Scouts South Africa caters for youth and young adults from the ages of 5 through 30.

It is also one of the largest youth organisations in the rural parts of South Africa and performs many community upliftment programmes in those areas.

[2] The aim of Scouts South Africa is to contribute to the development of children and young adults in achieving their full potentials as individuals, as responsible members of their local, national, and international communities by training them in citizenship and developing their social, mental, spiritual and physical attributes.

[3] Organized Scouting spread to South Africa only a few months after its birth in Britain in 1907.

The first Union Scout Council was formed in 1922 to provide a common national control on an advisory basis.

[4] Scouting in South Africa, as in most British Colonies (such as Rhodesia), was originally segregated by race.

[7] With the rise of Afrikaner nationalism in South Africa during the early part of the 20th century, Scouting was viewed with suspicion by many Afrikaners because of its English roots, and rival Afrikaans organisations including the Voortrekkers were established.

[5] Although apartheid laws forbade several forms of multiracial association, the South African government failed to take any action against the Movement on racial grounds.

Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the movement, spent most of the years from 1884 to 1905 as a soldier in Southern Africa.

South Africa's most prominent role in the origin of Scouting was the siege of Mafeking in 1899–1900.

However, it was Mafeking that resulted in Baden-Powell becoming a national hero in Britain, and it was his fame that enabled his Scout movement to catch on so rapidly.

[14] Baden-Powell also learnt scouting skills from Frederick Russell Burnham, an American explorer, adventurer, and mercenary, who went on to become a highly decorated Major and Chief of Scouts under Lord Roberts during the Second Boer War.

[15][16] The earliest Scout uniform was based on the uniform that Robert Baden-Powell designed for the South African Constabulary, a paramilitary force established to police the conquered Boer republics following the Anglo-Boer War.

[6]Scouts South Africa teaches young people the importance of high morals.

I am pleased with the progress of Scouting in South Africa, and in the steps which are now being taken to make the programme accessible to more young people.

Educating Scouts in HIV and AIDS is vitally important due to the large number of infections in both rural and urban areas of South Africa.

The current Chief Scout is Khonzaphi Mdaka, with effect from 1 February 2022, taking over from Dr. Brendon Hausberger.

The parents committee is an elected body of parents (with elections being held once a year at the Group AGM) that oversees the financial, maintenance, and legal affairs of the group, supporting the adult Scouters who run the programme for their branches.

The Patrol Leader and Second have many responsibilities in training younger Scouts and helping plan and run the programme.

Since a Troop Leader is not required to plan or run Patrol camps, or help Scouts through the advancement program many senior Scouts who are in their final year of school choose to become Troop Leaders to have more time to concentrate on their studies and on achieving the Springbok award.

[citation needed] Within three months of joining a Rover Crew a newcomer may be invested as a Squire.

The biggest of these are probably the Kon-Tiki raft building competitions (held annually in Cape Town and Gauteng) and the JOTA-JOTI communications-focussed Jamboree.

[citation needed] The Patrol Leaders Training Unit (or PLTU) is a 7- to 12-day course run at various venues around South Africa.

PLTU is a very physically and mentally strenuous course, open to Scouts who are over 14½ years old and have achieved their Discoverer advancement badge.

[citation needed] The first of what was to become the Patrol Leader training Unit courses was run at Lexden — Natal Gilwell Scout Training Camp in July 1959, under the leadership of Dudley Forde, with 19 Scouts from the 2nd Durban Y.M.C.A.

The nine members comprising the original Unit were Dudley Forde [Chairman], Fr Ian Laurenson, Lynn Reynolds, Paddy McDowell, Paul and Helen Bezencon, Ian Hoare, Tony Hornby and Bill Sewell.

The KwaZulu-Natal Patrol Leader training Unit celebrated the holding of its 100th course in July 2004.

[citation needed] Dudley Forde, Fr Ian Laurenson, James Radford, Doug Drysdale, Bryan Dibben, Craig Shaw, Grant Martens and Guy Caws have led the PLTU over its first 45 years.

[citation needed] This Unit hosted and mentored leaders who went on to create Patrol Leader Training Units in other centres in South Africa: Ian Hoare — East London, Derek Swemmer — Pretoria, Lynn Reynolds — Free State, Bill Hodges and Bruce Maree — Eastern Cape, Ian Harry and Chris Barrett — Gauteng, Peter Foster — Western Cape.

Many Troops also require a Scout to complete a PLTU course before allowing them to become a Patrol Leader.