South African Naval College



The South African Naval College provides naval officer training to the South African Navy and is one of three officer training institutions within the South African National Defence Force, the equivalent of the Air Force Gymnasium and the Army Gymnasium

South African entrepreneur TB Davis, purchased the ship HMS Thames in November 1920 as a memory to his son who died during World War I. He donated it to a trust, with the stipulation that it be used exclusively for the nautical training of British and South African boys, so that they could subsequently serve in ships of the British Empire.

HMS Thames was renamed South African Training Ship (SATS) General Botha, after the first premier of the Union, General Louis Botha. After the General Botha was decommissioned on 13 May 1947, cadet training was temporarily transferred to Red Hill, Simon’s Town, before moving to the current site in Gordon’s Bay, in April 1948.

The College taken over by the Defence Force 7 December 1958

There was a need to separate the Merchant Navy training from the Naval training, which resulted in a move of the Merchant Academy to Granger Bay on 30 March 1966. The SA Naval College formally came into existence on 1 April 1966.