They look like british medals because they are. The first ones were issued in 1920.
After WW1 the South Africans who fought for the Brits in WW1, but were in the
Boer War against the english, found themselves in the army of the british empire
and on parade with English men who wore Queen South Africa's and KSA.
These chaps fought in the same war but on the boer side, but had no official
medals to show for it. So the union Government of South Africa instituted the ABO
to make former boers in the army feel equal to the british counterparts.
Strangely enough the medals were avaliable in 1941 to the sons and family of Boer
fighters too proud or hateful to take them in 1920. Even stranger is that the present
Government in 1994 ish, issued medals to M'khonto wi sizwe and APLA fighters
who had now joined the SANDF with former white and black adversaries who
had medals fom the Apartheid Government. So now all sides in this unofficial
war can face each other, or stand side by side, wearing medals from the struggle
or border war against terrs. Which ever way you choose to see it.
Well, it's no wonder the jo'burg war museum is a bit thin on stock. You've got everything avaliable. When i was a kid i used to dream what i would take from the Museum if I could spend the night there. I should have been dreaming about your collection...wow. One can only hope that this history and these items are saved for future generations of South Africans, who like me grew up with an interest in Delville Wood, Rebellion uitlanders, bittereinders and block houses in the veld. Many Thanks for letting us see this. Regards Strapper