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Army comparison: Flag of Kenya Kenya vs Flag of South Africa South Africa

South Africa's army fields 1,637 active vehicles — 2.0:1 Kenya's 800. Additionally, Kenya has 0 and South Africa has 2,574 vehicles in storage.

ARMS (Armour and Manpower Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Flag of Kenya KenyaWorld #86 11.9
ARMS Index / 100

South Africa leads on 5 of 8 categories

Flag of South Africa South AfricaWorld #53 18.6
  • 78 Main battle tanksweight ×10 · era 70+133 stored
  • 0 Rocket artilleryweight ×8 · era 6+45 stored
  • 18 Self-propelled artilleryweight ×6 · era 15+31 stored
  • 0 Infantry fighting vehiclesweight ×4 · era 556+600 stored
  • 53 Towed artilleryweight ×3 · era 6+141 stored
  • 109 Armoured personnel carriersweight ×2 · era 0
  • 130 Light armoured vehiclesweight ×2 · era 50+124 stored
  • 412 Protected mobility vehiclesweight ×0.5 · era 934+1,500 stored
Kenya South Africa Bars: weighted contribution to the ARMS Index (vehicles × category weight × era, active + 0.3 × stored; manpower and the rotary, armament and availability multipliers apply on top) · figures: active vehicles at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
Kenya South Africa Ratio
Total vehicles 800 1,637 🇿🇦 2.0×
In storage 0 2,574 🇿🇦
On order 0 222 🇿🇦
Main battle tanks 78 70 🇰🇪 1.1×
Artillery pieces 71 27 🇰🇪 2.6×
Armoured fighting vehicles 651 1,540 🇿🇦 2.4×
Active military personnel (all branches) 24,100 65,350 🇿🇦 2.7×
Reserve military personnel (all branches) 0 15,050 🇿🇦
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Infantry fighting vehicles 0 556 🇿🇦
Armoured personnel carriers 109 0 🇰🇪
Self-propelled artillery 18 15 🇰🇪 1.2×
Towed artillery 53 6 🇰🇪 8.8×
Rocket artillery 0 6 🇿🇦
Backbone vehicles most numerous in service
🇰🇪 KenyaVickers Mk.3 ×78Nora B-52 ×18UR-416 ×52
🇿🇦 South AfricaOlifant 1 ×70
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Kenya vsSudanEritreaEthiopiaUgandaTunisia
South Africa vsMoroccoNigeriaEgyptTunisiaAlgeria

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more armored vehicles, Kenya or South Africa?
South Africa has a larger ground force with 1,637 vehicles compared to Kenya's 800 vehicles.
Which country has more tanks, Kenya or South Africa?
Kenya operates more main battle tanks with 78 compared to South Africa's 70.
Which army has more infantry fighting vehicles, Kenya or South Africa?
South Africa has 556 infantry fighting vehicles compared to Kenya's 0.
Which country has more armored personnel carriers, Kenya or South Africa?
Kenya operates 109 APCs compared to South Africa's 0.
Which country has more artillery systems, Kenya or South Africa?
Kenya fields 71 artillery systems (self-propelled, towed, and MLRS) compared to South Africa's 27.
How do the Kenya and South Africa armies compare in size?
South Africa's army is 2.0 times larger than Kenya's in terms of total vehicles (1,637 vs 800).