A first group of South African soldiers returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday night, greeted with jubilation in Pretoria.
Videos released by the defence ministry captured the uniformed troops dancing and chanting as they arrived at Waterkloof airforce base.
The 249 soldiers were deployed under a Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission launched in December 2023 to help stabilise eastern Congo.
The region has been wracked by renewed violence, with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels capturing territory in North and South Kivu provinces this year.
In March, the SADC announced it would end its mission after 17 of its soldiers, including 14 South Africans, were killed in escalating clashes.
Defence Minister Angie Motshekga told reporters on Friday that the army was working “around the clock” to recover all its equipment.
“We shall not leave even a pin behind,” she said, echoing earlier remarks from Defence Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya.
Maphwanya had insisted in May that the troop withdrawal was not a retreat, but a strategic shift to allow peace efforts to proceed.
The loss of life sparked growing calls at home for South Africa to end its involvement, especially after soldiers also died while serving under the UN.
Malawi and Tanzania, both SADC members, also suffered casualties in the Congo operation, underscoring the mission’s heavy cost.