Nuclear weapons of South Africa

South Africa has a unique and complex history regarding nuclear weapons. During the apartheid era, South Africa developed a clandestine nuclear weapons program in the 1970s and 1980s. This program was driven by security concerns, particularly in the context of regional conflicts and the perceived threat from neighboring African countries and the Soviet Union. South Africa successfully tested a nuclear explosive device in 1979, which was believed to be a joint operation with Israel, although the details remain somewhat ambiguous.