Under new FMD control measures, a paper vaccination book no longer produces proof

Nottingham Road, KZN, South Africa — 4 August 2026 — Livestock farmers who have kept careful vaccination records in a notebook for years may find they can no longer issue proof of vaccination from them.

The control measures relating to outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, published in Government Gazette 54972 on 8 July 2026 under section 9(1) of the Animal Diseases Act, define a vaccination history as follows: "vaccination of livestock must be captured on a digital platform which includes the date, product, batch number and expiry date of the vaccine. Documented proof of vaccination can only be issued based on electronically captured data."

The scope is narrow but consequential. A paper register remains perfectly serviceable for a farmer's own animal inventory, births and sales. But for FMD vaccination specifically, the measures do not treat a handwritten book as something proof can be issued from — and clause 11.3 requires vaccinated animals to have documented proof of an adequate and up-to-date vaccination history.

A second obligation in the same section is easily missed. Clause 11.6 requires not only that the cold chain be maintained, but that the procedure for maintaining it be documented, with checks in place so that it can be audited. Many farms do the first and cannot demonstrate the second.

KraalBook and the new compliance gap

This is where KraalBook, a South African livestock record-keeping, herd management and compliance app, is aimed. A farmer records a vaccination at the crush — the date, the product off the bottle, the batch number, the expiry date, the authorised vet and the fridge temperature — and the app generates a proof-of-vaccination document from those records, grouped by vaccination session and listing every animal by tag number.

It works with no cellphone signal in the field and syncs when a connection returns. The app supports cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, reads electronic (RFID) ear tags, and produces farmer-facing records including vaccination and treatment registers, animal histories and auction and sale documents.

It is designed to complement, not replace, the national systems farmers already use. And because some jobs are easier at a desk than in the field, KraalBook also runs as a web portal on a computer, so the farm office can view records and reports and manage data on a big screen, in step with the phone.

Built with farmers and auction yards

KraalBook was built with — not just for — South African farmers and auction sale yards. Every feature was shaped by the people who use it: farmers capturing animals in the kraal, and sale yards handling consignments on auction day.

"Most farmers don't have a paperwork problem because they're careless — they have it because the records live in a book in the bakkie, and the rules keep changing," said Hylton Graham, founder of KraalBook. "What changed in July is that for FMD vaccinations, that book no longer produces the proof. We built KraalBook so an ordinary farmer can capture what happened, where it happened, the moment it happens — and have the document ready when the state vet or the buyer asks for it."

"I've seen KraalBook and I think it will add real value to livestock farmers. It's a comprehensive database system that's easy to use from your cell phone or your laptop. I believe farmers will really enjoy the benefits of accurate record keeping all year round, not just the paperwork for sale day. Proof of vaccination reports are easily generated, which is going to be necessary for farmers moving cattle in the future. We are excited to see this affordable product being used by farmers, and we've really enjoyed giving input during the development stages," said Karen Melouney, a director of AAM Livestock Agents & Auctioneers.

KraalBook is available now on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Farmers who prefer to work from the office can also use it on a computer through the KraalBook web portal. Get started at kraalbook.co.za.

A farmer's first 20 animals are free — permanently, not a trial — with no card details required. Larger herds are priced by size from R99 a month including VAT, and every plan begins with a 30-day free trial that also asks for no card. Subscriptions are managed on the KraalBook website.

About KraalBook

KraalBook is a South African livestock record-keeping, traceability and FMD-compliance app for cattle, sheep, goat and pig farmers, developed by Data Active Consulting (Pty) Ltd with direct input from South African farmers and auction sale yards. It works offline, supports electronic ear-tag scanning, and helps farmers produce the records and documents needed to move and sell stock. A companion web portal lets farmers work from the office on a computer too. Learn more at kraalbook.co.za.

KraalBook is an independent, privately owned app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or representing the South African government or any government department, and it complements rather than replaces the official systems farmers already use. The legislation referred to is published by the South African Government at gov.za/documents/acts.

Media contact

KraalBook — kraalbook.co.za/contact — This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.