South African Defence Force
| South African Defence Force | |
|---|---|
| Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag (Afrikaans) | |
Official emblem | |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Current form | SANDF |
| Disbanded | 1994 |
| Service branches | South African Army South African Navy South African Air Force South African Medical Service |
| Headquarters | Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa |
| Leadership | |
| State President | See list |
| Minister of Defence | See list |
| Chief of the SADF | See list |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | White males between 17–65 years of age (1957–1993) |
| Conscription | 2 years compulsory service |
| Active personnel | 82,400 (1986 est.) |
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | US$3.092 billion |
| Percent of GDP | 4.1% from 1966–1980 9.25% in 1987 |
| Industry | |
| Domestic suppliers | ARMSCOR |
| Foreign suppliers | Belgium France Israel Rhodesia (until 1979) Switzerland Australia United Kingdom United States Pahlavi Iran |
| Related articles | |
| History | Rhodesian Bush War South African Border War Angolan Civil War Mozambican Civil War 1981 Seychelles coup attempt Bophuthatswana coup d'état |
| Ranks | South African military ranks |
The South African Defence Force (SADF) (Afrikaans: Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag) comprised the armed forces of South Africa from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence Force was officially succeeded by the SADF, which was established by the Defence Act (No. 44) of 1957. The SADF, in turn, was superseded by the South African National Defence Force in 1994.