Zimbabwe Bans Animal Imports From SA Just Months After Lifting Similar Ban

Zimbabwe Bans Animal Imports From SA Over Fresh Foot And Mouth Outbreak

Zimbabwe has banned the importation of live cloven-hoofed animals and related products from South Africa—just months after lifting a similar ban. The decision follows a confirmed outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Gauteng Province.

“All imports of live cloven-hoofed animals and their products from Gauteng Province, Republic of South Africa, have been suspended with immediate effect until further notice,”
— Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development

Fresh ban triggers concern

The ban, issued on May 26, 2025, came after South Africa’s Veterinary Services confirmed an outbreak of FMD in Mogale City District on April 30.

Foot and Mouth Disease is a highly contagious viral infection affecting cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs. It causes painful blisters, fever, lameness, and weight loss.

“It is imperative that everyone respects the control measures in place to safeguard the nation’s livestock industry,”
— Government advisory

Authorities warned that FMD can spread across borders via infected animals or animal products—often linked to wild buffalo in Southern Africa.

“The repercussions of FMD outbreaks are far-reaching, negatively affecting trade, the national economy, and the livelihoods of individual livestock owners,”
— Veterinary Services Directorate

The announcement comes only four months after Zimbabwe had lifted a partial ban on similar imports.

January reopening short-lived

On January 7, 2025, Zimbabwe had allowed the importation of cloven-hoofed animals from selected South African provinces, including Gauteng, after a positive update on disease control efforts.

“This lifting applies exclusively to animals originating from Gauteng, North West, Northern Cape, and Western Cape,”
— Veterinary Services notice

The decision had been welcomed by South African agriculture stakeholders, who said the disease had been brought under control in several provinces.

“The challenging place the country found itself in prompted the government and industry stakeholders to increase their focus on strengthening farm biosecurity controls and surveillance,”
— Wandile Sihlobo, Agbiz Chief Economist

However, the new outbreak in April 2025 has reversed the gains.

Livestock industry on high alert

Zimbabwe is determined to avoid another crisis. The last major outbreak caused serious disruptions to beef exports and forced livestock movement restrictions.

The national cattle herd stands at 5.6 million. Authorities are investing in genetic improvement programmes and reviving dipping services to combat tick-borne diseases, which have killed nearly half a million cattle since 2016.