[2] The battalion is equipped with Ratel Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) used for fast transport and combat mobility across rough ground.

8 SAI continues to train for conventional warfare and forms part of the annual brigade-level Lohatla Army Battle School exercise.

[3] Training includes IFV-mounted and dismounted fire-and-move drills, and integration with Engineers, Armour, Artillery and Air Force elements.

[4] The unit was established at Upington in the Northern Cape on 01 October 1973 and received its first batch of national service trainees the next January.

1987 Intake was in February) The base for its first decade consisted mainly of tents, in 1979 the harsh conditions of extreme desert heat and dust storms coupled with limited facilities led to 111 national servicemen from Alpha Company going on AWOL.

8 SAI directly contributed troops to the following operations: Elements of 8 SAI was seconded to routine operations during this period to the following bases: The Cubans opened a second front on 27 June 1988 against the South Africans and launched a ground offensive in the direction of Calueque Dam in Southern Angola.

MiG-23 aircraft attacked the facilities, bombing a bridge, sluice gates, a pump, a generator, and a pipeline to Ovamboland in three waves.

[9] In late 2019 the unit was reportedly deployed in a number of communities in Cape Town to combat gang violence[10] by supporting police operations.

[13][14] 8 SAI was again redeployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of Operation Mistral under the auspices of MONUSCO from December 2009 to May 2010 and from November 2011 to June 2012.

[21] 8 SAI is equipped with the: Under Project Hoefyster, the SANDF will eventually replace the Ratel family of vehicles with the Badger system.