The Chief of Defence Force Staff (C Def F S) was a post in the South African Defence Force and the South African National Defence Force.

The Chief of Defence Force Staff was a lieutenant general post in the South African Defence Force which traces its origins from the sixties.

In the middle sixties, the expansion of the Defence Force necessitated some changes to the overall structure and at that time, the posts of GOC Joint Combat Forces (GOC JCF), Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Defence Force Administration to name a few were established.

In 1976 this post ceased to exist and was re-established in 1986[1] during Gen Johannes Geldenhuys' term as C SADF.

The staff divisions were numbered as follows: Note: All these divisions had a three star rank as a chief of staff.