a johannesburg company The technology is being used for herd management as South Africa battles foot-and-mouth disease.
As governments and farmers struggle to stop the ongoing crisis of foot-and-mouth disease, Internet of Things based Solutions are emerging to help manage herds and prevent outbreaks.
johannesburg based IOTI.mobi has developed a virtual geofencing solution to help farmers separate diseased and high-risk herds from uninfected animals, with the entire solution – software development, product design and manufacturing – made in South Africa.
virtual fence
“The virtual fencing solution is a device that goes around the neck of the animal and uses small electric shocks, audio and vibration to keep the animal within a virtual fence created by the farmer,” Norman Parkin, CEO of IOTI.mobi, told TechCentral in an interview on Monday.
“The advantage of virtual fencing is that you can move those enclosures so that they become a separate feeding area. In all cases, we can determine the position of the animal relative to the entrance or, in the case we use GPS, determine its exact location. In case of an outbreak, you have the information available to know which animals were in close proximity to the sick animals so that you can take immediate action to isolate specific animals.”
Reading: Air pollution in South Africa: IoT devices use AI to monitor hotspots
According to a September 2025 report from the Department of Agriculture, South Africa successfully maintained a foot-and-mouth-free zone before January 2019. Since then, 11 outbreaks of the disease have been reported in the country. Four remain unresolved, while seven have been successfully neutralized with the cooperation of the World Organization for Animal Health.
The government has identified vaccination of the entire South African herd as a key component in its fight against the outbreak. On Saturday, the Agriculture Department welcomed the delivery of the first batch of two million high-potency vaccines from Argentina. Other shipments, including from Botswana and Türkiye, are expected in the coming weeks. But vaccines are only part of the solution.
Ioti's geofencing product uses collars in combination with gateways to send animal movement data back to farmers via a web-based interface. Farmers use the interface to set up their geofences along with event-based alerts that can be sent via Telegram, WhatsApp or SMS.
Since connectivity is less reliable in remote and rural areas, where many farmers work, the gateways are equipped with GSM capability so they can connect to Ioti's cloud. Connections between the gateway and IoT devices at each animal use long-range Bluetooth to avoid gaps in GSM coverage.
Parkin said the average range that IoTI has achieved through Bluetooth connectivity is about 2 km, with up to 5 km possible under the right conditions.
The combination of audio, vibration and mild electric shock helps keep animals within a geo-fenced perimeter. The same signals are used to slowly move the herd along the fence – meaning farmers don't have to corral animals to change feeding locations. IOTI used data from international implementations of similar solutions which shows that 97% of swarms are managed effectively in this way.
Farmers own the data provided by their equipment and are free to integrate it into other management systems via APIs. The data can also be shared with others in the community to prevent outbreaks more effectively. As the solution grows, Parkin hopes to use the data collected by Ioti to provide farmers and their communities with the information they need to make long-term decisions about their livestock.
rough and tumble
“We are constantly creating data-driven solutions as we better understand what farmers' needs are. The system not only tracks animals but also vehicles, gate openings and closings, water-level readings and vibrations.”
Parkin said creating a strong design that could withstand the elements was challenging. Finding suitable battery chemistry for long-lasting batteries with sufficient power output was even more challenging. The batteries of geofencing devices use lithium-ion phosphate, have a capacity of between 400mAh and 800mAh, and are charged using the sun.
Reading: Wi-Fi to be expanded in minibus taxis across the country
Parkin said the geofencing solution is cheaper in the long run than traditional fencing, as well as more flexible. Nevertheless, especially for security reasons, there is still a need for traditional fencing to surround the outer perimeter of the agricultural field.
“Fences are good for keeping criminals out because they act as a deterrent. But when it comes to moving animals around in a fenced area, virtual fencing is the best approach,” Parkin said. — (c) 2026 NewsCentral Media
Get breaking news from TechCentral on WhatsApp. Sign up here.