SA Army warns of fake 2027 recruitment adverts promising R19,500 stipends

Adverts promising a place in the 2027 SA Army intake, with stipends of between R15,000 and R19,500, are fake, the South African National Defence Force said on Tuesday.

The SANDF posted a warning on its official X account under the heading “FAKE NEWS ALERT || SA ARMY RECRUITMENT”, telling the public that the adverts are “NOT an official SANDF advert” and urging people to verify before sharing.

The defence force said applications for the 2027 Military Skills Development System closed on 27 March 2026. Anyone still being offered a place in that intake, or asked to pay or hand over documents for one, is being offered something that no longer exists.

The warning carries a single photograph, which the Enquirer has not independently verified.

The SANDF’s message to the public was short: “Verify before sharing!”

Recruitment scams that borrow the name and insignia of the defence force are a recurring problem in South Africa, where a permanent post or a training stipend is a serious prize for young people looking for work. The SANDF has not said how many people have been approached, whether any money has changed hands, or whether a case has been opened with the police.

The defence force has not published the stipend figures or any other detail of the genuine 2027 intake in the warning. Readers who want to check whether an advert is real should go to the SANDF’s own channels rather than to the number or link in a forwarded message.