this, and the University of Pretoria’s (UP’s) faculty of veterinary science was asked to provide further training to a cohort of unemployed animal health technicians. The goal is to upskill them as animal disease risk assessors, thereby building capacity in farm biosecurity.
Beyond human capacity and enforcement, South Africa also faces critical infrastructure gaps — most notably in vaccine manufacturing, which is essential for preventing and controlling the very diseases outlined above. Currently, vaccine manufacturing is done by Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) through the Agricultural Research Council (ARC). Although UP’s faculty of veterinary science is not involved in vaccine manufacturing, the ARC cannot produce in large volumes until a new production facility has been built.
It is clear that South Africa needs to invest more in research to remain at the forefront of new vaccine and drug development
A further constraint is the country’s limited high-containment research capacity. The faculty of veterinary science has long required its own high-level containment laboratory to conduct research on infectious pathogens for the shared benefit of South Africa and the Sadc region. While the vast majority of medical schools in the country have such facilities, South Africa’s only veterinary faculty does not — a gap that significantly limits national preparedness and response.
The burden of infectious disease is unlikely to diminish, making it essential for South Africa to remain at the forefront of the research, innovations, technologies and systems required to manage them. We must also ensure full compliance with the legal obligations and sanitary standards prescribed by the World Organisation for Animal Health.
To strengthen biosecurity in and beyond our country, a national biosecurity hub was launched in October 2023 by UP in collaboration with the government and industry role-players. The faculty of veterinary science is a core member of the hub and provides expertise in various fields, from risk assessment to disease diagnostics.
It is clear that South Africa needs to invest more in research to remain at the forefront of new vaccine and drug development. The Onderstepoort precinct — the ARC, OBP (through the ARC) and UP’s faculty of veterinary science — must be developed into a modern, integrated hub for animal-health innovation. A co-ordinated national approach is needed to expand veterinary training, with various higher education institutions offering it in a complementary manner. To unlock the full potential of the rural herd, consideration should be given to how veterinary services are offered, and how to move from disease control to subsidising animal health.
Veterinary science is the invisible thread holding our food system together — a profession that must no longer remain unseen.
• Prof Petersen is vice-chancellor and principal of UP
