The University of Fort Hare (UFH) has received support from agriculture minister John Steenhuisen for its proposal to establish the country’s second veterinary academic hospital.
A delegation from the university met Steenhuisen on March 9 to present the proposal, which would significantly expand veterinary education and clinical infrastructure in the country.
Responding to the proposal, Steenhuisen welcomed the initiative and highlighted the need to strengthen veterinary capacity.
There is no doubt that we need more veterinarians and more veterinary facilities in the country. As we strengthen national biosecurity, veterinary and plant health expertise will become absolutely critical
— John Steenhuisen, agriculture minister
“There is no doubt that we need more veterinarians and more veterinary facilities in the country,” he said. “As we strengthen national biosecurity, veterinary and plant health expertise will become absolutely critical.”
The plan includes expanding UFH’s existing veterinary clinic — funded by the university at R22m and already at an advanced planning stage — and establishing a new faculty of veterinary and agricultural sciences, which would become the university’s seventh faculty.
If approved, the teaching veterinary hospital would be only the second such facility in South Africa to be established in more than a century.
The country currently has just one veterinary academic hospital, the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital.
Estimated to cost about R253m, based on benchmarking with similar institutions, the proposed hospital is expected to expand veterinary clinical services and training nationally and help address critical shortages in animal health expertise.
At the centre of the plan is UFH’s Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) degree, which UFH submitted to the department of higher education and training in September 2025 for programme and qualification mix clearance. Approval is pending a meeting with higher education minister Buti Manamela.
The proposal follows the approval of an R80m grant from the department to build the first phase of veterinary science facilities at UFH’s Honeydale Research Farm in Alice.
The new faculty will include five departments, including two new ones focused on veterinary biomedical and paraclinical sciences, as well as veterinary medicine and clinical sciences. Existing departments will also form part of the faculty.
The development of a new veterinary science campus, including academic facilities and residences for students and staff, is expected to reshape the rural landscape of Alice.
This is not simply about establishing another academic programme. It is about expanding national capacity in veterinary training and building the infrastructure required to support South Africa’s animal health system
— Sakhela Buhlungu, UFH vice-chancellor
The BVSc programme aims to address South Africa’s shortage of veterinarians, particularly in rural and underserved areas. It will train professionals to:
- support livestock and aquaculture health;
- strengthen disease surveillance;
- improve food security; and
- contribute to public health.
The programme will include:
- terrestrial and aquatic streams;
- early clinical exposure; and
- a one-health approach linking human, animal and environmental health.
UFH hopes to admit its first group of 30 students in 2027 or 2028 once final approvals are secured. Practical training and internships will take place at veterinary clinics and farms across the Eastern Cape. At full capacity, the programme could graduate up to 100 veterinarians a year.
UFH vice-chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu said the initiative is a major national intervention in veterinary education and rural development.
“This is not simply about establishing another academic programme. It is about expanding national capacity in veterinary training and building the infrastructure required to support South Africa’s animal health system,” he said.
UFH emeritus Prof Renuka Vithal said a veterinary academic hospital is critical for the professional training of veterinarians.
“Training veterinarians does not end with the degree. Graduates must complete their clinical training and internship in a veterinary hospital to be licensed to practice,” she said.
“At present, South Africa has only one such hospital. If we are serious about expanding veterinary training in the country, we must also expand the clinical infrastructure that supports it.”
She said the proposed hospital would also provide essential veterinary services to farming communities in the Eastern Cape while creating research opportunities in livestock health, disease surveillance and aquatic veterinary science.
Steenhuisen said the proposal aligns with national efforts to strengthen veterinary services and biosecurity, particularly as the country works to improve disease surveillance and livestock health systems.
“What I really like about this proposal is the bridging of the rural and urban divide,” he said. “Too often there has been a bias toward companion animals, while commercial livestock operations require greater professional support.”
This initiative reflects our long-standing commitment to rural development, agricultural advancement and the training of professionals who will serve communities where their skills are needed most
— Sakhela Buhlungu, UFH vice-chancellor
He said provinces such as the Eastern Cape will play an increasingly important role in livestock production and agricultural exports.
While funding for the hospital will still require engagement within government, Steenhuisen was upbeat: “I would love to sign today if I had the cheque book with me. But this is certainly an initiative worth exploring further.”
He will raise the matter with Manamela during a meeting later this week, he added.
Buhlungu said the university would continue working with government and industry partners to advance the initiative, including engaging the Eastern Cape’s wildlife sector.
“Fort Hare is ready to play its part in strengthening South Africa’s veterinary capacity. This initiative reflects our long-standing commitment to rural development, agricultural advancement and the training of professionals who will serve communities where their skills are needed most.”
He said the next step would be to arrange a meeting with forestry, fisheries and environment minister Willie Aucamp to discuss the project’s importance for aquaculture and the broader oceans economy.
TimesLIVE
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