SA Navy combat marine officer Lucky Khobane is a man with fins, gills and skills

His coy smile, relaxed demeanour and modesty can easily fool one into thinking Lucky Khobane is an average South African; but he is not.

The father of three, from the rural village of Phetole, Ga-Matlala in Limpopo, is not only a lieutenant in the SA Navy, he is one of only three combat marine officers who are diver qualified – the equivalent of the US Marines – in the country.

The 39-year-old has amassed so much military combat and discipline prowess that messing with him would be a bad idea.

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Among other super combat powers at sea and on land, he is an expert in underwater demolition, explosives, sea rescue and welding.

“We are assault combatants, experts in fast roping [being lowered from a helicopter on a rope onto any platform], sea boarding for vessel inspections, platoon command, beach landing with assault gear, as well as rappelling,” he said.

How it started

It all started in February 2005, when he spotted a newspaper advert calling for South African National Defence Force (SANDF) enlistment – and he branched into the SA Navy, beginning as an able seaman after two years of gruelling training.

Khobane then became a leading seaman, specialising to become a coxswain, and in deep diving, rebreathing apparatus, underwater explosives detection, as well a chamber operator to a depth of 90m. It was also during this period that he completed a divers’ supervision course.

He became a petty officer in 2014, after completing military training for ratings, part two. Petty officers are in charge of a section of a diving team, writing correspondence and preparing for dives.

“I then requested to become an officer and, in 2015, I received a response while out on deployment that I had been accepted. So I reported to Gordon’s Bay in the Western Cape to be trained as an officer,” he explained.

After nine months of training, Khobane graduated to a rank of sub-lieutenant and then enrolled for a Bachelor degree in military science at the University of Stellenbosch, which he completed in 2018.

The following year, he joined the naval station in Durban as an operations officer, heading up the diving department, protection services, operations room, local area network (LAN), fire department and main signal office.

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It was in 2022 that Khobane completed the marine course, conquering the apex of the SA Navy to become one of the elite sailors in land, air and sea combat.

The SANDF superman would not be strong-armed to divulge his missions or deployments, saying that would constitute a breach of security. He did command the 2023 SA Navy recruitment drive for divers, criss-crossing the country to find academically and physically fit youngsters to follow in his path.

Shortage of divers

“We currently have a serious shortage of divers, so from time to time we go out to find those special people to serve. Mathematics in matric, psychological, as well as physical, fitness is very important in our environment. This is because diving is highly technical and physically demanding,” Khobane said.

Khobane’s early life

Serving in the SANDF was not Khobane’s childhood dream: he wanted to become an IT expert – but he has not regretted changing course.

“My elder sister was in university at the time and I hoped my parents would pay for my studies while she was studying but I realised they would not cope, so I found a job as an assistant to a veterinarian,” he said.

He was born in Alexandra township in Johannesburg, did grades 1 to 7 at Sefikeng Primary School and started his first year of high school at Kgoke Secondary School in Ga-Matlala in 1997.

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The following year, he moved to Liberty College in Bramley, Johannesburg, where he completed his matric in 2002.

“I spent my formative year in Leeuwkop, near Bryanston, and I learned to swim in a dam. A swimming pool was later built so I was an impressive swimmer,” he said.

Khobane, whose father was a police officer and mother a carpenter, in 2008 married Neo, who works for a private investigation company.

– siphom@citizen.co.za