[1][2][3] The Good Service Medal, Gold was instituted by the State President in 1975 and was named the South African Defence Force Good Service Medal, Gold until 1993.

[1] The position of the Good Service Medal, Gold in the official order of precedence was revised twice after 1975 to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first upon the integration into the South African National Defence Force in 1994 and again upon the institution of a new set of awards in 2003.

Initially all South African military orders, decorations and medals were minted by the South African Mint, but with effect from c. 1980, the manufacturing of all new awards as well as the further production of older awards were put out to tender by private enterprises.

Poor quality control and cost cutting by manufacturers resulted in the acceptance and award of a large number of medals which were only 2 millimetres thick, with no raised rim and an undecorated ribbon suspender on the reverse.

[8] The Good Service Medal, Gold is a medallion struck in silver-gilt, with a scalloped edge and a raised rim, 38 millimetres in diameter and 3 millimetres thick at the rim, depicting the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms.

The obverse is identical to that of the Permanent Force Good Service Medal of 1961.