Originally formed as 17 Brigade on 1 April 1965, 71 Motorised Brigade [Afr: 71 Gemotoriseerde Brigade] was established as a motorised brigade of 7 South African Division on 1 August 1974. By 1977 the brigade comprised of three motorised infantry battalions, a field artillery regiment, a field engineer squadron, a signals unit, a maintenance unit, a field workshop, and a field ambulance. It took part in numerous training exercises at the SA Army Battle School at Lohatlha in the Northern Cape from 1978. It was converted to 9 SA Divison on 2 Jan 1992.

Originally formed as 17 Brigade on 1 April 1965, 71 Motorised Brigade [Afr: 71 Gemotoriseerde Brigade] was established as a motorised brigade of 7 South African Division on 1 August 1974. By 1977 the brigade comprised of three motorised infantry battalions, a field artillery regiment, a field engineer squadron, a signals unit, a maintenance unit, a field workshop, and a field ambulance. It took part in numerous training exercises at the SA Army Battle School at Lohatlha in the Northern Cape from 1978. It was converted to 9 SA Divison on 2 Jan 1992.