Due to budget cuts, the Military Skills Development (MSD) intake into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is only taking place every two years, with applications for 2024 now open.
The last MSD intake was in January last year and the next is in January 2024, with applications closing at the end of February.
The MSD system takes up to 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 MSD period is up, a limited number of MSD 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.
Regional recruitment offices nationally are open to accept completed application forms until 28 February.
Aware how susceptible those desperately seeking work are to scammers, the SANDF makes it clear MSD application forms are not for sale. This is in line with an oft-stated commitment to not asking potential employees to pay a fee of any sort.
For those wishing to apply for the MSD 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 visible tattoos, have no record of serious criminal offenses, and comply with the medical fitness requirements of the SANDF. The requirements for the South African Air Force are more strict as qualifications are required for pilot training.
The Navy, in addition to combat and technical engineering positions, also seeks divers, protection forces, caterers, submariners, musicians, military police etc. Support careers in the SA Air Force include communications and flight operations management, firefighter, clerk, military police etc. ‘Fields of interest’ for the Military Health Service includes patient administration, logistics, medical support operations, dog handler, counter intelligence, human resources, musician, dental assistant etc.
MSD applications close on 28 February and if applications have not heard back by 31 December, they should consider their application unsuccessful.
The SA Army MSD application form can be found here.
The SA Air Force MSD application form can be found here.
The SA Navy MSD application form can be found here.
The SA Military Health Service MSD application form can be found here.
Application forms are issued at the following regional
offices:
Regional Office Free State. Army Support Base Bloemfontein Recruitment
Office, Pappa Brits Street, Tempe, Bloemfontein, 9300
Regional Office Western Cape. Castle of Good Hope Recruitment Office
Block C, c/o Buiten en Strand Street, Cape Town, 8000
Regional Office Limpopo. Army Support Recruitment Office Building T143,
Gate way Road, Polokwane, 0699
Regional Office Kwa-Zulu Natal. Recruitment Office, Lords Ground Military
Base, 186 Old Ford Road (K.E. Masinga Road), Durban
Regional Office Eastern Cape. Army Support Base Recruitment Office
Willow Drive, Forest Hill, Port Elizabeth, 6013
Regional Office Northern Cape. Army Support Base Recruitment Office
Kimberley, General Khan van der Spuy Avenue, Diskobolos, Kimberley
Regional Office North West. Army Support Base Recruitment Office, C/O
Grobler St (R53) and Eleazer Road, Potchefstroom, 2531
Regional Office Gauteng. Recruitment Office, C/O Visagie and Paul Kruger
Street, Pretoria Central, 0001
Applicants residing in Mpumalanga will access forms at the following venues:
Army Support Base, 8 Spruit Street, Mbombela, 1201
4 South African Infantry Battalion, c/o Dr Beyers Naude and Boncker Street,
Middelburg, Mpumalanga, 1050
