The South African border war took place from about 1970 to 1990. It was a war between the “
apartheid” South African government and the so-called freedom fighters (They were called terrorists by the SA Government). It took place on the border between Southwest Africa (now
Namibia) and
Angola. At that stage
Southwest Africa was a South African protectorate and defended by the South African Defense Force.
There were hardly ever “real” battles like in “proper”
wars with tanks and missiles, bombing runs etc. The freedom fighters rather laid landmines on the Namibian side of the border. These mines were most of the time detonated by unlucky wandering
cows. The SA government in turn compensated very handsomely the owners of the killed cows. Quickly realizing the opportunity to
profit from this situation the local native farmers drove their
cattle herds through areas suspected of invested by mines. By doing this they effectively cleared the mining fields for the
South Africans.
The freedom fighters then change tactics. Land mines were planted on the rural roads. The South Africans countered this new thread by developing several landmine resistant vehicles. Within a few years South Africa became a major exporter of these military vehicles. Other weapons quickly followed such as the G6 canon that could shoot projectiles more than 30 kilometers. In 1998
South Africa made more from armament sales than with gold exports.