The Permanent Force Good Service Medal was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1961, when South Africa became a republic, to replace the Union Medal. It was awarded to Permanent Force members of the South African Defence Force for eighteen years of service and good conduct.
 The Union Defence Forces (UDF) were established in 1912 and renamed the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1958. On 27 April 1994, it was integrated with six other independent forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
 The Permanent Force Good Service Medal was instituted by the State President in 1961 when South Africa became a republic, to replace the Union Medal.
 The medal could be awarded to Permanent Force members of the South African Defence Force for eighteen years of good service. A clasp could be awarded after thirty years of service.
 With effect from 6 April 1952, when a new series of South African military decorations and medals was instituted to replace the hitherto used British and British Commonwealth decorations and medals, these new awards took precedence in the order of wear before all earlier British military orders, decorations and medals awarded to South Africans, with the exception of the Victoria Cross, which still took precedence before all other awards. The other older British awards continued to be worn in the order prescribed by the British Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood.
 The position of the Permanent Force Good Service Medal in the official order of precedence was revised three times after 1975, to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first upon the integration into the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, again when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003. Its position remained unchanged upon all these occasions.
   
 The Permanent Force Good Service Medal is a medallion with a scalloped edge and a raised rim, 38 millimetres in diameter and 3 millimetres thick at the rim and struck in silver, depicting the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms. The ribbon suspender is decorated with proteas and leaves.
 The reverse is inscribed "VIR LANGDURIGE DIENS EN GOEIE GEDRAG" and "FOR LONG SERVICE AND GOOD CONDUCT" and has a raised rim and decorated ribbon suspender, similar to those on the obverse. The medals and ribbon suspenders were minted separately and soldered together. The medal number was stamped or engraved at the bottom on the rim.
 The clasp, awarded after thirty years of service, was struck in silver and is 32 millimetres wide, with the South African Coat of Arms embellished in the centre and with a hole at each corner to enable it to be sewn to the ribbon. When ribbons only are worn, recipients of the clasp would wear a silver button on the ribbon bar, embellished with the South African Coat of Arms.
 The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with three bands of orange, white and blue, repeated three times, the outer orange and blue bands each 4 millimetres wide and the seven inner bands all approximately 3½ millimetres wide. Orange, white and blue are the colours of the pre-1994 national flag. It is identical to the ribbon of the Union Medal.
 Conferment of the Permanent Force Good Service Medal was discontinued in 1975, when it was replaced by a new set of three good service medals, the Good Service Medal, Gold, Good Service Medal, Silver and the Good Service Medal, Bronze.