Star of South Africa, Gold

• Name — Star of South Africa, Gold • Presenter — the State President of South Africa (until 1994) President of South Africa (1994–2002) • Country — South Africa • Type — Military decoration for merit • Eligibility — General and flag officers • Awarded For — Meritorious military service which promoted SADF efficiency and preparedness and made a valuable contribution to national security • Status — Discontinued in 2002 • Post Nominals — SSA • Established — 1975 • Precedence Label — SADF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear • Higher — * SADF precedence: • Honoris Crux Gold • SANDF precedence: • Nkwe ya Gauta • Same — Star of South Africa, Grand Cross • Lower — * SADF succession: • Star of South Africa, Silver • SANDF succession: • Star of South Africa, Silver • Caption2 — Ribbon bar

The Union Defence Forces (UDF) were established in 1912 and renamed the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1958. On 27 April 1994, it was integrated with six other independent forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) after the end of apartheid.

The Star of South Africa, Gold, post-nominal letters SSA, was instituted by the State President on 1 July 1975, as the senior decoration of two military classes of the Order of the Star of South Africa. The Order was named after the first large diamond to be found in South Africa, the Star of South Africa, which was found on the banks of the Orange River in 1869 and which sparked the New Rush, leading to the establishment of Kimberley. The Order of the Star of South Africa was expanded on 17 October 1978, when a non-military division with decorations in five classes was instituted, for conferment on civilians and, from 1988, on senior police, prisons service and intelligence service officers, as well as foreign military attachés. The senior of these five non-military decorations, the Star of South Africa, Grand Cross, ranks on par with the Star of South Africa, Gold.

The position of the Star of South Africa, Gold in the official order of precedence was revised three times after 1975, to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first upon the integration into the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, again in April 1996, when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted for the two former non-statutory forces, the Azanian People's Liberation Army and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and finally with the institution of a new set of awards on 27 April 2003. • South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994: • Illustration — Honoris Crux Gold (HCG) • Illustration — Star of South Africa, Gold (SSA) • Illustration — Star of South Africa, Silver (SSAS) • Official SADF order of precedence: • Preceded by the Honoris Crux Gold (HCG). • Succeeded by the Star of South Africa, Silver (SSAS). • Official national order of precedence: • Preceded by the Order of the Southern Cross, Gold (OSG). • Succeeded by the Order for Meritorious Service, Gold (OMSG). • South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994: • Illustration — Honoris Crux Gold (HCG) • Illustration — Star of South Africa, Gold (SSA) • Illustration — Star of South Africa, Silver (SSAS) • Official SANDF order of precedence: • Preceded by the Honoris Crux Gold (HCG) of the Republic of South Africa. • Succeeded by the Star of South Africa, Silver (SSAS) of the Republic of South Africa. • Official national order of precedence: • Preceded by the Order of the Southern Cross, Gold (OSG) of the Republic of South Africa. • Succeeded by the Order of the Leopard, Special Class Grand Cross of the Republic of Bophuthatswana. • South African National Defence Force from April 1996: • Illustration — Star for Bravery in Gold (SBG) • Illustration — Star of South Africa, Gold (SSA) • Illustration — Star of South Africa, Silver (SSAS) • Official SANDF order of precedence: • Preceded by the Star for Bravery in Gold (SBG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe. • Succeeded by the Star of South Africa, Silver (SSAS) of the Republic of South Africa. • Official national order of precedence: • Preceded by the Order of the Southern Cross, Gold (OSG) of the Republic of South Africa. • Succeeded by the Order of the Leopard, Special Class Grand Cross of the Republic of Bophuthatswana. • South African National Defence Force from 27 April 2003: • Illustration — Nkwe ya Gauta (NG) • Illustration — Star of South Africa, Gold (SSA) • Illustration — Star of South Africa, Silver (SSAS) • Official SANDF order of precedence: • Preceded by the Nkwe ya Gauta (NG) of the Republic of South Africa. • Succeeded by the Star of South Africa, Silver (SSAS) of the Republic of South Africa. • Official national order of precedence: • Preceded by the Order of the Southern Cross, Gold (OSG) of the Republic of South Africa. • Succeeded by the Order of the Leopard, Special Class Grand Cross of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.

The conferment of the Star of South Africa, Gold was discontinued on 6 December 2002, when a new set of national orders was instituted.

This is non-exhaustive list of the general and flag officers who were awarded the SSA in no chronological sequence: • Adm Hugo Biermann - Chief of the SADF • Gen Magnus Malan - Chief of the SADF • Gen Constand Viljoen SSAS - Chief of the SADF • Gen Johannes Geldenhuys SSAS - Chief of the SADF • Gen Andreas Liebenberg SSAS - Chief of the SADF • Gen Georg Meiring SSAS - Chief of the SANDF • Gen Siphiwe Nyanda - Chief of the SANDF • V Adm Bert Bekker SSAS - Chief of Defence Force Staff • Lt Gen Denis Earp SSAS - Chief of the Air Force • Lt Gen Ian Gleeson SSAS - Chief of Defence Force Staff • Lt Gen (Dr) Nicolaas Nieuwoudt - Surgeon General • V Adm James Johnson - Chief of the Navy • Lt Gen Robert 'Bob' Rogers - Chief of the Air Force • Lt Gen (Prof) Heinrich de V. du Toit - Chief of Staff Intelligence • V Adm Ronald A. Edwards SSAS - Chief of the Navy • Lt Gen Raymond Holtzhausen - Chief of Staff Personnel • Cmdt Piet Marais - Chairman of ARMSCOR 1976-1989

Star of South Africa, Gold is associated with South Africa.