The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has opened its Military Skills Development System (MSDS) applications for 2026, allowing young and deserving South Africans the chance to join the military on a two-year contract.
The closing date for applications is 28 March 2025, with successful candidates to report for duty at the beginning of 2026.
The SA Army MSDS 2026 application form can be found here.
The SA Air Force MSDS 2026 application form for pilot/navigator, engineer and technical trade applicants can be found here.
The SA Air Force MSDS 2026 application form for support careers can be found here.
The SA Navy MSDS 2026 application form can be found here.
The SA Military Health Service MSDS 2026 application form can be found here.
Successful recruits will receive military training and further functional training in their first year of service. During the second year of service, depending on the duration of the functional orientation, they will be deployed where needed and given opportunity to apply their knowledge and develop their skills.
The MSD System takes around 2 000 volunteers into either the SA Air Force (SAAF), SA Army, SA Military Health Service (SAMHS) or SA Navy (SAN) for two years. Basic military training is first up followed by specialist mustering training, dependent on service and then deployment to a division, unit or base.
When the 24 month MSDS period is up, a limited number of MSDS volunteers will be offered short-term contracts in the full-time force (usually for 10 years) with the remainder expected to put their military skills to use in the Reserve Force.
For those wishing to apply for the MSDS programme, the requirements are that potential candidates are South African citizens (no dual citizenships are allowed), are between 18 and 22 years old (graduates can be 26), have completed or are currently in Grade 12, have no record of serious criminal offenses or pending cases, have no visible tattoos, and comply with the medical fitness requirements of the SANDF.
“If you have not been contacted by 31 December 2025, kindly consider your application to be unsuccessful,” the SANDF emphasised.
Volunteers hoping to become part of either the air, land, maritime or military health services should go to regional offices nationally for application forms and assistance from SANDF human resource officers and personnel. They are:
Regional Office Free State. Army Support Base Bloemfontein Recruitment Office, Pappa Brits Street, Tempe, Bloemfontein, 9300 – Enquiries: 051 402 1262.
Regional Office Western Cape. Castle of Good Hope, Recruitment Office, Block C, C/o Buiten & Strand Street, Cape Town, 8000 – Enquiries: (021) 787 1023/4
Or: School of Logistics Training, Wetton Road, Wetton, Cape Town – Enquiries: 021 7871527
Regional Office Limpopo. Army Support Recruitment Office Building, 145 Gate Way Road (Next Polokwane Airport), Polokwane, 0700 – Enquiries: 015 299 3318.
Regional Office KwaZulu-Natal. Recruitment Office, Lords Ground Military Base, 186 Old Ford Road (K.E. Masinga Road), Durban, 4000 – Enquiries: 012 339 5042.
Regional Office Eastern Cape. Army Support Base Recruitment Office, Willow Drive, Forest Hill, Port Elizabeth, 6013 – Enquiries 041 505 1101/1268.
Regional Office Northern Cape. Army Support Base Recruitment Office Kimberley, General Khan Van Der Spuy Drive, Diskobolos, Kimberley, 8301 – Enquiries: 053 530 3204
Regional Office North West. Army Support Base Recruitment, C/O Grobler St (R53) and Eleazer Road, Potchefstroom, 2531 – Enquiries: 018 289 3322
Regional Office Gauteng. Recruitment Office, C/O 218 Visagie and Paul Kruger Street, Pretoria Central, 0001- Enquiries: 012 339 5718/5754/5042
Regional Office Mpumalanga. Army Support Base, 8 Spruit Street, Mbombela, 1201 – Enquiries: 013 249 3534
Applicants should note that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has no online application system. Forms can also be obtained from the above offices.
Forms can also be posted to each branch of service as follows:
South African Air Force:
SA Air Force Base Swartkop (West), Recruitment Section
Private Bag X05, Valhalla, Pretoria, 0001
South African Army:
SA Army HQ, Chief Directorate Army Corporate Services
Directorate Army Human Resources, Recruitment Section
Private Bag X981, Pretoria, 0001
South African Military Health Service:
SAMHS Recruitment Office – Department of Defence Private
Private Bag X102, Centurion, Pretoria, 0046
South African Navy:
SA Navy Recruitment Centre – Department of Defence,
Private Bag X104, Pretoria, 0001
