page_title: South African National Defence Force
section_title: Personnel
hierarchical_section_title: South African National Defence Force / Personnel
caption_attribution_description: English: South African soldiers board a C-130 Hercules aircraft for a practice jump at Air Force Base Bloemspruit in Bloemfontein, South Africa, July 23, 2013, in preparation for exercise Shared Accord 2013. Shared Accord is an annual U.S. Africa Command-sponsored, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Africa-planned combined military and humanitarian exercise that is designed to strengthen relationships between the U.S. and African partner nations.
context_page_description: The South African National Defence Force comprises the armed forces of South Africa. The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the armed services. They are in turn accountable to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans of the Defence Department.
  The military as it exists today was created in 1994, following South Africa's first multiracial election in April of that year and the adoption of a new constitution. It replaced the South African Defence Force and also integrated uMkhonto we Sizwe and the Azanian People's Liberation Army guerilla forces.
context_section_description: On 31 March 2019, the demographics of service personnel were as follows:
  55,866 (75%) Black
  8,479 (11.4%) White
  981 (1.3%) Coloureds
  9,162 (12.3%) Asian
  The gender split in the SANDF as of 31 March 2019 is as follows:
  51,684 men (69.4%)
  22,824 women (30.6%)
  The target for female recruits increased to 40% in 2010.
caption: SANDF paratroops
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