Fixing the SANDF with smart spending over symbolic purchases: Ricardo Teixeira

Ricardo Teixeira
I was inspired by colleague Terence Corrigan’s recent article, If I were king…. It left me considering what I would do if I were unfortunate enough to be in the shoes of the Minister of Defence. How does one begin to solve the capability collapse within the armed forces? Are we up to “arresting the decline…”?

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is not merely underfunded. It is dysfunctional. I would argue that it is not on the brink of collapse but has collapsed. Its 198 aircraft sit idle, with 8-10% availability on a good day. The Navy’s ships rarely leave harbour. Soldiers are well-trained but poorly equipped and suffering from increasingly low morale. That the SANDF needs more money is beyond dispute. The real question is how to spend it without wasting it.

Throwing money at the problem is tempting but could be dangerous. Without the capacity to plan appropriately and account for and maintain equipment, a sudden influx of funding could easily be squandered. The outcome would be another round of headlines about mismanaged contracts, irregular procurement and expensive barely used hardware.

Recent examples from Europe show the difference that discipline makes. Portugal has announced a stimulus package to modernise its modest armed forces, investing in coastal surveillance and naval renewal through careful sequencing. Germany’s €100 billion special fund, announced in 2022, is not a blank cheque but a structured, multi-year mechanism linked to specific programmes and audits. Both countries understand that capability reform comes before any capability expansion.

South Africa should take the same view. A R20 billion stimulus has the potential to start turning things around. However, any stimulus should be treated not as a jackpot, but as a stabilisation package. Its purpose should be to restore credibility, prove that the system can deliver results, and prepare the ground for sustained, incremental growth.

Categories of need
The SANDF has three categories of need. First, it must fix what already exists. Second, it should buy small, deliverable assets that fill immediate gaps. Third, it must rebuild the financial management architecture, to stop funds leaking away.

A sensible division of the R20 billion would reflect those priorities. Roughly R8.5 billion should go to sustainment, R9.5 billion to capability enhancement and R2 billion to governance, oversight and contingency.

Almost half of the budget would be spent on restoring what is already owned. Aircraft grounded for want of spares should fly again. Depots must be refurbished. Properties and barracks should be repaired. Long-overdue support contracts for the air force, navy and army must be renewed on a three-year cycle. Training schools and maintenance workshops, many of which operate with ancient tools and unpaid bills, should receive guaranteed funding.

This is not glamorous spending, but it is the difference between a functioning force and a museum. Funding shortfalls at the Centres of Excellence that train and sustain each arm of service have crippled readiness. Filling those gaps would yield the quickest and most visible improvement in performance.

The remainder of this sustainment tranche should go towards the ageing logistics fleet. Samil trucks that have served since the 1980s are long past their safe life. A new generation of locally produced logistics vehicles, both in the 5-ton and 10-ton class, combined with an overhaul of existing Mamba armoured personnel carriers, would transform operational mobility at relatively modest cost.

Tangible assets
The next R9.5 billion should be invested in tangible assets that can be delivered within two years and produce measurable returns. The priority should be situational awareness. South Africa’s 2,800-kilometre coastline is inadequately monitored. A modern radar network, linked to satellite feeds and mobile land-based sensors, would allow continuous surveillance of the exclusive economic zone. Such systems are relatively cheap and available off the shelf from local companies, such as Reutech and Saab-Grintek.

Alongside the radar network, the navy should invest in domestically built unmanned surface vehicles (USV). There is already a local defence firm that has designed, built and tested a USV, which would greatly expand the capability of the South African Navy. Such platforms could be deployed from existing vessels, specifically those which are already able to deploy 6-9m boats. They would allow manned vessels to extend their surveillance and patrol range, and they could also be deployed around harbours as a deterrent. R700 million would be sufficient to launch such a programme, and would be invested into the local economy.

The air force should pursue short-term leasing or purchasing a handful of light maritime and border-surveillance aircraft. Six twin-engine turboprops such as King Airs could be fitted with radar and electro-optical sensors to patrol the coastline and land borders. A recent parliamentary response noted that the Department of Defence estimates it would cost R3 billion to overhaul and return the Oryx helicopter fleet to operational status. This would give the SANDF 36 medium-lift helicopters, greatly expanding its ability to transport troops, conduct search and rescue, and provide disaster response domestically. This aviation package, costing roughly R4 billion, would deliver visible and useful capacity within 24 to 36 months.

New camouflage uniforms
Next, R1.4 billion should be budgeted for individual soldier equipment: uniforms, boots, body armour, individual first aid kits. This is a supply aspect that is often overlooked, yet one that could change the physical image of the SANDF. Rebuilding stores, completing the rollout of the new camouflage uniforms and adopting a new boot that lasts will go a long way. What use is a new fleet of vehicles if troops must buy their own boots and body armour? These items can also be procured from several local suppliers. Zebra Armour’s helmets and plate carriers are already in service with special forces, meaning in theory, procurement should be relatively quick.

The final portion of the capability allocation should be devoted to combating modern threats. Drones are already reshaping warfare. South Africa has a means of countering them, in its Oerlikon anti-air cannons, but also, its stockpile of Zu-23 anti-air cannons, which are relatively old but can be modernised with digital fire control systems and thermal sights. An initial R1.3 billion could modernise existing systems and build a larger mobile counter-drone system.

Additionally, a budget of R500 million should go towards further modernisation of artillery systems. The recent completion of projects Top Star and Mohali were relatively low-cost and achieved the modernisation of G5 and G6 Howitzers. Expanding on these projects to modernise a total of 36 G5s would allow the army to gain a modern artillery capability. This should go together with the acquisition of Assegai artillery shells from Rheinmetall Denel Munition.

Credible, modern firepower
A further R1.6 billion should be spent on precision weapons such as anti-tank missiles, 120mm automated mobile mortar systems and a small stock of beyond-visual-range missiles for the Air Force’s Gripens. These purchases would not transform the force overnight, but would provide credible, modern firepower for the first time in decades.

R2 billion should be reserved for the machinery of reform. That means creating a dedicated programme management office with the power to oversee procurement, contracting and delivery. Funds should be released only when contractors meet defined milestones verified by independent auditors. A portion of this fund should cover external audits, project management training and contingency reserves for cost overruns.

The real novelty would be the approach, not the amount. South Africa’s defence procurement is often opaque and politically distorted. Transparent quarterly reporting to Parliament, linked to clear metrics of output, would do more to rebuild trust than any new piece of equipment.

Critics will complain that this plan lacks ambition, or that SANDF doesn’t deserve additional funding. Some may say this does not go far enough. Some would prefer to spend R20 billion on a single new ship, a fleet of airlifters or new mechanised infantry vehicles. Those might be impressive symbols, but they would deliver little practical benefit if the rest of the system remains broken.

Smaller, phased investments produce faster results. They would also allow the SANDF to prove that it can handle money responsibly. Once the fundamentals of maintenance, training and accounting are fixed, larger projects can follow. The goal should be not a sudden leap but a steady climb towards credibility.

Match ambition with capacity
Portugal and Germany are not models because of their size, but because of their discipline. They match ambition with capacity and ensure that each euro spent will produce a measurable increase in readiness. South Africa should aim to do the same, albeit on a smaller scale.

The SANDF cannot defend the country’s maritime domain, transport troops regionally or sustain overseas missions without new funding. Yet more money alone will not solve those problems. They need predictable budgets, proper auditing and a professional procurement system.

Handled correctly, R20 billion could buy spares, sensors, vehicles, patrol vessels, aircraft and missiles. More importantly, it could buy time, accountability and the restoration of public trust. If mismanaged, it will buy nothing but another excuse.

South Africa’s armed forces do not need another prestige project. They need competence. The real measure of success will not be how many new platforms are acquired, but how many old ones finally work again.

Ricardo Teixeira, who has joined the Daily Friend as Associate Editor, is a journalist, defence analyst, and national security advocate. He champions integrity, competence, and long-term reform in South Africa’s security and defence architecture. With a multidisciplinary background, he combines rigorous research with clear communication to deliver practical, insightful analysis

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This article was first published on the Daily Friend.