The South African Military Academy is based on similar principles to that of the military academy system of the United States (United States Military Academy United States Naval Academy United States Air Force Academy). The academy is a military unit of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) housing the Faculty of Military Science of the University of Stellenbosch. It provides officers of all the arms of service an opportunity to earn a BMil or more advanced degrees.
See .
History
The academy was established on 1 April 1950 under the auspices of the University of Pretoria and the South African Military College (now the South African Army College) in Voortrekkerhoogte (now Thaba Tswane), with the goal of elevating students to a BA (Mil) or BSc (Mil) degree to meet the intellectual challenges of modern war. In Pretoria it had catered for army and air force students only. The military academy was organisationally divorced from the South African Army College on 1 February 1956. Its headquarters temporarily shifted to Stellenbosch, while suitable accommodation was built at Saldanha starting in 1956.
Campus
It is situated on the West Coast in the town of Saldanha, set against the scenic slopes of Malgaskop, overlooking Saldanha Bay.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Number !! Start of term !! End of term !! Name !! Branch
|-
| 1st || 1 January 1956 || South African Army
|-
| 14th || 1996 || 1999 || Rear Adm (JG) Pieter Potgieter
|}
Annual awards
Sword of Honour
Citation for awards over period 1953-2008
- (Later Later as Brigadier, a Secretary of Personnel Division Staff Council)
- (Later Maj Gen D.S. Smith )
- (Later Maj Gen J.G. du P. Coetzee)
Best Student – Army
Citation for awards over period 1957-2008