The South African Army is known as the army of South Africa. It was first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910. Through this post, we will be taking a look at the army bases in South Africa and the structure of the South African Army.
Structure of the South African Army
South African Army Bases
The South African Army maintains large bases in all 9 provinces of the country, mostly in or around major cities and towns: The army has 10 general support bases, seemingly part of the South African Army Support Formation.
Eastern Cape Army Base
- The Grahamstown army base houses the 6 South African Infantry Battalion (Air Assault) and the First City Regiment (Air Assault).
- Port Elizabeth is home to Prince Alfred’s Guard (Air Assault).
- The Mthatha army base is home to the 14 South African Infantry Battalion (Motorised Infantry).
- Port Elizabeth is home to the Regiment Piet Retief (Light Infantry).
- East London is home to the Buffalo Volunteer Rifles (Light Infantry).
Free State Army Base
- One of the largest bases in the country is Tempe Military Base which is located in Bloemfontein and is home to 1 South African Tank Regiment, 1 Special Service Battalion (Armoured Car Regiment), the South African School of Armour (which offers decentralized training to regular and reserve regiments), 44 Parachute Regiment and 1 South African Infantry Battalion(Mechanized Infantry). The parachute training wing is also located here. Bloemfontein is also home to the Regiment Bloemspruit(Light Infantry), Vrystaatse Artillerie Regiment (Artillery) and Regiment President Steyn (Tank Regiment) as well as 3 Military Hospital.
- Kroonstad is home to the School of Engineers and an Army Band.
- Bethlehem is home to 2 Field Engineer Regiment SAEC.
Gauteng Army Base
- Army headquarters is located at Dequar Road, Pretoria, which also houses the Transvaalse Staatsartillerie (Artillery) and the Pretoria Regiment (Tank Regiment).
- Pretoria is home to a large joint services base called Thaba Tshwane, which is also home to the South African Army College, the National Ceremonial Guard and Band, the Military Police School, 1 Military Hospital, 44 Parachute Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Air Defence Artillery), Tshwane Regiment (Motorised Infantry), and 18 Light Regiment (airborne mortars). Just south of Thaba Tshwane and within a separate area is Technical Base Complex Centurion, which is home to 2 Parachute Battalion, 44 Parachute Engineers, 1 Military Printing Regiment, 4 Survey and Map Regiment, and the Army Engineer Formation. Reportedly it also houses the Technical Service Training Centre and units from the SAMHS and the SAAF. The base, whose TEK appellation may be derived from “Tegnies Basis Werkswinkel”, is located at Centurion, south of Pretoria. It has a housing complex for active members.
- Wallmannsthal is home to 43 SA Brigade Headquarters.
- Centurion is home to 3 Parachute Battalion.
- The Joint Support Base in Wonderboom houses the School of Signals, 1 Signal Regiment, 2 Signal Regiment, 3 Electronic Workshop, 4 Signal Regiment and 5 Signal Regiment.
- Several army bases in Johannesburg house 21 South African Infantry Battalion, 46 South African Brigade headquarters, 6th Field Engineers Regiment, 1 Construction Regiment, 35th Engineering Supply Regiment, the Rand Light Infantry (Motorised Infantry), The Johannesburg Regiment (Motorised Infantry), the Transvaal Scottish Regiment (Motorised Infantry), Regiment Oos Rand (Motorised Infantry), the South African Irish Regiment (Motorised Infantry), Regiment President Kruger (Motorised Infantry), the Transvaal Horse Artillery (Artillery) and the Light Horse Regiment (Armoured Car Regiment).
- Benoni is home to Regiment Oos Transvaal (Air Defence Artillery).
- Springs is home to 6 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Air Defence Artillery).
- The Heidelberg Army Base is home to the SA Army Gymnasium.
- Germiston is home to the Witwatersrand Rifles Regiment (Mechanized Infantry).
- Vereeniging is home to Regiment Vaal Rivier (Air Defence Artillery).
Western Cape Army Base
- Several army bases are located in Cape Town and are home to the 9th South African Infantry Battalion (Seaborne Infantry), The Army Band, the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment (Mechanized Infantry), Regiment Westelike Provinsie (Mechanized Infantry), the Cape Town Rifles (Motorised Infantry), Cape Field Artillery (Artillery), Cape Garrison Artillery (Air Defence Artillery), Regiment Oranjerivier (Armoured Car Regiment) and 3 Field Engineer Regiment.[41]
- The Oudtshoorn army base houses the South African Infantry School.
Northern Cape Army Base
- An Army base is located in Kimberley which is home to the Air Defence Artillery School, 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Air Defence Artillery), a basic training depot for 3 South African Infantry Battalion, the Kimberley Regiment (Motorised Infantry) and 44 Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Air Defence Artillery).
- The Lohatla training area and army base is home to the SA Army Combat Training Centre where large army field exercises take place. It also houses the 101 Field Workshop and the 16 Maintenance Unit.
- An Army base in Upington is home to 8 South African Infantry Battalion (Mechanized Infantry).
North-West Army Base
- The Potchefstroom army base is home to the School of Artillery, 4 Artillery Regiment (Artillery), Artillery Mobile Regiment (Artillery), the School of Tactical Intelligence, 1 Tactical Intelligence Regiment, Regiment de la Rey (Mechanized Infantry), Regiment Potchefstroom Universiteit (Artillery) and Regiment Mooirivier (Armoured Car Regiment).
- The Mahikeng Army base is home to 10 South African Infantry Battalion (Motorised Infantry).
- Orkney is home to Regiment Skoonspruit (Motorised Infantry).
- The Zeerust Army Base is home to 2 South African Infantry Battalion (Motorised Infantry).
KwaZulu-Natal Army Base
- Durban is home to an Army Band, the Durban Light Infantry (Mechanized Infantry), Natal Field Artillery (Artillery), Natal Mounted Rifles (Tank Regiment), Umvoti Mounted Rifles(Armoured Car Regiment), the Durban Regiment (Motorised Infantry) and the 19 Field Engineer Regiment SAEC.
- Pietermaritzburg is home to the Natal Carbineers (Motorised Infantry).
- The Mtubatuba army base is home to 121 South African Infantry Battalion (Motorised Infantry).
- The Ladysmith army base is home to 5 South African Infantry Battalion.
Mpumalanga Army Base
- Middelburg Army base is home to 4 South African Infantry Battalion (Motorised Infantry).
- Barberton is home to Regiment Botha (Motorised Infantry).
Limpopo Army Base
- The Polokwane army base is home to an Army Band and Regiment Christiaan Beyers (Motorised Infantry).
- The Phalaborwa army base is home to 7 South African Infantry Battalion (Motorised Infantry).
- The Thohoyandou army base is home to 15 South African Infantry Battalion (Motorised Infantry).
The main South African Army Headquarters are located in Salvokop, Pretoria in the Dequar Road Complex along with 102 Field Workshop SAOSC, 17 Maintenance Unit and the South African Military Health Service Military Health Department.
References
- Wikipedia.org