Africa's 4th strongest military vows to offer its services to its neighbours, despite some shortcomings in its own country

South Africa’s military is looking to offer specialised services to other governments around its subregion, potentially supporting neighbouring countries, even as the country's armed forces continue to face some constraints at home.

This idea was highlighted by the country’s Minister of Defense and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, who noted that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has facilities and expertise that could be used more broadly to generate supplementary revenue while the government awaits increased parliamentary funding.

“The defense force has so much to offer. If we can… if we can consolidate and make sure these facilities are maintained, we can service more beyond ourselves,” the South African Minister stated during a press conference.

She, however, admitted that this would be done on a controlled level, given that the country is yet to adequately service its own people.

The stance underlines the delicate balance that South Africa's military must strike as it strives to play a larger role in regional security while coping with internal capacity constraints.