This study analyzes the most important problems of the formation and development of the South African military-industrial complex, ground forces, the South African Navy and Air Force and the use of the South African armed forces in UN peacekeeping operations in a number of African countries, as well as makes an ex-course in the military history of the country of the late XIX century. The publication contains information on all types of weapons and military equipment ever produced and used in South Africa. This work was written on the basis of a large number of domestic and foreign studies, military scientific articles in Soviet, Russian and foreign periodicals, official government documents, Internet materials, as well as in daily print and electronic publications of the Republic of South Africa. The book gives several forecasts of the possible development of the country's army.