The burgher militia was the mainstay of the Dutch colonial defence system at the Cape of Good Hope from 1659 until its defeat by British invasion forces in 1795. It was revived in 1804, only to succumb to a second British invasion in 1806.

There is evidence of the use of unit flags, and of some armorial or quasi-armorial devices.

Flags
In 1664, when the militia was divided into two infantry companies, they were given "field signs" (possibly hatbands) and flags to distinguish them. One company's was blue, and the other's white. Later units were also given flags, and there are references to companies with red, and "bont" (possibly orange), flags. As flags of these colours were also borne by cavalry companies, and by units in the inland districts, it suggests that there might have been designs on the flags to distinguish the individual units.

The only reference to a flag design that I've found is for the flag of the Free Corps company, formed in 1787: its flag was described as green, with a design showing a hand holding a sword and issuing from a cloud, with the motto pro patria. This sounds similar to the device on the "Bedford Flag" of the American Revolution twelve years earlier. In 1788, it was minuted that the four Cape Town infantry companies were given new flags to replace their old worn-out ones.

Surviving muster rolls from the 1780s use flag colours as unit names, e.g. "1ste Infanterie: Roode Vaandel" ("1st Infantry: Red Standard"). The 1804-06 companies were also referred to by colours, e.g. "Blaauwe Compagnie" ("Blue Company").

Devices
Also surviving from the 1780s are two pieces of silver displaying military insignia.

One is a trophy, inscribed to an officer of the Burgher Artillery. It depicts, on an oval shield ensigned of a coronet and flanked by flags and gun barrels, a hand holding a sword (entwined in leaves) issuing from a cloud.

The other is an officer's gorget, dated 1788, which displays a rococo shield, also flanked by flags and gun barrels, depicting the figure of Hope with her anchor and a dove.

Did these devices identify specific units, or a branch of service, or the militia of a district as a whole?