South African Army Infantry Formation

The South African Army Infantry Formation supervises all infantry within the South African Army.

The unit originated as the Infantry Branch of the Union Defence Forces in 1913.

In 1915, the defence forces established the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force for war service outside southern Africa. It included the South African Infantry, comprising twelve battalions, and the Cape Corps, comprising two battalions of Coloured volunteers. These units were disbanded in 1919.

The Infantry Branch was enlarged in 1934, and the mounted rifles regiments were converted to infantry in 1935.

In 1943, the Infantry Branch was incorporated into the new South African Armoured Corps, which was divided into armour and infantry branches after World War II. In 1954, the SAAC's infantry branch, and the personnel of the South African Instructional Corps, were formed into the South African Infantry Corps.

In 2000 the Corps became known as the South African Army Infantry Formation.

Units
The infantry corps contains a total of 15 regular battalions in a variety of different roles:
 * Mechanised Infantry - 2 battalions
 * Motorised Infantry - 8 battalions
 * Light Infantry - 1 battalions
 * Parachute Infantry - 1 battalion
 * Air Assault Infantry - 1 battalion
 * Seaborne Infantry - 1 battalion
 * Basic Training - 1 battalion
 * The Oudtshoorn army base houses the South African Infantry School.

The infantry corps contains a total of 26 reserve battalions in the following roles:
 * Mechanised Infantry - 6 battalions
 * Motorised Infantry - 14 battalions
 * Light Infantry - 3 battalions
 * Parachute Infantry - 1 battalion
 * Air Landed Infantry - 2 battalion

Parachute Infantry
44 Parachute Regiment (Bloemfontein) – a brigade sized regiment consisting of the following units:

Regular Force Reserve Force
 * 1 Parachute Battalion, (Bloemfontein)
 * 44 Pathfinder Platoon, (Bloemfontein)
 * 101 Air Supply Unit, (Pretoria and Bloemfontein)
 * 44 Training Wing, (Bloemfontein)
 * 3 Parachute Battalion, (Pretoria)

Air Assault
Regular Force
 * 6 South African Infantry Battalion (Grahamstown)

Reserve Force
 * First City Regiment (Grahamstown)
 * Prince Alfred's Guard (Port Elizabeth)

Seaborne
Regular Force
 * 9 South African Infantry Battalion (Cape Town)

Light Infantry
Regular Force
 * 21 South African Infantry Battalion (Johannesburg)

Reserve Force
 * Rand Light Infantry (Johannesburg)
 * Regiment Oos Rand (Germiston)
 * Regiment Paul Kruger (Krugersdorp)

Mechanised Infantry
Regular Force
 * 1 South African Infantry Battalion (Bloemfontein)
 * 8 South African Infantry Battalion (61 Mechanised Infantry Battalion Group was merged into this unit) (Upington)

Reserve Force
 * Regiment de la Rey (Potchefstroom)
 * Regiment Northern Transvaal (Pretoria)
 * Cape Town Highlanders Regiment (Cape Town)
 * Durban Light Infantry (Durban)
 * Regiment Westelike Provinsie (Cape Town)
 * Witwatersrand Rifles (Johannesburg)

Motorised Infantry
Regular Force
 * 2 South African Infantry Battalion (Zeerust)
 * 4 South African Infantry Battalion (Middelburg, Mpumalanga)
 * 5 South African Infantry Battalion (Ladysmith)
 * 7 South African Infantry Battalion (Phalaborwa)
 * 10 South African Infantry Battalion (Mafikeng)
 * 14 South African Infantry Battalion (Mthatha)
 * 15 South African Infantry Battalion (Thohoyandou)
 * 121 South African Infantry Battalion (Mtubatuba)

Reserve Force
 * Regiment Botha, (Barberton)
 * Regiment Christiaan Beyers, (Polokwane)
 * Johannesburg Regiment, (Johannesburg)
 * South African Irish Regiment, (Johannesburg)
 * Transvaal Scottish Regiment, (Johannesburg)
 * Tshwane Regiment, (Pretoria)
 * Buffalo Volunteer Rifles, (East London)
 * Cape Town Rifles ("Duke's"), (Cape Town)
 * Durban Regiment, (Durban)
 * Kimberley Regiment, (Kimberley)
 * Natal Carbineers, (Pietermaritzburg)
 * Regiment Bloemspruit, (Bloemfontein)
 * Regiment Piet Retief, (Port Elizabeth)
 * Regiment Skoonspruit, (Orkney)

Basic training
All basic infantry training is done at: It is a Regular Force unit.
 * 3 South African Infantry Battalion Training Depot (Kimberley)

Alliances

 * 🇬🇧 - The Rifles; 5 Infantry Battalion
 * 🇬🇧 - The Royal Welsh; 121 Infantry Battalion