Johan Retief

Vice Admiral Johan Retief PG SD, SM, MMM, South African Navy (Retired) was the Chief of the South African Navy from 2000 to 2005.

Retief was born on 20 March 1946 in Cape Town, matriculating at Hoerskool Jan van Riebeeck in Cape Town.

Career
He attended the Military Academy after completing his Citizen's Force training and graduated with a B Mil degree in 1967 and was judged the Best Student in the 1967 year

He was appointed an Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer and was selected to attended the Torpedo and Anti-Submarine course at HMS Vernon in Portsmouth, United Kingdom.

He joined the Strike Craft Flotilla, initially as training officer at the inception of the project in 1975. He was the Commissioning Captain of SAS Jim Fouche.

He was promoted to Rear Admiral and appointed as Chief of Naval Operations with effect from 1 January 1993 until 30 April 1996, after which he served as Inspector-General of the South African National Defence Force.

He was promoted to Vice Admiral and appointed Chief of the South African Navy on 1 November 2000