It was awarded to members of the South African Defence Force for exceptional acts of bravery while in great danger.

[3][4] The decoration was awarded to members of the South African Defence Force for exceptional acts of bravery in action, while in great danger.

[3] The position of the Honoris Crux Silver in the official order of precedence was revised twice after 1975, to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first with the integration into the South African National Defence Force in 1994 and again with the institution of a new set of awards in 2003, but it remained unchanged on both occasions.

The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms, with the decoration number impressed above and the silver hallmark below.

[7] Conferment of the decoration was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 27 April 2003, when the Honoris Crux Silver was replaced by the new Nkwe ya Selefera (NS).