| Chief of the South African National Defence Force | |
|---|---|
Flag of the SANDF
| |
General Rudzani Maphwanya since 1 June 2021 | |
| Department of Defence | |
| Reports to | Minister of Defence and Military Veterans |
| Seat | Pretoria, Gauteng |
| Nominator | President of South Africa |
| Precursor | Chief of the South African Defence Force |
| Formation | 27 April 1994 |
| First holder | General Georg Meiring |
The Chief of the South African National Defence Force is the most senior South African military officer and the professional Head of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The Chief is appointed by the President of South Africa.[1]: 18
The SANDF was formed in 1994 following the first democratic general election in South Africa and was created by an amalgamation of the Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA), uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) as well as the existing South African Defence Force (SADF) structure of Army, Air Force, Navy, and Medical Service (which was renamed Military Health Service in 1998).
In terms of the South African Constitution the role of the Chief of the South African National Defence Force is to
| No. | Portrait | Chief of the SANDF | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
| Meiring, GeorgGeneral Georg Meiring SSAS, SD, SM, MMM, ORB (born 1939) | 27 April 1994 | 31 May 1998 | 4 years, 34 days |  South African Army | — |
| 2 |
| Nyanda, SiphiweGeneral Siphiwe Nyanda SSA, SBS, CLS, DMG, MMS, MMM (born 1950) | 1 June 1998 | 31 May 2005 | 6 years, 364 days | South African Army | — |
| 3 |
| Ngwenya, GodfreyGeneral Godfrey Ngwenya SBG, DMG, MMS, LOM (USA) (born 1950) | 1 June 2005 | 1 May 2011 | 5 years, 334 days | South African Army | — |
| 4 |
| Shoke, SollyGeneral Solly Shoke OMBG, SBS, MMS, OMS (born 1956) | 2 May 2011 | 30 May 2021 | 10 years, 28 days | South African Army | [2] |
| 5 |
| Maphwanya, RudzaniGeneral Rudzani Maphwanya SM, MMM (born 1960) | 1 June 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 30 days | South African Army | [3] |
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Chiefs of the South African military
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| Chief of the UDF 1912 – 1957  |
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| Commandant General of the SADF 1958 – 1973  |
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| Chief of the SADF 1973 – 1994 |
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| Chief of the SANDF 1994 – present |
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Department of Defence, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans | |
| Combat arms |
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| Staff Divisions |
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| Other |
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