“The sad reality is that our equipment is old and becoming older, while the nature of the threats we face are becoming exponentially more technologically advanced, especially in the realm of cybersecurity. “It’s not simply about turning on the taps for funding, but rather the understanding that defending a country takes people who have to be paid and who have to train on equipment that is at least equal to the level of sophistication and scale that their enemies will use against them,” she said. In its 2020/21 annual report, former defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula warned that the army will eventually reach a point where it simply will not have the resources available to defend the country when called upon. South Africa’s army has been in decline for several years, with the defence department warning of its poor financial state, while being asked to “do more for less” is putting it in an untenable position. Notably, the country currently has no aircraft carriers, destroyers or corvette-class vehicles. South Africa has a total naval strength of 47 assets. South Africa has a total land strength of 2,935 assets. 91 total helicopters (of which, 12 are attack helicopters).South Africa has a total aircraft strength of 225 assets. The defence budget is estimated at $2.9 billion. Notably, South Africa stands out for its land power, but has fallen behind other nations in recent years when it comes to air and naval power. It also estimates that the country has around 14,130,701 citizens who would be fit-for-service should it enforce conscription laws. The country ranks as the strongest military force in sub-Saharan Africa, but is behind Egypt (12th) on the African continent.Īccording to the ranking, South Africa has 72,000 active personnel and 15,000 reserve personnel. South Africa is ranked as having the 26th greatest military strength globally – up from 32nd in 2022. Note: Some vehicles can fall under multiple classifications. Top 10 military spenders (Defence Budget)Īmong the top 10 global military powers, the USA has the largest airforce, China has the most troops and the most naval vessels, and Russia has the most tanks – twice as many as the USA. While the US doesn’t have the largest front line or the largest fleet of tanks, its massive military budget puts it far ahead. The US, with a $770 billion military budget, is bigger than the remaining top 10 combined ($642 billion). The only change among the top 10 is Pakistan moving up one place pushing Brazil to tenth on the list. In the 2022 ranking, the most powerful military forces have not changed significantly, with the United States still ranked as having the world’s strongest military power. Nuclear weapons are not recognised directly but do receive an indirect score bonus, while geographical factors, logistical flexibility, natural resources and local industry influence the rankings. However, the ranking does not simply rely on the total number of weapons available to any one country, but rather focuses on weapon diversity to provide a better balance of firepower available. Military website, Global Firepower, has published its military strength ranking for 2022 featuring 140 countries, with the ranking utilising more than 50 different factors to determine a given nation’s PowerIndex.