Botswana Vaccine Institute faces export threat
Namibia and South Africa plan domestic vaccine production, potentially reducing demand for Botswana's foot-and-mouth disease exports.
Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) faces a potential long-term threat to its export business as Namibia and South Africa develop their own foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine manufacturing capabilities. Namibia plans to establish its own plant, aiming to reduce reliance on imported vaccines, despite a recent three-year deal for over 3.8 million doses from Botswana valued at P50.43 million.
Ben Haraseb, Namibia's director for agricultural production, outlined the plant plans in October at an expo in Windhoek. While Botswana is Namibia's current main supplier, the immediate risk to BVI is limited due to the existing supply agreement and the fact that Namibia's facility is not yet operational. However, successful local production could eventually decrease Namibian orders.
South Africa also resumed domestic FMD vaccine production in February 2026 through the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), after a two-decade hiatus. The ARC handed over its first locally produced batch on February 6. These developments in key export markets raise concerns for BVI's future regional sales.