South Africa has a number of Traditional Regiments. These are mostly

South African Army The South African Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servi ...

Reserve Force (formerly Citizen Force)

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

s that were established either under previous colonial governments or by the

Apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...

regime and which have continued to exist by accepting the authority of the government-of-the-day - be it colonial, union (i.e. pre-

, or fully democratic (i.e. post-

). Generally, the traditional regiments are those who were formed before the establishment of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

as a unified country, although there are a few which are much more recent. The traditional regiments have a number of elements which are different from the other units, such as certain peculiarities of dress. The most noticeable of these is the wearing of the

Sam Browne belt The Sam Browne belt is a leather Belt (clothing), belt with a supporting strap that passes over the right shoulder, worn by military and police officers. It is named after Sir Sam Browne, Samuel J. Browne (1824–1901), the British Indian Army G ...

and Sword by officers.

Western Cape

The Traditional Cape Regiments are the five traditional

Reserve Force (formerly Citizen Force)

s of

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

which are, in order of precedence: * Cape Field Artillery (1857- ) * Cape Garrison Artillery (1942- ) *

Cape Town Rifles The Chief Langalibalele Rifles (formerly known as the Cape Town Rifles and Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles) is a reserve infantry regiment of the South African Army. History Origin The Regiment was founded on 28 November 1855, as the Cape Rifle ...

(Dukes) (1855- ) *

Cape Town Highlanders The Cape Town Highlanders is a reserve mechanised infantry regiment of the South African Army. History Origins Descendants of Scotland, Scottish immigrants to South Africa raised the Cape Town Highlanders in 1885. On 24 April of the same year, ...

(1885- ) * Regiment Westelike Provinsie (1934- ) Brief profiles, in chronological order - see also individual articles on the regiments.

Cape Town Rifles (Dukes)

Formed as a volunteer corps in 1855. Served in the 9th Frontier War (1877–78), the Transkei (1879), and the Basutoland Gun War (1880–81). Served in the Bechuanaland Campaign (1897). Served in the

Anglo-Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...

(1899-1902). Awarded a King's Colour in 1904. Embodied in the Citizen Force of the Union Defence Forces in 1913. In World War I, served in the German South West Africa Campaign (1915). The Earl of Athlone was colonel-in-chief 1930-57. In World War II, served in the East Africa Campaign (1940–41), the North Africa Campaign (1941–42), and the Italy Campaign (1945). Granted the Freedom of the City of Cape Town in 1967. Served in the Border War (1977–89), and the State of Emergency (1985–90).

Cape Field Artillery

Formed as a volunteer corps in 1857. Served in the 9th Frontier War (1877–78), the Northern Border Campaign (1878–79), and the Transkei Campaign (1880–81). Served in the Bechuanaland Campaign (1897). Served in the

(1899-1902). Awarded a King's Colour (a rare honour for artillery) in 1905. Embodied in the Citizen Force of the Union Defence Forces in 1913. In World War I, served in the 1914 Rebellion and the German South West Africa Campaign (1915). In World War II, served in the East Africa Campaign (1940–41), the North Africa Campaign (1941–42), and the Italy Campaign (1944–45). Granted the Freedom of the City of Cape Town in 1967. Served in the Angola Campaign (1976), the Border War (1977-89), and the State of Emergency (1985–90).

Cape Town Highlanders

Formed as a volunteer corps in 1885. Served in the Bechuanaland Campaign (1897). Served in the

(1899-1902). Awarded a King's Colour in 1904. The

Duke of Connaught Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was granted on 24 May 1874 by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to her third son, Prince Arthur. At the same time, he was al ...

was colonel-in-chief 1908-42. Embodied in the Citizen Force of the Union Defence Forces in 1913. In World War I, served in the German South West Africa Campaign (1915). In World War II, served in the North Africa Campaign (1941–43) and the Italy Campaign (1944–45).

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was al ...

was colonel-in-chief 1948-61. Granted the Freedom of the City of Cape Town in 1967. Served in the Angola Campaign (1976), the Border War (1977-89), and the State of Emergency (1985–90).

Regiment Westelike Provinsie

Formed as a Citizen Force unit in Stellenbosch in 1934, and regards itself as successor to various volunteer units which existed in that district in the 19th century. In World War II, volunteers from RWP served with the South African Tank Corps in the North Africa Campaign (1941–42). Moved to Paarl in 1948, and converted to armour in 1949. Reverted to infantry in 1960. Divided into two battalions in 1970, the 1st battalion moved to Cape Town in 1974. Served in the Angola Campaign (1976), the Border War (1977-89), and the State of Emergency (1985–90). Awarded the Freedom of the City of Cape Town.

Cape Garrison Artillery

Originally three Citizen Force anti-aircraft batteries, formed in the

South African Air Force The South African Air Force (SAAF) is the air warfare branch of South African National Defence Force, with its headquarters in Pretoria. The South African Air Force was established on 1 February 1920. The Air Force saw service in World War II a ...

when home defences were reorganised in 1942. Transferred to the South African Artillery in 1949, and to the South African Corps of Marines in 1951. Reverted to the SA Artillery in 1955 and amalgamated into a single unit, 4 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment. Affiliated with the

University of Cape Town The University of Cape Town (UCT) (, ) is a public university, public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university status in 1918, making it the oldest univer ...

in 1960, and renamed 'UCT Regiment'. Adopted the name (and, apparently, the heritage) of an earlier coast artillery regiment, the Cape Garrison Artillery, in 1974. Served in the Angola Campaign (1976), the Border War (1977-89), and the State of Emergency (1985–90). Granted the Freedom of the City of Cape Town.

Kwa-Zulu Natal

There are a number of Traditional Units in Kwa-Zulu Natal. These include: * The Natal Carbineers * Durban Light Infantry *

Natal Mounted Rifles NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ...

* Umvoti Mounted Rifles * Durban Regiment * Natal Field Artillery * Traditional structure

Gauteng

* Witwatersrand Rifles *

Transvaal Scottish Regiment Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name ''Transvaal''. * South African Republic (1856–1902; ...

* South African Irish Regiment * Light Horse Regiment

References

{{SA Army Units