TIA Commits R14m to Strengthen South Africa’s Livestock Disease Surveillance
TIA Commits R14m to Strengthen South Africa’s Livestock Disease Surveillance. The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) has invested R14 million in TokaBio to support the development and deployment of technology aimed at improving livestock disease surveillance in South Africa.
The funding backs TokaBio’s Molecular Rapid Response and Bio-surveillance Programme, which focuses on diseases including Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and Avian Influenza.
TokaBio has established a mobile laboratory in Modimolle, Limpopo, where it is conducting Avian Influenza surveillance in the ostrich industry. The company also operates a laboratory in KwaZulu-Natal supporting FMD surveillance across the country.
The programme is intended to improve the speed and precision of disease detection while supporting geographically targeted surveillance. It also aims to assist efforts to maintain beef trade through FMD monitoring in affected areas and support approaches such as compartmentalisation.
For the ostrich sector, TokaBio has already begun implementing its Avian Influenza bio-surveillance programme. The company said the initiative could provide a model for wider livestock disease surveillance and rapid-response services.
TIA CEO Dr Titus Mathe said recurring livestock disease outbreaks can disrupt agricultural production and affect South Africa’s access to foreign markets.
“TIA’s investment in TokaBio exemplifies how government funding for technology can extend beyond research and development to enable practical solutions that can be implemented in real-world settings,” Mathe said.
TIA board chairperson Loyiso Tyira said the investment forms part of the agency’s mandate to support the development, demonstration and commercialisation of technology innovations addressing national priorities.
Dr Phiyani Lebea, chief scientific officer at TokaBio, said the programme seeks to strengthen the country’s ability to detect, contain, monitor and demonstrate control of livestock diseases.
The investment comes as livestock products contribute to employment, food security, rural livelihoods and activity across the agricultural value chain.
