South Africa is grappling with one of its most severe outbreaks of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), impacting hundreds of thousands of animals and leading President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare it a national catastrophe. The disease has spread across nearly all provinces, with Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal being the hardest hit, causing quarantines, transport halts, and the slaughter of entire herds. This outbreak significantly threatens South Africa's vital dairy and meat industry, which generates approximately three billion Euros annually and supports tens of thousands of jobs. The government plans to immunize the entire cattle population of around 14 million with 28 million vaccine doses, necessitating substantial imports due to limited domestic production. Farmers express concerns about job losses and rising food prices if the situation is not managed effectively, while farmer associations criticize the government's response as too slow.