While South Africa does, according to President Jacob Zuma, attach the greatest importance to the African Union, the Southern African Regional Development community and other key regional organisations, this does not always include representation at defence attaché level.

The list of South African diplomatic representation abroad published by the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (DIRCO) shows men and women in uniform flying the flag on military matters in 19 African countries.

Additionally, South Africa does not have direct military representation at the 54 member strong African Union. Instead the country’s military interests at the continental body are looked after by the attaché based in Ethiopia where a brigadier general is the senior military attaché supported by an attaché colonel and a third secretary (defence), a senior warrant officer.

When it comes to the United Nations, South African maintains a permanent mission in New York where a colonel is listed as defence advisor.

In addition to Ethiopia, South Africa diplomatic missions on the continent with defence representation are Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Egypt, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Swaziland, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

All told, across the globe, South Africa has military representation in 43 countries with diplomatic representation in 126.

“This,” Zuma said when he accepted credentials from incoming heads of mission, ambassadors and High Commissioners last week, “is how we have broadened our international reach from 34 missions abroad in 1994 to a staggering 126 missions today, with a sharp focus on Africa”.

South Africa’s membership of BRICS does not at this stage stretch to having a military attaché or defence advisor in India although senior officers are based in Brazil (a brigadier general and a major), Russia (a colonel) and China (a brigadier general, colonel and senior warrant officer).

The United States and United Kingdom both have brigadier generals heading up the South Africa military component of the foreign missions in Washington and London.

With the exception of Swaziland where a lieutenant colonel is listed as the current first secretary (defence), all other South African military attaches and defence advisors are either colonels or Navy captains