List of South African admirals

The following is an incomplete list of people who have attained admiral rank within the South African Navy (SAN).

Key

Abbreviation	Rank
Cdre	Commodore
R Adm (JG)	Rear Admiral (Junior Grade)
R Adm	Rear Admiral
V Adm	Vice Admiral
Adm	Admiral

The ranks of Flag Officers changed on 1 Apr 1998 when the rank previously called Commodore became known as Rear Admiral (Junior Grade).^[1] For the purposes of this list if they held the rank of Commodore before 1998 they are listed with that rank

List

Rank	Name	Last position held	Notes	Dates of service
Adm	Hugo Biermann	Chief of the Defence Force	Only person to hold the rank of admiral	1952–1976
V Adm	James Johnson	Chief of the Navy	Nickname "Flam" [2]
V Adm	Johan Charl Walters	Chief of the Navy	Nickname "Fido" [2]
V Adm	Ronald A Edwards	Chief of the Navy	Nickname "Ronnie" [2]
V Adm	Andries P Putter	Chief of the Navy	Nickname "Dries"[2]
V Adm	Glen Syndercombe	Chief of the Navy	[2]
V Adm	Lambert Jackson Woodburne	Chief of the Navy	Nickname "Woody" [2]
V Adm	Robert Simpson-Anderson	Chief of the Navy	[2]
V Adm	Johan Retief	Chief of the Navy	[2]
V Adm	Refiloe Johannes Mudimu	Chief of the Navy	[2]
V Adm	Samuel Hlongwane	Chief of the Navy	Nickname "Zeph"
V Adm	Monde Lobese	Chief of the Navy		[3]
V Adm	Marthinus Bekker	Chief of Defence Force Staff	Nickname "Bert"
V Adm	Martyn Trainor	Chief of Corporate Staff	Nickname "Spook"
V Adm	Paul Murray	Chief of Staff Finance	[4]
V Adm	Piet Loedolff	Chief of Staff Personnel[5]	Now an author and lecturer
V Adm	Aart Malherbe	Chief of Staff Logistics[5]
V Adm	Asiel Kubu	Chief of Human Resources[6]
V Adm	David Mkhonto	Chief of Logistics		-	R Adm	Chris Bennett	Chief of Naval Staff
R Adm	Henry Edelbert Fougstedt	Chief of Naval Staff
R Adm	Robert W. Higgs	Chief of Naval Staff	Nickname "Rusty"
R Adm	M.R. Terry-Lloyd	Chief of Naval Staff
R Adm	Bubele Mhlana	Chief of Staff-Joint Operations Division, Flag Officer Fleet	Nickname "Bravo"
R Adm	Derek Christian	Deputy Chief Joint Operations
R Adm	Hanno Teuteberg	Deputy Chief of the Navy
R Adm	Guy Jamieson	Deputy Chief of the Navy
R Adm	Douglas Faure	Director Maritime Warfare,[7] Deputy Chief of the Navy
R Adm	Gladys Mbulaheni	Chief of Naval Staff[8]	First woman appointed full Rear Admiral
R Adm	Phillip Schoultz	Flag Officer Fleet
R Adm	Dave Forsyth	Director Navy Reserves	[9]
R Adm	Peter Tomlinson	FOC Fleet Operations
R Adm	Bernhard Teuteberg	Chief Director Maritime Strategy
R Adm	H.P. Botha	Commandant Defence College; Deputy Chief of Staff Personnel		-
R Adm	George Noel Green	Chief of Naval Staff Logistics
R Adm	Eric Green	Flag Officer Fleet	Brother of Alan Green
R Adm	Alan Green	Chief Military Policy, Strategy Planning	Brother of Eric Green
R Adm	Hennie Bester	Flag Officer Fleet
R Adm	Musawenkosi Nkomonde	Flag Officer Fleet, Inspector General of the Navy[8][7]	Nickname "Kop"
R Adm	Sagaren Pillay	Chief Director Maritime Strategy	Nickname "Sarge"
R Adm	Paul Wijnberg	FOC Naval Command East
R Adm	Mosoeu Magalefa	Chief of Naval Staff
R Adm	George Mphafi	Chief Director Operational Development, Joint Operations Division
R Adm	Rolf Hauter	Chief Director Maritime Strategy,[10] Chief Director Strategy and Planning SANDF
R Adm	Anthony Howell	Chief Director Maritime Warfare	Nickname "Chubby"
R Adm	Alan Mandy	Chief Director Logistic Planning, Log Division	[11]
R Adm	Erhard Martin Kramer	Deputy Chief of Staff, SADF
R Adm	Raymond Eberlein	Chief Director Manpower Provisioning and Development, SADF; Chief of Naval Staff Personnel[12]
R Adm	Evert Groenewald	Chief of Naval Staff Intelligence,[13] Chief of Naval Operations[14]	Nickname "Gringo"
R Adm	Jaap Weideman	Navy Inspector General	[15]
R Adm	Johannes Richard Nortier	Chief of Naval Staff Logistics[16][17][18]	Nickname "Dick"
R Adm	James Sleigh	Chief of Naval Staff	[19]
R Adm	Barend Visser	Chief Director Logistic Systems, SANDF[20]
R Adm	Paul Viljoen	FOC Navcom East,[21] Chief of Naval Operations[22]	Nickname Flip[23]	1989–1992
R Adm	Stephanus Biermann	Chief of Staff, Training and Manning	Nickname "Chips"; Brother of Hugo Biermann[24]
R Adm	Anthony Morris	Chief Director Defence Acquisition Management, Materiél Division	Nickname "Muggies"	[25]
R Adm	Dunstan Smart	Chief of Military Legal Services
R Adm	Izak G. Bothma	on the staff of CSP 1986
R Adm	James Matshimane	Director Naval Personnel,[7] CD HR Strategic Direction & Plan[26]
R Adm	Servaas Verster	Chief Director Acquisition; Director Weapon Systems	Nickname "Kek"
R Adm	Willem du Plessis	Defence Advisor to Washington DC; Deputy Chief of Staff Intelligence; National Intelligence Service
R Adm	Handsome Thamsanqa Matasane	Flag Officer Fleet, Director Maritime Warfare[27]
R Adm (JG)	Thomas F. Shenfield	Chief of Naval Staff Finance
R Adm (JG)	Ivan Visée	Chief of Naval Staff Reserves
R Adm (JG)	Theo Butler	Director Naval Logistics c. 2001
R Adm (JG)	Ockert van der Schyf	Director Naval Acquisition, Acquisition & Procurement Division	Nickname "Ockie"
R Adm (JG)	Digby Thomson	Director Maritime Warfare
R Adm (JG)	Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala	Director Fleet Human Resources, Fleet Command	First woman admiral
R Adm (JG)	Loyiso Metu	Director Fleet Human Resources	died 2021[28]
R Adm (JG)	William Joubert	Director Naval Planning
R Adm (JG)	Ralph Ndabambi	Director Naval Reserves
R Adm (JG)	Duncan Forrest	Director Naval Policy and Doctrine
R Adm (JG)	Jan Rabe	Director Fleet Force Preparation
R Adm (JG)	Frank Peché
R Adm (JG)	Edward Ratala	Inspector General (Navy)
R Adm (JG)	Koos Louw	FOC Naval Base Simon's Town
R Adm (JG)	Arne Söderlund	Director Fleet Force Preparation	Nickname "Angel"
R Adm (JG)	Solomon Peterson	Director Fleet Force Preparation	Nickname "Solly"
R Adm (JG)	Gert Engelbrecht	Director Performance Audit IG DoD[10]
R Adm (JG)	Karl Wiesner	Director Maritime Warfare
R Adm (JG)	Rendani Masutha	Defense Legal Services[29]
R Adm (JG)	John George Barker	Inspector General Navy; Defence Attaché in France
R Adm (JG)	Cobus Visser	Director Technology Development, Defence Materiél Division	[30]
R Adm (JG)	Derek Dewey	Director Technology Development, Defence Materiél Division
R Adm (JG)	Leon Reeders	Director Naval Acquisitions, Defence Materiél Division
R Adm (JG)	Andre F. Steyn	DFS, Defence Secretariat	1998
R Adm (JG)	Laura Jansen van Vuuren	Commandant Defence College	2nd woman admiral
R Adm (JG)	Patrick Duze	Director Force Preparation and Joint Operations, Joint Operations Division	Nickname "Lucky"
R Adm (JG)	Monica Josias	Director Maritime Diplomacy and Strategy	[31]
R Adm (JG)	Emily Masanabo	Director Navy Transformation	[32]
R Adm (JG)	Kevin J. Watson	Director Naval Engineering Services
R Adm (JG)	Dirk Izak De Villiers	Director Military Strategy, Military Policy Strategy & Planning, Inspector General SA Navy, Director Special Projects
R Adm (JG)	Frederick Andrew Hans	Director Supply Services Support Management at DOD LSF, Director Naval Logistics		[7]
R Adm (JG)	Alan Claydon-Fink	Director Naval Acquisitions
R Adm (JG)	Kasaval Naidoo	Director Maritime Plans,[33] Dir HR Formation Staff[27]Acting General Officer Commanding Training Command
R Adm (JG)	Nomonde Gogi-Gumede	Director Maritime Intelligence
R Adm (JG)	Z Kani	Director Operational Law Support,[7] Dir Mil Def Council[25]
R Adm (JG)	Henry Morake	D HR Service Systems, HR Div[25]
R Adm (JG)	Z Camagu	Director Supply Services Support Management,[7] DOD Logistic Support Formation
R Adm (JG)	S Makhanya	Director HR Separation[7]
R Adm (JG)	Mokgadi A. Maphoto	Provost-Marshal General[7]
R Adm (JG)	Leslie Katerinic	Chief of Fleet Staff[7]
R Adm (JG)	Ernest Penzhorn	Director Naval Reserves
R Adm (JG)	Joseph Sinovich	Director Capabilities, Joint Operations Division[27]	Nickname "Joe"
R Adm (JG)	T Mhlonyane	Director Counter Intelligence Collection[27]
R Adm (JG)	S Pedersen	Director Naval Acquisition[27]
R Adm (JG)	SF du Toit	Commandant, SA National Defence College[27]
R Adm (JG)	Jabulani Mbotho	FOC Naval Base Durban[27]
R Adm (JG)	Bhekinkosi Mvovo	Director Naval Engineering, Fleet Command[27]
R Adm (JG)	Andre de Wet	Director Fleet Force Preparation[27]
R Adm (JG)	Sikumbuzo Msikinya	Navy Inspector General[27]
R Adm (JG)	ILH Nzimande	Director Naval Transformation[27]
R Adm (JG)	Lisa Hendricks	Chief of Fleet Staff[27]
R Adm (JG)	Mfanelo Bongco	Dir Mil Intelligence[27][34]
R Adm (JG)	Jonathan Kamerman	Director Naval Acquisition	Nickname "Jonny"
R Adm (JG)	John Renolds	OC Naval Log Base[35]
R Adm (JG)	Steven Stead	Chief of Naval Staff Operations
R Adm (JG)	Joseph Dlamini	FOC Simonstown
R Adm (JG)	Willem J.J. van Niekerk	Director Naval Personnel
R Adm (JG)	Andy Cole	Director ETD Systems Integrity, Chief Director Human Resources Development
R Adm (JG)	Joseph Ikaneng	Director Fleet Logistics, Fleet Command	Nickname "Papi"
R Adm (JG)	Obed Mthethwa	Director Engineering System Support, Logistics Division
R Adm (JG)	E.D. Bower	Director Naval Reserves
R Adm (JG)	Caroline Kriel
R Adm (JG)	Philiswa R. Mboyise	Defence Advisor to Brazil
R Adm (JG)	X.T. Hokoma	Director Naval Personnel
R Adm (JG)	Bryan Donkin	Chief of Naval Staff Operations
R Adm (JG)	Steve van H. du Toit	Chief of Naval Staff Personnel	[36]
R Adm (JG)	Pieter Potgieter	Commandant Military Academy; OC Naval Base Simonstown	[37]
Cdre	Albert Samuel Davis	Naval Officer in Command, Durban	Nickname "Sam"
Cdre	Heinrich Nicolaus Schoeman		Recipient of Taiwanese Order of Resplendent Banner in 1980
Cdre	Theo Honiball	Chief of Naval Staff Planning
Cdre	Lukas Bakkes	Director Naval Reserves
Cdre	Paul Dryden-Dymond	Commodore Superintendent Naval Dockyard Simonstown	(b. 26.07.1912)
Cdre	Peter Fougstedt	Chief of Staff, NAVCOM East
Cdre	Brian Hegarty	Director Training & Manning, Navy HQ
Cdre	Willem Ehlers	Military Aide to Pres P.W. Botha	Nickname "Ters"
Cdre	Willem Greyling van der Merwe
Cdre	Nicolaas Smit	D Kaart (Afr), Chief of Staff Operations	Nickname "Nick"
Cdre	Peter Erich Bitzker	Inspector General Navy	Nickname "Butch"; Naval Attaché to Berlin	[38]
Cdre	James Dalgleish	Chief of the Navy
Cdre	Frederick Dean	Chief of the Navy	Nickname "Dizzy"
Cdre	John Dart
Cdre	Chris Botha	Commanded the SA base in France, later Chief of Naval Staff Finance
Cdre	Dieter Gerhardt	OC Naval Base Simon's Town	Convicted Soviet spy[39]
Cdre	B.J. Pienaar	Director Internal Audit, Military Inspectorate	1975-1984
Cdre	Jean de Villiers
Cdre	Gert Brits	Commander Naval Operations Command
Cdre	Bill Hogg	Deputy Chief of Staff Naval Operations; Commander Naval Operations Command
Cdre	Jacobus J. de Beer	Director at Chief of Staff Personnel	Nickname "Koos"; Alumni of the 6/79 joint staff course
Cdre	J.J. Nieuwoudt		Alumni of the 4/78 joint staff course
Cdre	W.R. Joubert		Alumni of the 6/79 joint staff course
Cdre	Charles Sanderoff
Cdre	Roy Kingon	Inspector General Navy
Cdre	John Fairbairn	Commodore Superintendent Naval Base Simon's Town
Cdre	John Ferris	COMNAVCAPE 1982[40]
Cdre	Andre Burgers	Chief of Naval Staff Intelligence	[41]
Cdre	Andrew Cecil McMurray	Director Naval Operations, Chief of Staff Operations
Cdre	Andre Rudman	Commander Naval Training Command
Cdre	Jeremy Mathers	Director Naval Technology
Cdre	Nic Vorster	Chief of Naval Staff Operations (now known as Director Maritime Warfare)
Cdre	Errol Massey-Hicks	Chief of Naval Staff Operations
Cdre	Johan Andries de Kock
Cdre	Vic Holderness	Commander Naval Operations Command
Cdre	John T. Kleinschmidt	Commander Naval Logistic Command
Cdre	Trevor Beddy	COMNAVCAPE
Cdre	Norman Wise	Commander Naval Logistics Command
Cdre	H. Jooste	Director at Military Intelligence Division
Cdre	P.J.C. Brown	Director Naval Stores	Nickname "Tubby"
Cdre	John C. Goosen
Cdre	George Basson	Chief of Naval Staff Operations, Director Maritime Warfare	[42]
Cdre	Jacques de Vos	OC Naval Base Simonstown	[43]
Cdre	Niel Guy	Director Resources	[44]
Cdre	Hendrik F. Nel	Formerly Dean Military Academy	Nickname "Hennie"
Cdre	H.C. Nel	OC Naval Dockyard Simonstown	c1990
Cdre	D.W. Robertson
Cdre	Edward William Jupp		Nickname "Ted"
Cdre	Dennis K. Kinkhead-Weekes	Director Naval Operations	Nickname "Skonky", 28/4/1920-12/8/1997
Cdre	Peter Keene	Chief of Naval Staff Intelligence,[45] FOC Naval Base Simonstown	[46]

See also

• List of South African military chiefs