The holdings of the DOD Archives contain the archival records of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), the statutory forces which were integrated into the SANDF in 1994, i.e the South African Defence Force (SADF) – including that of its predecessor the Union Defence Force (UDF) – and the military forces of the former Transkei, Ciskei, Bophuthatswana and Venda.

The records in the DOD Archives date from 1912 (when the UDF was established) to 1992 and reflect the main business activities of the above-mentioned bodies. The business activities relate to operational, administrative and technical aspects and reflect war and peace time activities. The records are supplemented by a collection of military related photographs and maps as well as official manuscripts. The personnel records also date back to 1912 and are valuable as a source of biographical detail.

The holdings of the DOD Archives are extensive and cover the business activities of the DOD on all levels, i.e. from the ministry of Defence down to unit level. The approximately 2,2 million correspondence files are arranged in 2000 different archival groups. The personnel files number approximately 1 million and include the records of all former members of the SANDF, SADF and UDF. As from 1994 the personnel records of all former PSAP members are also preserved in the DOD Archives.