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,[1][2][3][4] apartheid South Africa,[5] and South West Africa.[5] These states were all under the control of the apartheid regime of South Africa,[6] 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.[7] 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.[8]

Officers[9]

Equivalent NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D) and student officer
Bophuthatswana Army	No equivalent
									Brigadier		Colonel		Lieutenant Colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			2nd Lieutenant			Officer Candidate
Ciskei Army	No equivalent						No equivalent																		Unknown
					Lieutenant general				Brigadier		Colonel		Lieutenant Colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			2nd Lieutenant
South African Army	No equivalent
			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			Candidate officer Kandidaat offisier
South West African Army	No equivalent
					Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier		Colonel		Commandant		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			2nd Lieutenant			Officer candidate
Transkei Army	No equivalent								No equivalent																Unknown
			General		Lieutenant general		Major general				Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			2nd lieutenant
Venda Ground Forces	No equivalent																								Unknown
									Brigadier		Colonel		Lieutenant Colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			2nd Lieutenant
Equivalent NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D) and student officer

Other ranks[9]

Equivalent NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Bophuthatswana Army																													No insignia
	Warrant Officer Class 1						Warrant Officer Class 2		Staff Sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance Corporal		Private
Ciskei Army																													No insignia
	Chief Warrant Officer						Warrant Officer		Staff Sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance Corporal		Private
South African Army																													No insignia
	Sergeant Major of the Army Sersant-Majoor van die Leer			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 West African Army																													No insignia
	Formation warrant officer			Warrant officer class 1			Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private
Transkei Army																													No insignia
	Chief warrant officer						Warrant officer		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private
Venda Ground Forces																													No insignia
	Chief Warrant Officer						Warrant Officer		Staff Sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance Corporal		Private
Equivalent NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1

See also

• South African military ranks
• Military ranks of Namibia
• Military ranks of Zimbabwe
• Military ranks of Rhodesia
• Comparative army officer ranks of Africa
• Comparative army enlisted ranks of Africa
• Ranks and insignia of NATO armies officers
• Ranks and insignia of NATO armies enlisted

References

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.
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.
8. Duignan, Peter. Politics and Government in African States 1960–1985. pp. 345–377.
9. Jakkie Cilliers (1993). "An Overview of the Armed Forces of the TBVC Countries". South African Defence Review (13). Archived from the original on 24 June 2016.

• "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

• Bophuthatswana ranks at Uniforminsignia.org
• Transkei ranks at Uniforminsignia.org
• South West Africa ranks at Uniforminsignia.org
• South Africa ranks at Uniforminsignia.org