Comparative military ranks of apartheid states in southern Africa

Rank comparison charts of armies/land forces of apartheid states and territories in Southern Africa.

This chart includes of the nominally independent Bantustans,^[a]^[b]^[c]^[d] apartheid South Africa,^[1] and South West Africa.^[1] These states were all under the control of the apartheid regime of South Africa,^[2] with the defence forces of the Bantustans being made of units that were nominally independent of the SADF, but were selected and trained by the SADF, and who placed former South African and Rhodesian military officers in senior positions within the defence forces.^[3] The South West Africa Territorial Force was an auxiliary arm of the SADF and formed the armed forces of South West Africa from 1977 to 1989.^[4]

Armies[]

Officers

Rank group	General/flag officers					Field/senior officers				Junior officers			Officer cadet
Bophuthatswana Army^[5] v t
Bophuthatswana Army^[5] v t				Major general Generaal-majoor	Brigadier Brigadier	Colonel Kolonel	Commandant Kommandant		Major Majoor	Captain Kaptein	Lieutenant Luitenant	2nd lieutenant Tweede luitenant	Officer candidate Kandidaat offisier
Ciskei Army^[6] v t
Ciskei Army^[6] v t			Lieutenant general		Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant
South African Army (1961–1994)^[7] v t
South African Army (1961–1994)^[7] v t		General Generaal^{[note 1]}	Lieutenant general Luitenant generaal	Major general Generaal-majoor^{[note 2]}	Brigadier Brigadier	Colonel Kolonel	Chief Commandant Hoofkommandant^{[note 3]}	Commandant Kommandant	Major Majoor	Captain Kaptein	Lieutenant Luitenant^{[note 4]}	Second lieutenant Tweede luitenant^{[note 5]}	Officer candidate Kandidaat offisier
South West African Army^[7] v t
South West African Army^[7] v t			Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Officer candidate
Transkei Army^[8]^[6] v t
Transkei Army^[8]^[6] v t		General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant
Venda Ground Forces^[6] v t
Venda Ground Forces^[6] v t					Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant
Rank group	General/flag officers					Field/senior officers				Junior officers			Officer cadet

Other ranks

Rank group	Senior NCOs					Junior NCOs		Enlisted
Bophuthatswana Army^[5] v t								No insignia
Bophuthatswana Army^[5] v t	Warrant officer class 1		Warrant officer class 2	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Private
Ciskei Army^[6] v t								No insignia
Ciskei Army^[6] v t	Chief warrant officer		Warrant officer	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Private
South African Army (1961–1994)^[7] v t								No insignia
South African Army (1961–1994)^[7] v t	Sergeant Major of the Army Sersant-Majoor van die Leer	Warrant officer class 1 Adjudant-Offisier Klas I	Warrant officer class 2 Adjudant-Offisier Klas II	Staff sergeant Staf-Sersant	Sergeant Sersant	Corporal Korporaal	Lance corporal Onderkorporaal	Private Soldaat
South West African Army^[7] v t								No insignia
South West African Army^[7] v t	Formation warrant officer	Warrant officer class 1	Warrant officer class 2	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Private
Transkei Army^[8]^[6] v t								No insignia
Transkei Army^[8]^[6] v t	Chief warrant officer		Warrant officer	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Private
Venda Ground Forces^[6] v t								No insignia
Venda Ground Forces^[6] v t	Chief warrant officer		Warrant officer	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Private
Rank group	Senior NCOs					Junior NCOs		Enlisted

Air forces[]

Officers

Rank group	General/flag officers					Field/senior officers			Junior officers			Officer cadet
Bophuthatswana Air Force^[5] v t
Bophuthatswana Air Force^[5] v t					Brigadier Brigadier	Colonel Kolonel	Commandant Kommandant	Major Majoor	Captain Kaptein	Lieutenant Luitenant	Second lieutenant Tweede luitenant	Officer candidate Kandidaat offisier
South African Air Force (1961–1994) v t
South African Air Force (1961–1994) v t		General Generaal	Lieutenant general Luitenant generaal	Major general Generaal-majoor	Brigadier Brigadier	Colonel Kolonel	Commandant Kommandant	Major Majoor	Captain Kaptein	Lieutenant Luitenant	2nd lieutenant Tweede luitenant
Rank group	General/flag officers					Field/senior officers			Junior officers			Officer cadet

Other ranks

Rank group	Senior NCOs					Junior NCOs		Enlisted
Bophuthatswana Air Force^[5] v t								No insignia
Bophuthatswana Air Force^[5] v t	Sergeant Major of the Air Force Sersant-Majoor van die Lugmag	Warrant officer class 1 Adjudant-Offisier Klass I	Warrant officer class 2 Adjudant-Offisier Klass II	Staff sergeant Staf-Sersant	Sergeant Sersant	Corporal Korporaal	Lance corporal Onderkorporaal	Private Soldaat
South African Air Force (1961–1994) v t									No insignia
South African Air Force (1961–1994) v t	Sergeant Major of the SA Air Force Sersant-Majoor van die SA Lugmag	Warrant officer class 1 Adjudant-Offisier Klas I	Warrant officer class 2 Adjudant-Offisier Klas II	Flight sergeant Vlug-Sersant	Sergeant Sersant^{[note 6]}	Corporal Korporaal^{[note 7]}	Lance corporal Onderkorporaal^{[note 8]}		Aircraftman Vliegtuigman^{[note 9]}
Rank group	Senior NCOs					Junior NCOs		Enlisted

Notes[]

^ The Transkei was granted "independence" by the Status of Transkei Act 100 of 1976 with effect from 26 October 1976.
^ The Status of Bophuthatswana Act 89 of 1977 granted Bophuthatswana "independence" with effect from 6 December 1977.
^ Venda was granted "independence" by the Status of Venda Act 107 of 1979 with effect from 13 September 1979.
^ The Status of Ciskei Act 110 of 1981 granted Ciskei "independence" with effect from 4 December 1981.

^ Called Commandant general (Kommandant-generaal) from 1956 to 1968
^ Called Combat general (Bestry generaal) from 1960 to 1968
^ Only in the Commandos from 1968 to 1970
^ Called Field cornet (Veldkornet) from 1960 to 1968
^ Called Assistant field cornet (Assistent veldkornet) from 1960 to 1968
^ Called Air sergeant (Lugsersant) from 1960 to 1968
^ Called Air corporal (Lugkorporaal) from 1960 to 1968
^ Called Leading air mechanic (Leiend lugwerktuigkundige) until 1970
^ Called Air mechanic (Lugwerktuigkundige) from 1920 to 1970
Called Private (Soldaat) from 1970 to 1982

References[]

^ ^a ^b Radburn, Arthur (1990). "South African Army Ranks and Insignia". South African Journal of Military Studies. 20 (2): 2.
^ "The Homelands". South African History Online. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
^ Timothy J. Stapleton (9 April 2010). A Military History of South Africa: From the Dutch-Khoi Wars to the End of Apartheid. Praeger Security International. ISBN 978-0313365898.
^ Duignan, Peter. Politics and Government in African States 1960–1985. pp. 345–377.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Bophuthatswana Defence Force". Retrieved 2 March 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Cilliers, Jakkie (1993). "An Overview of the Armed Forces of the TBVC Countries". South African Defence Review (13). Archived from the original on 24 June 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Radburn, A. (22 February 2012). "SOUTH AFRICAN ARMY RANKS AND INSIGNIA". Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies. 20 (2): 1–4. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Transkeian Defence Force Badges of Rank". Retrieved 3 June 2021.

"Band of Brothers – 101 Romeo Mikes". The Observation Post. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
Vumile Ngcula. "Pretoria's men in Ciskei". Retrieved 2 March 2020.
Transkei Special Forces Captain Rank insignia
Transkei Special Forces 1st Lieutenant Rank insignia
Bophuthatswana Arm Brassard
Bophuthatswana and Transkei Rank insignia
Ciskei Corporal insignia
Ciskei Lance Corporal insignia
Transkei General's Tunic
Transkei Staff Sergeant
Transkei rank star in circlet
Ciskei WO2 rank in metal
Ciskei WO2 rank in cloth
Bophuthatswana Special Forces Soldiers of various ranks
Sergeant and Major of 32 Battalion of the South African Army
Transkei Officers
South West Africa Territorial Force rank chart
Transkeian Defence Force rank chart

External links[]

[1] The Transkei was granted "independence" by the Status of Transkei Act 100 of 1976 with effect from 26 October 1976.

[2] The Status of Bophuthatswana Act 89 of 1977 granted Bophuthatswana "independence" with effect from 6 December 1977.

[3] Venda was granted "independence" by the Status of Venda Act 107 of 1979 with effect from 13 September 1979.

[4] The Status of Ciskei Act 110 of 1981 granted Ciskei "independence" with effect from 4 December 1981.

[12] Called Commandant general (Kommandant-generaal) from 1956 to 1968

[13] Called Combat general (Bestry generaal) from 1960 to 1968

[14] Only in the Commandos from 1968 to 1970

[15] Called Field cornet (Veldkornet) from 1960 to 1968

[16] Called Assistant field cornet (Assistent veldkornet) from 1960 to 1968

[18] Called Air sergeant (Lugsersant) from 1960 to 1968

[19] Called Air corporal (Lugkorporaal) from 1960 to 1968

[20] Called Leading air mechanic (Leiend lugwerktuigkundige) until 1970

[21] Called Air mechanic (Lugwerktuigkundige) from 1920 to 1970
Called Private (Soldaat) from 1970 to 1982

[Journal-5] Radburn, Arthur (1990). "South African Army Ranks and Insignia". South African Journal of Military Studies. 20 (2): 2.

[6] "The Homelands". South African History Online. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2020.

[7] Timothy J. Stapleton (9 April 2010). A Military History of South Africa: From the Dutch-Khoi Wars to the End of Apartheid. Praeger Security International. ISBN 978-0313365898.

[africapolitics-8] Duignan, Peter. Politics and Government in African States 1960–1985. pp. 345–377.

[Bophuthatswana-9] "Bophuthatswana Defence Force". Retrieved 2 March 2021.

[ISS-10] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Cilliers, Jakkie (1993). "An Overview of the Armed Forces of the TBVC Countries". South African Defence Review (13). Archived from the original on 24 June 2016.

[SouthWestAfrica&SouthAfrica-11] Radburn, A. (22 February 2012). "SOUTH AFRICAN ARMY RANKS AND INSIGNIA". Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies. 20 (2): 1–4. Retrieved 3 June 2021.

[Transkei-17] "Transkeian Defence Force Badges of Rank". Retrieved 3 June 2021.

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