About South African National Defence Force

How can I join SANDF?

Joining the South African army is never automatic; you must prove yourself to be fit and capable of working with them. Once you complete and submit the form, if you are one of the selected candidates for the MSDS program, there are some processes that you will go through. For instance, in your first year of service, you will undergo medical evaluation in the week of commencement to qualify for the Basic Military and functional training. Also, you will be subjected t other sets of training such as Corp-specific training and combat-ready training exercises before the junior leaders are eventually selected.

Then, in the second year of the program, as a junior leader, you will receive what is known as leader group corps training as well as that of Young Officers Formative training. More so, during this period, officers who would be allowed to study at the Military Academy would be selected. Apart from that, focus would also be given to the utilisation and deployment of troops that have been produced from the Military Skills Development System (MSDS) program.

Read Also: SAPS Application Form 2025-2026 | Requirements & PDF

South Africa Army Requirements

If you are desirous of joining the South African Army, there are specific requirements that you must meet up with. Specifically, to qualify to be a part of the 2019 MSDS program, the following are the things that you must bear in mind:

• You must be a citizen of South Africa. While this is a must, note that if you are a dual citizen, your application will not be considered except you relinquish it.
• You must have no criminal record or any case that is pending, else, you would be automatically disqualified.
• Medically, you must be fit based on the requirements or appointment set up by the South African National Defense Force.
• Your age must be between 18 and 22 if you are applying with your grade 12 certificate. However, if you are a graduate, then, you must not be more than 26 years of age, and also, your degree certificate must be from a recognized university.
• While your marital status may not really count, it is advisable that you should apply if you are single as those in that category will enjoy preferential consideration.
• There must be a readiness to take part in essential military and functional training. Then, you must be ready to serve in the military uniform.

The requirements listed above are the same for anyone who desires to apply for the South African Special Forces or any of the other forces based on the SANDF recruitment 2019. Besides, there are some other specialized added requirements for anyone who desires to apply for any of the other forces apart from the army. So, for instance, if you check through the official website of the South African Air Force, you can get to know about the added requirements.

Moreover, if you are applying for the SA Navy, there are other requirements that you must note also. As an engineer or technician, together with your completed Grade 12, you should have Mathematics and Physical Science with a minimum of level 3. Besides, as a graduate, in Mechanical, Marine, or Electrical Engineering, you should have N6 with Trade Test Certificate.

Read Also: SANDF Selection Process 2025-2026 | Form, Requirements & Details

How do I apply for SANDF?

To be able to work with the SA Army, the first thing that you need to do, now that you have known the requirements, is to download the SA Army application form

 from the Department of Defence’s official website. This Defence Intelligence application form must be carefully filled with the relevant information, and upon submission, please note that you will have to submit the following documents:

• A valid means of identification/ID card;
• The authentic and verifiable copy of your grade 12 certificate. On the alternative, you can submit an attestation if you are presently in your 12th grade or you have not received your certificate;
• Your up-to-date Curriculum Vitae;
• The certificate of highest academic qualification which you have obtained so far.

Kindly note that if you are also interested in the South African Navy application forms or you desire to apply for the SA Airforce, you can also download the form for each of them from their official websites. And once you have completed the form, note the following addresses also where you can submit the form depending on which you are applying for:

1. SA Army contact address

The South African Department of Defense,

Directorate Human Resource acquisition,

Private Bag X2381,

Pretoria, 0001.

2. SA Navy contact address

The Department of Defence,

SA Navy Headquarter (Recruitment Center)

Private Bag X104,

Pretoria, 0001.

3. SAAF contact address

SA Air Force Headquarters (Directorate of Human Resource Services),

Private Bag X199,

Pretoria, 0001.

Recommended: SANDF Recruitment Application Website- www.dod.mil.za

SA Army application forms closing date

Usually, the closing date of the form is in the month of February of each year which means that every time you want to apply, you have to be fast about it. After applying, if you do not receive any information based on your application by October, it means that your application was not successful.

From all that has been discussed so far, it is glaring that the best way to join the SANDF is to avail yourself of the two-year volunteering program that is available through the SA Military Skill Development System (MSDS). Aso, whether you are after the SA Army application forms or that of any of the other forces under the SANDF, you need to see if you meet up with the requirements. Once the information and the required documents are supplied, you can then be sure that you are just a step away from starting your military career.

Recommended: SAPS Recruitment 2025-2026 | Application Form, Requirements & Dates

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