It was awarded to members of the South African Police for service in an operational area or for engagement in armed combat with the enemy.

[1] It was also awarded for service against the People's Liberation Army of Namibia in South-West Africa, or for counter-terrorist operations in Rhodesia during the Rhodesian Bush War.

[2] The medal could be awarded to serving members of all ranks of the South African Police.

While no definitive roll of recipients of the South African Police Medal for Combating Terrorism is known to exist, a rough indication of how many were awarded per year is indicated by the Annual Report of the Commissioner of the South African Police for the Period 1 July 1978 to 30 June 1979.

The report states that; "The South African Police Medal for Combating Terrorism was awarded to 231 White and 18 Non-White members, while 171 White and four Non-White members received bars."