| Conflict |
South Africa and allies |
Opponents |
Results |
Prime Minister (1912–94) President (1994–) |
Losses |
World War I (1914–1918) |
Allied Powers:
and others ... |
Central Powers:
and others ... |
Victory
- Partition of the Ottoman Empire, dissolution of Austria-Hungary, transfer of German colonies and territories to other countries
- Formation of new countries in Europe and the Middle East, such as Poland, Yugoslavia, Weimar Germany, Soviet Russia and Soviet Union, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Turkey, Hejaz, and Yemen
|
|
9,726 dead |
Maritz Rebellion (1914–1915) |
{ British Empire
|
Supported by: German Empire |
Government victory
|
Russian Civil War (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)
- Allied withdrawal from Russia
- Defeat of the White Movement
|
Unknown |
Rand Rebellion (1921–1922) |
Union of South AfricaSouth Africa |
South African Communist Party |
Government victory
|
|
153 dead (both sides) |
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) |
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
|
|
34 dead 9 prisoners |
Rhodesian Bush War (1965–1979) |
|
|
Stalemate
Lancaster House Agreement
- End to armed hostilities
- Free elections with ZANU and ZAPU participation
- Formation of Zimbabwe
- Rhodesia disestablished; Zimbabwe gains internationally recognised independence in its place.
|
|
Unknown |
Mozambican Civil War (1978–1985) |
RENAMO Zimbabwe Rhodesia South Africa |
FRELIMO ANC |
Stalemate (limited involvement)
|
|
Unknown |
South African Border War (1966–1989) |
South Africa Portugal UNITA FNLA |
SWAPO SWANU MPLA Cuba ANC Zambia |
Stalemate
- Withdrawal of foreign forces from Angola
- Namibian independence from South African rule
|
2,038 dead |
Natal Civil War (1987–1994) |
IFP |
ANC |
Stalemate
|
Unknown |
Operation Boleas (1998) |
South Africa Botswana |
LDF rebels |
Victory
- Suspected coup d'état in Lesotho quelled
|
|
11 dead |
Battle of Bangui (2013) |
South Africa Central African Republic |
Séléka |
Disputed
- François Bozizé successfully escorted to safety,Rebel advance towards South African base repelled
|
|
15 dead |
M23 Rebellion (2012-2013) |
Democratic Republic of the Congo
MONUSCO
|
March 23 Movement Alleged support:
|
Victory
- M23 disarms and demobilises
|
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
|
|
1 |