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 the military rank insignia of the nominally independent Bantustans,^{[note 1]} 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					Senior officers				Junior officers
Bophuthatswana Army^[5] v t e
				Major general	Brigadier	Colonel	Commandant		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant
				Generaal-majoor	Brigadier	Kolonel	Kommandant		Majoor	Kaptein	Luitenant	Tweede luitenant
Ciskei Army^[6] v t e
Ciskei Army^[6] v t e			Lieutenant general		Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant
South African Army (1961–1994)^[7] v t e
		General^[a]	Lieutenant general	Major general^[b]	Brigadier	Colonel	Chief commandant^[c]	Commandant	Major	Captain	Lieutenant^[d]	Second lieutenant^[e]
		Generaal	Luitenant-generaal	Generaal-majoor	Brigadier	Kolonel	Hoofkommandant	Kommandant	Majoor	Kaptein	Luitenant	Tweede luitenant
South West African Army^[7] v t e
South West African Army^[7] v t e			Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant
Transkei Army^[8]^[6] v t e
Transkei Army^[8]^[6] v t e		General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant
Venda Ground Forces^[6] v t e
Venda Ground Forces^[6] v t e					Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant
Rank group	General / flag officers					Senior officers				Junior officers

Other ranks

Rank group	Senior NCOs					Junior NCOs		Enlisted
Bophuthatswana Army^[5] v t e								No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1		Warrant officer class 2	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Private
	Adjudant-Offisier Klass I		Adjudant-Offisier Klass II	Staf-Sersant	Sersant	Korporaal	Onderkorporaal	Soldaat
Ciskei Army^[6] v t e								No insignia
Ciskei Army^[6] v t e	Chief warrant officer		Warrant officer	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Private
South African Army (1961–1994)^[7] v t e								No insignia
South African Army (1961–1994)^[7] v t e	Sergeant Major of the Army Sersant-Majoor van die Leër	Warrant officer class 1 Adjudant-Offisier Klas I	Warrant officer class 2 Adjudant-Offisier Klas II	Staff sergeant Stafsersant	Sergeant Sersant	Corporal Korporaal	Lance corporal Onderkorporaal	Private Soldaat
South West African Army^[7] v t e								No insignia
South West African Army^[7] v t e	Formation warrant officer	Warrant officer class 1	Warrant officer class 2	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Private
Transkei Army^[8]^[6] v t e								No insignia
Transkei Army^[8]^[6] v t e	Chief warrant officer		Warrant officer	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Private
Venda Ground Forces^[6] v t e								No insignia
Venda Ground Forces^[6] v t e	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					Senior officers			Junior officers
Bophuthatswana Air Force^[5] v t e
					Brigadier	Colonel	Commandant	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant
					Brigadier	Kolonel	Kommandant	Majoor	Kaptein	Luitenant	Tweede luitenant
South African Air Force (1961–1994) v t e
		General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier	Colonel	Commandant	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant
		Generaal	Luitenant-generaal	Generaal-majoor	Brigadier	Kolonel	Kommandant	Majoor	Kaptein	Luitenant	Tweede luitenant
Rank group	General / flag officers					Senior officers			Junior officers

Other ranks

Rank group	Senior NCOs					Junior NCOs		Enlisted
Bophuthatswana Air Force^[5] v t e								No insignia
	Sergeant Major of the Air Force	Warrant officer class 1	Warrant officer class 2	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Private
	Sersant-Majoor van die Lugmag	Adjudant-Offisier Klass I	Adjudant-Offisier Klass II	Staf-Sersant	Sersant	Korporaal	Onderkorporaal	Soldaat
South African Air Force (1961–1994) v t e									No insignia
	Sergeant Major of the Air Force	Warrant officer class 1	Warrant officer class 2	Flight sergeant	Sergeant^[f]	Corporal^[g]	Lance corporal^[h]		Aircraftman^[i]
	Sersant-Majoor van die SA Lugmag	Adjudant-offisier klas I	Adjudant-offisier klas II	Vlugsersant	Sersant	Korporaal	Onderkorporaal		Vliegtuigman
Rank group	Senior NCOs					Junior NCOs		Enlisted

Notes

^ 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 sorporal (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.

^
- 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.

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.
^ Stapleton, Timothy J. (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.

External links

"Band of Brothers – 101 Romeo Mikes". The Observation Post. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
Ngcula, Vumile. "Pretoria's men in Ciskei". Retrieved 2 March 2020.

Examples

[9] Called commandant general (kommandant-generaal) from 1956 to 1968.

[10] Called combat general (bestry generaal) from 1960 to 1968.

[11] Only in the commandos from 1968 to 1970.

[12] Called field cornet (veldkornet) from 1960 to 1968.

[13] Called assistant field cornet (assistent veldkornet) from 1960 to 1968.

[15] Called air sergeant (lugsersant) from 1960 to 1968.

[16] Called air sorporal (lugkorporaal) from 1960 to 1968.

[17] Called leading air mechanic (leiend lugwerktuigkundige) until 1970.

[18] Called air mechanic (lugwerktuigkundige) from 1920 to 1970. Called private (soldaat) from 1970 to 1982.

[1] 
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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[4] Stapleton, Timothy J. (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-5] Duignan, Peter. Politics and Government in African States 1960–1985. pp. 345–377.

[Bophuthatswana-6] "Bophuthatswana Defence Force". Retrieved 2 March 2021.

[ISS-7] ^ ^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-8] 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-14] "Transkeian Defence Force Badges of Rank". Retrieved 3 June 2021.

[note 1]