South African Military Health Service

The South African Military Health Service (SAMHS) operates within the broader framework of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and plays a key role in supporting national security, humanitarian relief and public health capacity in South Africa.

South African Military Health Service
Afrikaans: Suid-Afrikaanse Militêre Gesondheidsdiens
Emblem of SAMHS
Active	1979 – 1994 (as SAMS of the SADF) 1994 – present (as SAMHS of the SANDF)
Country	South Africa
Type	Military Health Service
Size	9,922[1] (Active) 1,115 (In Reserve)
Part of	Department of Defence
-Headquarter	Pretoria, Gauteng
Nickname	Medics
Mottos	The official SAMHS motto is “Audaces Servamus”, which translates from Latin as “We Serve the Brave”-a tribute to their mission of supporting those on the frontlines.
Colors	Maroon
Anniversaries	1995 - 2025 {birth 2026} consilidatory division - 92023
Commanders
Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs	Ms Angie Motshekga
Surgeon General	Lieutenant General Ntshavheni Peter Maphaha
Insignia
SAMHS Emblem (Badge): The emblem prominently features the Rod of Aesculapius (a staff with a single serpent entwined), a universally recognized symbol of medicine, representing healing and medical care.

South Africa faces a variety of security and health challenges including:

· Regional instability and peacekeeping commitments in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and African Union (AU) regions.

· Domestic humanitarian crises such as natural disasters, disease outbreaks and public health emergencies.

· High burden of communicable diseases which impact both military readiness and the health of the broader population.

Given these challenges, SAMHS operates at the intersection of defence, public health and disaster response, supporting both military operations and national development goals.

Role within the National Defence Framework

As the fourth Arm of Service within the SANDF (alongside the Army, Air Force and Navy), SAMHS is tasked with providing comprehensive healthcare support to:

· All active SANDF members (land, sea, air and Special Forces).

· Military dependents and families as authorised.

· Veterans in collaboration with other government departments.

· Members of other government security departments including SAPS and Correctional Services on an as-required basis.

History

Flag of the Medical Service 1979-1994

The predecessor of the SAMHS, the South African Medical Service, was established as a full service branch of the South African Defence Force (SADF) on 1 July 1979 in order to consolidate and strengthen the medical services of the South African Army, South African Navy and South African Air Force.

Rationalisation

Following the end of the Border War, in the early 1990s, it implemented several retrenchment measures. It consolidated all quartermaster stores in the Cape Town and Bloemfontein areas, relocated its training center from Potchefstroom to Pretoria, closed several medical supply depots, consolidated computer centers and systems, rationalized procedures for procuring medicine and medical equipment, discontinued survival training, and reduced or closed sickbays and military medical clinics that served other armed services affected by retrenchments.

The SAMS was incorporated into the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, and was renamed the South African Military Health Service on 1 June 1998.

Organisational structure

The SAMHS includes active duty military personnel and civilian employees of the Department of Defence. In addition, the service employs roughly 400 medical doctors and private medical specialists are sometimes appointed to supplement the staff of the SAMHS.

The Surgeon General heads the SAMHS and has the rank of Lieutenant-General. The SAMHS operates three Military Hospitals; one in Pretoria, one in Cape Town and one in Bloemfontein. There are also four specialized institutes - the Institute for Aviation Medicine, the Institute for Maritime Medicine, the Military Veterinary Institute and the Military Psychological Institute. Together, these units provide comprehensive medical care for military personnel and their dependents, as well as the police and employees of other security-related government departments, and occasionally to neighboring countries. The SAMHS also provides extensive veterinary services for animals (mainly horses and dogs) used by the security and correctional services. The Institute for Aviation Medicine and the Institute for Maritime Medicine screen pilot candidates for the air force and for civilian aviation certification, as well as divers and submariners for the navy. The military's medical services also include general medical and dental care, and specialized rehabilitation services.

The SAMHS is organized into regional medical commands, corresponding to the army's regional commands, as well as a Medical Logistics Command and a Medical Training Command. The regional commands support military units, military base hospitals, and military unit sickbays in their region. The Medical Logistics Command is responsible for medical logistics only, as each service provides for its own logistics support. In addition, the Medical Training Command supervises the South African Medical Service College, the South African Military Health Service Nursing College, and the South African Military Health Service Training Centre, as well as the military hospitals' training programs. The nursing college, in Pretoria, grants a four-year nursing diploma in association with the University of South Africa. Specialized, in-service training courses for nurses and for nursing assistants are also available.

Formations

Mobile Military Health Formation

Further information: SAMHS Mobile Medical Brigade

• 1 Medical Battalion Group (Reserve)
• 3 Medical Battalion Group (Reserve)
• 6 Medical Battalion Group (Reserve)
• 7 Medical Battalion Group
• 8 Medical Battalion Group

Tertiary Military Health Formation

• 1 Military Hospital (Pretoria)
• 2 Military Hospital (Cape Town)
• 3 Military Hospital (Bloemfontein)
• Institute for Aviation Medicine (Centurion)
• Institute for Maritime Medicine (Simon's Town)
• Military Psychological Institute (Pretoria, Area Military Health Unit)
• Military Veterinary Institute (Potchefstroom)
• Military Cyber Medicine & Cyber Surgery Institute (Pretoria)

Area Military Health Formation

• Area Military Health Unit Western Cape
• Area Military Health Unit Eastern Cape
• Area Military Health Unit Northern Cape
• Area Military Health Unit North-West
• Area Military Health Unit Free State
• Area Military Health Unit KwaZulu-Natal
• Area Military Health Unit Gauteng
• Area Military Health Unit Mpumalanga
• Area Military Health Unit Limpopo
• Regional Occupational Health and Safety Centres

Military Health Training Formation

• School for Military Health Training
• School for Military Training
• SAMHS Nursing College
• SAMHS Band
• Medical Command Post Combat Training Centre (Lohatla)
• Joint Physical Training, Sports & Recreation Training Centre

Military Health Support Formation

• Military Health Base Depot
• Military Health Procurement Unit

General Support Base

• Thaba Tshwane

Directorates & Services

• Director Medicine
• Chaplain Services
• Sport & Recreation
• Corporate Communication

Ranks and insignia

Officers

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
South African Military Health Service[2] v t e
			General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			Second lieutenant

Other

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
South African Military Health Service[2] v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)

Proficiency Insignia

SAMHS Proficiency Insignia

Proficiency insignia of the South African Military Health Service
Medical Doctor	Dentist	Nurse	Ops Medic
Pharmacist	Psychologist	Veterinarian	Social Work Officer
Health Inspector	Ancillary Health	Farrier	Administrative

Leadership

South African Military Health Service Leadership

From	Surgeons General	To
27 April 1994	Lt Gen Daniel Knobel SSAS SD SOE SM MMM KStJ MBC HB PHD	30 November 1997
1 December 1997	Lt Gen Davidson Masuku SSAS MMM KStJ	30 September 2000
1 October 2000	Lt Gen Jurinus Janse van Rensburg SD SM MMM KStJ	31 July 2005
1 August 2005	Lt Gen Vejaynand Ramlakan DMG MMS MMB KStJ	31 March 2013
1 April 2013	Lt Gen Aubrey Sedibe DMG MMS MMM KStJ	31 October 2019
1 November 2019	Lt Gen Zola Dabula OStJ	31 October 2021
1 November 2021	Lt Gen Ntshavheni Peter Maphaha psc(j) ensp OStJ	Incumbent