Botswana Defence Force (BDF): Ground Forces Command, Air Arm Command, Defense Logistics Command (2021)
South African National Defence Force (SANDF): South African Army (includes Reserve Force), South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), South African Military Health Services (2021)
Military service age and obligation
18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2019)
18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation (2021)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
2.8% of GDP (2019)
2.8% of GDP (2018)
3% of GDP (2017)
3.4% of GDP (2016)
2.7% of GDP (2015)
0.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
1% of GDP (2020 est.)
1% of GDP (2019)
1% of GDP (2018)
1% of GDP (2017)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) has approximately 9,000 active personnel (2021)
the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is comprised of approximately 75,000 personnel (40,000 Army; 7,000 Navy; 10,000 Air Force; 8,000 Military Health Service; 10,000 other, including administrative, logistics, military police) (2020)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the BDF has a mix of foreign-supplied and mostly older weapons and equipment, largely from Europe and the US; since 2010, France is the leading supplier of armaments to the BDF (2020)
the SANDF's inventory consists of a mix of domestically-produced and foreign-supplied equipment; South Africa's domestic defense industry produced most of the Army's major weapons systems (some were jointly-produced with foreign companies), while the Air Force and Navy inventories include a mix of European, Israeli, and US-origin weapons systems; since 2010, Sweden is the largest supplier of weapons to the SANDF (2020)
