Where Is War

Is there a war in South Africa?

Yes. UCDP lists 1 active armed conflict with fighting recorded in South Africa.

None at war level (1,000+ deaths in a year). Largest: Black Axe - SVC (mainly in Nigeria), 36 deaths in 2025.

Updated 30 October 2026 · UCDP data through 30 September 2026 · View on map →

Deaths recorded in South Africa in 2025

0in state-based fighting
17in fighting between armed groups
0in attacks on civilians (one-sided violence)

UCDP GED Global 26.1: best estimates for events located in South Africa (as UCDP places them), by type of violence. The three are shown separately, as UCDP counts them, and are not added together here.

The conflict

Each conflict as UCDP defines it: a dispute with at least 25 battle-related deaths in a year. Figures are UCDP best estimates; the newest months are preliminary and can change. UCDP does not record who started each clash.

Armed conflictNon-state conflict (between armed groups) · UCDP start year 2002

Black Axe - SVC

36deaths in 2025UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset 26.1
19deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09
81total 2024–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (2 years listed)

Who is fighting: Black Axe vs SVC

2002: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2003: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2004: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2005: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2006: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2007: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2008: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2009: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2010: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2011: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2012: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2013: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2014: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2015: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2016: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2017: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2018: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2019: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2020: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2021: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2022: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2023: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2024: 452025: 362026: 19 (Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary)
2002highest: 452026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Conflict-wide figures (not only South Africa). Also recorded in: Nigeria.

Figures by year
YearDeaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary19
202536
202445

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Nigeria · View on map →

Military personnel

89,000own armed forces (2020)World Bank / IISS · active + paramilitary

Foreign military personnel in South Africa

United States44

assigned · 31 Aug 2026 · DoD DMDC

United Kingdompartly withheld

stationed · 1 Apr 2026 · UK MOD

RN/RM withheld (each rounded to 10)

Other countries may have forces here; only official, reusable figures are shown.

Protests reported in news media

5reports from 4 outlets, 1 report coded as violent25 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026

Places named: Durban

Topics named in the headlines: immigration

Automatically coded from news reports by The GDELT Project (GDELT 2.0 Event Database (export files), 25 Oct 2026 to 31 Oct 2026); may contain errors; not verified by whereiswar.com. Protests are not part of the UCDP conflict figures above.

Other countries with active armed conflicts in Africa

AngolaBeninBurkina FasoBurundiCameroonCentral African RepublicChadDR CongoEthiopiaGhanaKenyaMaliMozambiqueNigerNigeriaRwandaSomaliaSouth SudanSudanTogo

All countries →

Sources and licences