The Red Meat Industry Forum was established in 1994 when the Agricultural control boards were disbanded. The Red Meat Industry Forum of South Africa represents all the nationally representative roleplayer organisations in the Red Meat industry and conducts its affairs according to its Constitution.

The affairs are managed by a Managemant Committee of five members nominated by the RMIF Council of all the member organisations. The industry determined a need for the continuation of some essential functions previously executed by the now disbanded Meat Board.

Intially some of these functions were executed by the South African Meat Industry Company funded by the Meat Industry Trust and later jointly by Industry and the Meat Industry Trust. The RMIF applied to the Minister of Agriculture for Statutory Measures and from the 5th November 2005 the industry functions have been funded by a Statutory Levy collected and managed on behalf of the industry by the Meat Statutory Measure Services. During the latter part of 2008 the RMIF reallocated the functions of the industry.