South Africa’s Foot-and-Mouth-Hit Farmers Still Bound by Minimum Wage
SOUTH AFRICA · EXPLAINER
Key Facts
- —The country South Africa, home to 12 to 14 million cattle, has open foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in all nine provinces.
- —What happened In a report published on Sunday 4 October, Namibia’s labour ministry said FMD-hit farmers there must keep paying the minimum wage. South African law gives the same answer.
- —The rule South Africa’s R30.23 (US$1.81) hourly minimum wage covers farm workers, and the law lists no exception for disease losses.
- —The catch Distressed South African employers can apply for a temporary exemption, but still pay at least 90% of the minimum.
- —The vaccines Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp said 21 million doses were imported or produced in 2026, including nine million from Argentina.
- —Local production The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) makes an FMD vaccine and has produced over half a million doses, but cannot meet demand.
In a report published on Sunday 4 October, Namibia’s labour ministry said farmers hit by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) must keep paying the minimum wage. South African law gives its own farmers the same answer.
South Africa’s floor of R30.23 (US$1.81) an hour binds all employers bar a short list of exclusions, with no carve-out for disease. Meanwhile, 21 million FMD vaccine doses have been imported or produced in 2026, but local output covers only a small share.
What South Africa’s Wage Law Requires
The Department of Employment and Labour announced the 2026 rate on Tuesday 3 February, effective from 1 March. It rose from R28.79 (US$1.73) to R30.23 (US$1.81) for each ordinary hour worked.
Dollar figures here use about 16.66 rand to the US dollar on 5 October 2026. The department said the rise benefits all workers, “including vulnerable farm workers and domestic workers”.
It also stated that the floor “cannot be varied by contract, collective agreement or law”. The statement lists soldiers, intelligence staff and volunteers as outside the law, and says nothing about farm disease.
The Hardship Exemption and Its Limits
The only legal way to pay less than the minimum is an exemption, the same route open to any struggling employer. Section 15 of the National Minimum Wage Act lets an employer apply online to the labour department.
Applicants must first consult unions or, where there are none, the affected workers, the department said in June 2023. The LWO Employers Organisation adds that they must pass financial tests on profitability, liquidity and solvency.
The department has said an exemption can cut the minimum wage by no more than 10%. An exemption lasts no longer than 12 months, according to the LWO.
Why Namibia Raised the Question
Namibia confirmed FMD on a commercial farm in its Karasburg veterinary district, in the south of the country, on Wednesday 23 September. The farm lies inside the disease-free zone that Namibia’s beef exports rely on, as reported on 25 September.
On Sunday 4 October, The Namibian quoted Maria Hedimbi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations. “There are currently no discussions to exempt employers in the agricultural sector,” she said.
She added that all employers must keep paying the national minimum wage unless the government officially announces otherwise. Namibian farm workers have earned at least 14 Namibian dollars (US$0.84) an hour since 1 January.
Labour expert Herbert Jauch told the paper that paying below the minimum would “drive those workers into hunger”.
How Far FMD Has Spread in South Africa
South Africa’s internationally recognised FMD-free zone status was suspended in January 2019. The disease has now reached all nine provinces.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in his February 2026 State of the Nation Address that FMD had been classified a national disaster. New control rules, gazetted on 7 July, let farmers vaccinate their own animals with official authorisation.
Where South Africa’s FMD Vaccines Come From
Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp told Parliament on Tuesday 22 September that 21 million doses had been imported or produced in 2026. According to GroundUp, 11.5 million came from Turkey’s Dollvet and nine million from Argentina’s Biogénesis Bagó.
By late April, 2.5 million Biogénesis Bagó doses had already been secured and distributed, the government news agency SAnews reported.
South Africa does make some FMD vaccine at home. The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) handed over its first locally made batch in February 2026, after production stopped in 2005.
That pilot batch held 12,900 doses, and Aucamp said on 22 September that the ARC has produced over half a million. It still cannot meet demand, which GroundUp puts at about 25 million doses a year.
The ARC board agreed on Monday 21 September to let private companies make its vaccine under licence, Aucamp said. Onderstepoort Biological Products, a separate vaccine maker, does not produce FMD vaccine.
Imported doses from Turkey and Argentina cost about R45 (US$2.70) each, the minister said.
What It Means for US Readers
For investors in South African farming, the wage floor is a cost that disease rules do not suspend. FMD-hit farmers carry that bill while quarantines limit sales.
For travellers, FMD is an animal disease. The World Organisation for Animal Health says it is not readily transmissible to humans and is not a public health risk.
For policy watchers, South Africa still relies on Argentine and Turkish suppliers for most doses. Exports are the other pressure point for FMD-hit farmers.
A Department of Agriculture mission visited Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates in late September. Its aim was to help reopen export channels, Agrinews reported on Monday 5 October.
What Is Not Known
It is unclear how many livestock farms have applied for wage exemptions since FMD spread. It is also unclear whether South Africa will offer FMD-hit farmers any support tied to wages.
No start date has been given for private production of the ARC vaccine. The ARC told Farmer’s Weekly on 29 September that procurement, regulatory and biosafety steps must be completed first.
In Namibia, Kharas regional governor Dawid Gertze said there is no agreement yet on how struggling farmers should handle wages.
More: South Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Do FMD-hit farmers in South Africa still have to pay the minimum wage?
Yes. The R30.23 (US$1.81) hourly minimum wage covers farm workers, with no exception for disease losses. A struggling employer can seek a temporary exemption but must still pay at least 90% of it.
Does South Africa make its own FMD vaccine?
Yes, on a small scale. The Agricultural Research Council restarted production in February 2026 and has made over half a million doses. Most supply still comes from Turkey and Argentina.
Is foot-and-mouth disease dangerous to people?
No. The World Organisation for Animal Health says FMD is not a public health risk. The damage is economic, through sick animals, quarantines and lost export sales.
What did Namibia say about farm wages?
Namibia’s labour ministry told The Namibian, in a report published on 4 October, that no wage exemption for farmers is under discussion. Farm workers there earn at least 14 Namibian dollars (US$0.84) an hour.
Sources: The Namibian, 4 October 2026; South African Government (Department of Employment and Labour statement), 3 February 2026; South African Government (Department of Employment and Labour statement on exemptions), 28 June 2023; GroundUp, 22 September 2026; Farmer’s Weekly, 29 September 2026; SAnews, 6 February 2026; SAnews, 29 April 2026; LWO Employers Organisation, 27 March 2026; Western Cape Government, 13 February 2026; Farmer’s Weekly, 23 September 2026; Agrinews, 5 October 2026; World Organisation for Animal Health, accessed 5 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief