South Africa has one of the strongest navies in Africa: its strengths and weaknesses
The deaths of three members of the South African Navy (SA Navy) on 20 September 2023, when a freak wave swept them off the deck of the submarine SAS Manthatisi, has put the spotlight on the organisation and its work. André Wessels is a military historian; his latest book is A Century of South African Naval History: The South African Navy and its Predecessors 1922-2022. The Conversation Africa asked him for insights.How big is South Africa’s navy? How does it compare? The South African Navy has always been one of the strongest naval forces in sub-Saharan Africa.
The deaths of three members of the South African Navy (SA Navy) on 20 September 2023, when a freak wave swept them off the deck of the submarine SAS Manthatisi, has put the spotlight on the organisation and its work. André Wessels is a military historian; his latest book is A Century of South African Naval History: The South African Navy and its Predecessors 1922-2022. The Conversation Africa asked him for insights.
How big is South Africa’s navy? How does it compare?
- The South African Navy has always been one of the strongest naval forces in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Egypt has the strongest navy in Africa, and Algeria is the second strongest as it has been steadily building up its naval forces.
- Thanks to its submarine capabilities, the SA Navy can be regarded as one of the strongest on the continent.
Can it protect the country’s territorial waters?
- And the navy can also do patrol work with its surface vessels (if they are able to go to sea).
- But it has a limited anti-submarine warfare capability, and is not able to project much power across long distances.
- South Africa is a maritime state, given that all its borders are on the ocean bar its northern one.
What’s its role?
- Its core business is “to fight at sea”, with its official mission “to win at sea”.
- The navy can also play a role in humanitarian relief operations, search-and-rescue operations and peace support operations.
- In the course of its history, the SA Navy has performed these and many other tasks.
- In addition, the navy has an important diplomatic role in sending warships (“grey diplomats”) on flag-showing visits to other countries.
What is the history of the SA Navy?
- The navy can trace its history back to 1 April 1922, when the SA Naval Service was established.
- This became the Seaward Defence Force in 1939 when the Second World War broke out, and the SA Naval Forces in 1942.
- It played a small but important role in the Allied war effort against Nazi Germany, patrolling the South African coastal waters.
- All cultural groups, as well as an increasing number of women, would henceforth be represented in the navy.