Africa Aerospace and Defence expo highlights South African military sovereignty

The 13th Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition concluded at Waterkloof Air Force Base, featuring demonstrations of South African military capabilities and discussions on industrial sovereignty.

Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga opened the event by emphasizing a roadmap for localisation and sovereign capability. The goal is to ensure South Africa designs, manufactures, and sustains its own defence technologies. State enterprise Denel participated in the exhibition, showcasing various assets including the T5-52 and Badger armoured vehicles, the Rooivalk attack helicopter, and various missile and unmanned systems.

Despite these strategic goals, the sector faces economic challenges. The Department of Defence’s 2026/27 budget represents a real-terms cut of approximately 5% when adjusted for inflation. Current defence spending has fallen to roughly 0.7% of GDP, the lowest share since 1960.