A critical shipment of Dollvet-Oil Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines has arrived in South Africa, marking a significant step in efforts to contain the current outbreak.
The consignment of 1.5 million doses was imported by DSV on behalf of Dunevax Biotech, using specialised temperature-controlled air freight from Turkey to South Africa. The shipment landed at O.R. Tambo International Airport on 1 March 2026.
The delivery forms part of the country’s co-ordinated response to the FMD outbreak under the national state of disaster. Ensuring that vaccines arrive on time and within strict temperature parameters is central to curbing the spread of the disease, protecting livestock populations and limiting further economic fallout.
FMD has already inflicted losses amounting to billions of rands, disrupted livestock value chains, driven up consumer prices, and placed mounting pressure on farmers and rural communities.
DSV oversaw the end-to-end logistics process, including air freight arrangements, customs clearance and cargo handling. Specialised cold chain management ensured temperature control from departure in Turkey through to final handover in Johannesburg to Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) and the Department of Agriculture (DOA).
Operating from its facility at O. R. Tambo International Airport, DSV utilised validated cold rooms, real-time temperature monitoring systems and GDP-compliant handling procedures to safeguard the integrity of the highly sensitive consignment.
Melanie Smit, vice-president, DSV Air & Sea, sub-Saharan Africa, said the company was delighted to have been part of “an important milestone in South Africa’s response to the ongoing FMD outbreak and to have provided specialised cold chain logistics support to Dunevax Biotech”.
The successful vaccine import underscores a co-ordinated, science-based approach to disease control, highlighting collaboration between private logistics specialists, biotech suppliers and government authorities to secure livestock health, food security, trade stability and rural livelihoods.
Fritz Rexrodt, director of Dunevax, said: “The successful arrival and clearance of the Dollvet-Oil vaccine is the result of precise co-ordination and world-class cold chain logistics. DSV’s expertise and professionalism in co-ordinating and handling this highly sensitive shipment ensured full compliance and temperature integrity from arrival through to release. This played a critical role in strengthening South Africa’s response to FMD at a key time.”
The 1.5 million-dose shipment represents the first phase of a wider national procurement drive. A further six million doses are scheduled to arrive during March, significantly expanding vaccination capacity in affected and high-risk areas.
Mooketsa Ramasodi, director-general of the Department of Agriculture said: “With 14 million cattle in South Africa, we need a significant number of vaccines. The arrival of these 1.5 million doses is an important contribution to our fight against FMD.” He further confirmed that the permit for the additional six million doses, forming part of the phased national rollout, is expected to be approved and scheduled for March, reinforcing efforts to curb the spread of FMD under the national state of disaster.
The Dollvet-Oil FMD vaccine is an inactivated, oil-adjuvanted, trivalent formulation produced using double W/O/W (water-in-oil-in-water) emulsion technology. This approach, widely applied in modern FMD vaccines, is designed to enhance and extend protective immune responses compared to traditional aluminium-hydroxide-based, water-adjuvanted vaccines. The vaccine is SAT1, SAT2 and SAT3 Pirbright-matched, ensuring alignment with South Africa’s epidemiological requirements.
Source: DSV website