The South African National Defence Force will start training 4Â 518 recruits this month, spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi said on Thursday.
They are ”young, deserving, healthy and fit South Africans of all races”.
Mkhwanazi said 300 of them reported to the Naval Gymnasium in Saldanha on Thursday for their basic military training.
Another 4Â 000 recruits had already reported to Three SA Infantry Battalion in Kimberley in the Northern Cape, the South African Army Infantry School in Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape and at the South African Air Force Gymnasium in Pretoria.
He said 250 would report to the South African Military Health Services Training Formation in Pretoria on January 28, and 250 would join the Department of Defence under the Youth Foundation Training Programme.
This aimed to provide specialists — such as engineers, pilots, doctors, dentists and naval combat officers.
The recruitment drive for 2008 will start in March. — Sapa