GINC Defence
Nation

South Africa

Defence ministry: Department of Defence (on government.ginc.org). Services: South African National Defence Force, South African Army, South African Navy, South African Air Force, South African Military Health Service.

South Africa on government.ginc.org · companies.ginc.org (when it opens)

Active personnel, published
136,856
World Bank armed forces total: 89,000 (2020)
Reserves, published
47,836
Whole security apparatus, published
324,537
Headcount published for 26 per cent of services, agencies and formations
Active platforms
7,132
Land 6,592 · Air 461 · Cyber and C4ISR 75 · Sea 4
Median year in service
1977
Interquartile 1977–1977, weighted by count
Domestic share
74 per cent
Of active platforms with a known origin
Supplier concentration
0.57
Herfindahl index of origin across 11 supplier nations

Force fingerprint

The national security structure sized by active headcount, always from the head of state: row 1 the head of state and government, row 2 the governing bodies (grey, each as wide as the forces beneath it), row 3 the services and agencies coloured by security domain, row 4 the major commands, row 5 the major formations. A hatched segment is a body whose headcount is not published.

  • Land
  • Sea
  • Air
  • Space
  • Cyber
  • Strategic
  • Intelligence
  • Internal security
  • Joint
  • Headcount not published

SVG · PNG

Order of battle

The whole national security structure from the head of state down to major formations. Bars are as wide as their headcount; the state and government bodies are drawn grey, as the government directory has them. Click a bar to zoom into it.

Known unknowns

  • The State Security Agency, Defence Intelligence and Crime Intelligence do not publish headcounts.
  • The commencement date for the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Act, which replaces the SSA with the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Domestic Intelligence Agency, has not been confirmed; the SSA is shown as still operating.
  • Formation-level strengths of the SA Army are not published; service totals come from Department of Defence annual reports as relayed by Wikipedia.

Equipment fingerprint

Holdings by taxonomy: row 1 the ministry and its services, row 2 the six domains, row 3 the categories, row 4 each platform held as wide as its count, row 5 its split into active, reserve and on order. A hatched segment is a platform held with no published count.

Holdings

One row per platform held. Each figure is a claim with a source: the most recent official figure where one is published, else the most recent Wikipedia equipment list, else SIPRI's delivered total. Figures are never averaged.

47 of 47 platforms
ReserveOn orderFigure from
Land · Main battle tank
OlifantSouth African ArmyMain battle tank266South AfricaWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Land · Infantry fighting vehicle
Ratel IFVSouth African ArmyInfantry fighting vehicle1,400South Africa1977Wikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Badger IFVSouth African ArmyInfantry fighting vehicle22222FinlandWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Land · Armoured personnel carrier
CasspirSouth African ArmyArmoured personnel carrier2,800South AfricaWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
MambaSouth African ArmyArmoured personnel carrier220South AfricaWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
MILKOR 4x4South African ArmyArmoured personnel carrierheld462South AfricaWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
RG-31 NyalaSouth African ArmyArmoured personnel carrierheldSouth AfricaWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Land · Reconnaissance and light armour
RooikatSouth African ArmyReconnaissance and light armour242South Africa1990Wikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Land · Self-propelled artillery
G6 howitzerSouth African ArmySelf-propelled artillery153South AfricaWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Land · Towed artillery
LLR 81mmSouth African ArmyTowed artillery1,190FranceWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
BL 5.5 inch gunSouth African ArmyTowed artillery75United Kingdom1941Wikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
G5South African ArmyTowed artillery75South Africa1983Wikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Soltam M-71South African ArmyTowed artillery32Israel1975Wikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Ordnance QF 25 pounderSouth African ArmyTowed artillery30United Kingdom1940Wikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Land · Rocket artillery and MLRS
ValkiriSouth African ArmyRocket artillery and MLRS26South Africa1982Wikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Bateleur FV2South African ArmyRocket artillery and MLRS25South AfricaWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Type 63 rocket launcherSouth African ArmyRocket artillery and MLRSheldChina1961Wikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Land · Mortars (120 mm+)
K6South African ArmyMortars (120 mm+)36Israel1991Wikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
M-4 Commando MortarSouth African ArmyMortars (120 mm+)heldSouth AfricaWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Land · Anti-tank missile system
Denel FT-5 LAWSouth African ArmyAnti-tank missile systemheldSouth AfricaWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
IngweSouth African ArmyAnti-tank missile systemheldSouth AfricaWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Land · Ground-based air defence (short range)
StarstreakSouth African ArmyGround-based air defence (short range)heldUnited Kingdom1997SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Land · Ground-based air defence (medium and long range)
UmkhontoSouth African ArmyGround-based air defence (medium and long range)heldSouth Africa2005Wikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Sea · Frigate
MEKO A-200 DEU-class frigateFrigate4GermanySIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Air · Fighter and multirole
Saab JAS 39 GripenSouth African Air ForceFighter and multirole2Sweden1997Wikipedia: South African Air Force
Air · Attack helicopter
LynxSouth African Air ForceAttack helicopter22United Kingdom1978Wikipedia: South African Air Force
RooivalkSouth African Air ForceAttack helicopter16South Africa1999Wikipedia: South African Air Force
Air · Tanker
Airbus A400M AtlasSouth African Air ForceTanker60Germany2013Wikipedia: South African Air Force
Air · Trainer
BAE Systems HawkSouth African Air ForceTrainer85United Kingdom1976Wikipedia: South African Air Force
Pilatus PC-7South African Air ForceTrainer67SwitzerlandSIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Pilatus PC-12Trainer1Switzerland1994SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Air · Transport aircraft
CASA C-212 AviocarSouth African Air ForceTransport aircraft44Spain1974Wikipedia: South African Air Force
Cessna 208 CaravanSouth African Air ForceTransport aircraft41United States1984Wikipedia: South African Air Force
Douglas C-47South African Air ForceTransport aircraft35United States1942Wikipedia: South African Air Force
Lockheed C-130 HerculesSouth African Air ForceTransport aircraft28United States1956Wikipedia: South African Air Force
Boeing Business JetSouth African Air ForceTransport aircraft21UnknownWikipedia: South African Air Force
CASA/IPTN CN-235Transport aircraft1Spain1988SIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Pilatus PC-6 PorterTransport aircraft1SwitzerlandSIPRI Arms Transfers Databaselow
Air · Transport and utility helicopter
AgustaWestland AW109South African Air ForceTransport and utility helicopter15Italy1976Wikipedia: South African Air Force
BK 117South African Air ForceTransport and utility helicopter15Unknown1982Wikipedia: South African Air Force
Air · ISR UAV
VultureSouth African ArmyISR UAV4South Africa2006Wikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Denel Dynamics SeekerSouth African ArmyISR UAV3South Africa2015Wikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
CSIR IndizaSouth African ArmyISR UAVheldSouth Africa2018Wikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
DJI Matrice seriesSouth African ArmyISR UAVheldChinaWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
DJI MavicSouth African ArmyISR UAVheldChinaWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
DJI PhantomSouth African ArmyISR UAVheldChinaWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow
Cyber and C4ISR · Long-range radar
Super FledermausSouth African ArmyLong-range radar75SwitzerlandWikipedia: List of equipment of the South African Armylow

Suppliers

Origin nations by share of active platforms, the domestic bar first. Colours follow the origin highlight: domestic, allied or treaty partner, other foreign.

South Africa

France

United Kingdom

Switzerland

United States

Israel

Germany

Spain

Finland

Italy

Sweden

5,230

1,190

212

144

104

68

64

45

22

15

2

Sources for this nation

  • sipri-at
  • wikipedia:list-of-equipment-of-the-south-african-army
  • wikipedia:south-african-air-force

Structure: ref/units/ZAF.yaml, every body with the source that acknowledges it. See sources and methodology.