South African Special Forces

South African Special Forces Brigade
Special Forces Insignia and Beret
Active	1 October 1972 – present
Country	South Africa
Allegiance	SADF 1972-1994 SANDF 1994-present
Branch	Joint Operations Division
Type	Special operations force
Role	Primary tasks: Special Reconnaissance Underwater demolition Counter-terrorism Combat Search And Rescue Covert operations Direct Action Secondary roles: High-Value Targets/Manhunting Hostage Rescue Parachute Deployment Protection Team Unconventional Warfare Quick Reaction Force Intelligence gathering
Size	4 Special Forces Regiment ("Iron fist from the sea") 5 Special Forces Regiment ("We fear naught but God")
HQ	Speskop, Pretoria, Gauteng
Nickname(s)	Recces
Engagements	South African Border War Rhodesian Bush War Angolan Civil War Mozambican Civil War Séléka rebellion M23 rebellion

Primary tasks:

Secondary roles:

The South African Special Forces Brigade, colloquially known as the Recces, is South Africa's principal special operations unit and counter-insurgency elite, specialising in combat reconnaissance as well as unconventional parachute techniques. Only about 8% of recruits who undergo South African special forces training pass the course.

The South African Hunter Group was formed in 1968, and renamed the Reconnaissance Commando Reserve in 1976. Combat tracker and bushcraft instruction was provided to an exemplary few, though this meant extending training by a harsh twelve months. Personnel also studied insurgent tactics and theory based on Portuguese, Belgian, and Rhodesian experiences. The success of this unit culminated in the formation of the subsequent 1 Reconnaissance Commando near Oudtshoorn on 1 October 1972. Operators in the aptly named "1 Recce" had to be capable of collecting intelligence at great distances behind hostile lines while tracking larger enemy units. In 1976 its headquarters, the Reconnaissance Commando School, was founded and the laurel blade emblem was adopted, along with the motto, "We fear naught but God".

South African special forces played a pivotal role in the South African Border War and were active alongside the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Rhodesian Bush War. Combat operations were also undertaken against FRELIMO militants in Mozambique.

The Special Forces Brigade's current structure is the result of extensive restructuring related to the integration of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) between 1992 and 1996. Elements of the brigade are expanded into two additional groups; though termed "regiments", they consist only of small numbers of operators who are secretive, seldom photographed, and expertly trained. The current regiments include 4 Special Forces Regiment based at Langebaan in Western Cape Province, and 5 Special Forces Regiment based at Phalaborwa in the northern Limpopo.