Conflict
|
South Africa and allies
|
Opponents
|
Results
|
Prime Minister (1912–94) President (1994–)
|
Losses
|
World War I (1914–1918 A.D.)
|
France
United Kingdom
Russia
Italy
United States
Serbia
Montenegro
Belgium
Japan
China
Romania
Portugal
Brazil
Hejaz
Greece
Armenia
Nejd and Hasa
Siam
|
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire
Bulgaria
Transvaal
|
Victory
|
|
|
Maritz Rebellion (1914–1915)
|
South Africa
|
South African Republic
|
Government victory
|
Russian Civil War[2] (1918–1920)
|
White Movement
United Kingdom
United States
France
Japan
Italy
China
Canada
Australia
India
South Africa
Czechoslovakia
Poland
Greece
Romania
Yugoslavia
Estonia
|
Russian SFSR
Far Eastern Republic
Latvian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
Commune of Estonia
Mongolian Communists
|
Defeat (limited involvement)[2]
- Allied withdrawal from Russia
- Defeat of the White Movement
|
Unknown
|
Rand Rebellion (1921–1922)
|
South Africa
|
CPSA
|
Government victory
|
|
|
Bondelswarts Rebellion (1922)
|
South Africa
|
Bondelswarts
|
Government victory
|
100 dead, 468 wounded (Bondelswarts)
|
World War II (1939–1945)
|
Soviet Union
United States
United Kingdom
China
France
Poland
Yugoslavia
Greece
Netherlands
Belgium
Luxembourg
Denmark
Norway
Czechoslovakia
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
India
South Africa
Philippines
Ethiopia
Brazil
Mexico
Mongolia
|
Germany
Japan
Italy
Romania
Hungary
Bulgaria
Slovakia
Croatia
Finland
Thailand
Iraq
|
Victory
|
6,840 dead 1,841 missing 14,589 prisoners
|
Greek Civil War (1944–1945)[4]
|
Cairo Government
United Kingdom
South Africa
|
ELAS
|
Victory
|
None
|
Korean War (1950–1953)
|
South Korea
United States
United Kingdom
Canada
Turkey
Australia
Ethiopia
Philippines
New Zealand
Thailand
Greece
France
Colombia
Belgium
South Africa
Netherlands
Luxembourg
|
North Korea
China
Soviet Union
|
Stalemate
|
|
|
Rhodesian Bush War (1965–1979)
|
Rhodesia
South Africa
|
ZANU
FRELIMO
ZAPU
ANC
|
Stalemate
|
|
Unknown
|
Mozambican Civil War (1979–1985)[6]
|
RENAMO
Zimbabwe Rhodesia
South Africa
|
FRELIMO
ANC
|
Stalemate (limited involvement)
|
|
Unknown
|
South African Border War (1966–1989)[7]
|
South Africa
Portugal
UNITA
FNLA
|
SWAPO
SWANU MPLA
Cuba
ANC
Zambia
|
Stalemate
- Withdrawal of foreign forces from Angola
- Namibian independence from South African rule
|
|
Natal Civil War (1987–1994)[9]
|
IFP
|
ANC
|
Stalemate[9]
|
Unknown
|
Operation Boleas (1998)
|
South Africa
Botswana
|
LDF rebels
|
Victory
- Suspected coup d'état in Lesotho quelled
|
|
|
Battle of Bangui (2013)
|
South Africa
Central African Republic
|
Séléka
|
Disputed[11]
- François Bozizé successfully escorted to safety,Rebel advance towards South African base repelled
|
|
|
M23 Rebellion (2013)
|
DR Congo
South Africa
Tanzania
Malawi
|
M23
|
Victory
- M23 rebels surrender, disarm and demobilize
|
None
|
ADF Insurgency (2014–present)
|
DR Congo
Uganda
South Africa
Tanzania
Malawi
|
ADF
|
Ongoing
|
1 dead
|
Insurgency in Cabo Delgado (2017–present)
|
SADC
South Africa
Mozambique
Tanzania
Angola
Botswana
Rwanda
Malawi
Lesotho
|
Ansar al-Sunna
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
|
Ongoing
- involvement of South African Special forces from July 2021
|
|
|