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South African Army
Flag of the South African Army.svg
Flag of the South African Army
Active 1912 – present (from law creating the Union Defence Force)
Country South Africa
Type Army
Size 39,445 (Active)
12,300 (In Reserve)
Part of South African National Defence Force
Headquarters Pretoria, Gauteng
Engagements World War I
World War II
Border War
Central African Republic conflict
Commanders
Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
Chief of the Army Lt Gen Vusumuzi Masondo
Deputy CARMY Maj Gen L Rudman
Sergeant Major of the Army Senior Chief Warrant Officer Charles Laubscher

The South African Army is the army of the South African National Defence Force, which is the military of South Africa.

The South African military traditions evolved from the frontier warfare fought by the commando forces, because the Afrikaners did not trust standing armies. After the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, General Jan Smuts, South Africa's first Minister of Defence, placed a high priority on creating a unified military from the four separate armies of the provinces. This lead to the creation of the Union Defence Force (UDF).

The modern day South African Army is made up of professional soldiers of all races. The South African Army has been with peacekeeping operations with the United Nations and the African Union in countries such as Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Images for kids

  • Cap badge 1st South African Infantry Brigade

    Cap badge of 1st SA Infantry Brigade

  • Delville Wood Battle July 1916

    South Africans and Rhodesians fight the Germans hand-to-hand in Delville Wood

  • IWM-E-10601-Marmon-Herrington-19420413

    A South African Marmon-Herrington Armoured Car conducting reconnaissance in North Africa.

  • 6 SA Arm Div Monza Parade

    General Mark W. Clark (15th Army Group) takes the salute from M-10 tank destroyers of the 11th Armoured Brigade of the 6th South African Armoured Division at the commemoration parade marking the end of hostilities in Italy. Monza Race Circuit: 14 July 1945

  • SADF Commemorate

    SADF Commemorate "Erected in sacred memory of all members of the South African Defence Force who gave their lives in the service of The Republic of South Africa" at Fort Klapperkop.

  • South African troops MONUSCO

    South African troops in Sake, 10 km from Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

  • Ratel 90 armyrecognition South-Africa 008

    Ratel IFVs of the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment during a mechanised training exercise.

  • Olifant Mk2 AAD2014

    An Olifant Mk2 tank of the South African Armoured Corps during the Africa Aerospace Expo 2014.

  • FIB-training-01

    South African soldier serving as part of the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

  • South Africa Army - Organization 2021

    OrBat operational units of the South African Army (click to enlarge)

  • U.S. Army Africa commander visits South Africa Bloemfontein

    Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III of United States Army Africa visits the Bloemfontein School of Armour at Tempe Base.

  • U.S. Army Africa commander visits South Africa March 2010

    The South African Army College in Pretoria.

  • U.S. Army Africa Tempe Base

    1 Special Service Battalion at Tempe Base.

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