The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is in financial trouble -- with ageing hardware, weaponry and uniforms. But even though South African soldiers' gear is overdue for an upgrade, eyebrows are sure to be raised at the proposed price tag: almost R55,000 per soldier for the new kit.

Appearing before Parliament on 7 June 2023, Major-General Sean Stratford gave MPs an update on a project which has been in planning for the past few years: the upgrade of South Africa's military uniform.

But although the plan to procure fresh army uniforms is not news, the proposed price tag very much is.

Stratford told MPs that the projected "costing for full roll-out" would amount to almost R3.5-billion. His presentation specified that there are currently 55,173 soldiers to be clothed, including reserves, which means that the cost of the new uniforms per soldier works out to close to R55,000 per person.

The roll-out of the new uniforms is only projected for the fourth quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year.

The Department of Defence and the SANDF did not respond to Daily Maverick's repeated requests for comment over a two-day period this week.

Old uniforms: Uncomfortable and unfriendly

In Stratford's parliamentary presentation, he laid out some of the problems with the existing SANDF kit. Of particular concern are the current soldiers' boots, which are presenting challenges, including poor waterproofing, "hardening of the leather when dried after getting wet", and failed stitching, meaning that the heels easily detach from the soles.

Then...