A bill that will honour veterans and ensure a "seamless" transition from active military service to civilian life has been approved by Cabinet and sent to Parliament for processing.

Deputy Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thabang Makwetla told journalists in Cape Town on Thursday that should the Military Veterans Bill become law it would provide comprehensive benefits and services for veterans.

"This represents a new epoch for military veterans in the history of our country," Makwetla said.

"It is in line with other nations of the world on how they value and treat those who are and were prepared to serve and at times pay the supreme sacrifice in pursuit of a better future for all."

Makwetla said that the bill had not yet been "costed" and that the department was still calculating this.

He said that the proposed law would benefit around 57 000 former soldiers who rendered military service to any of the military organisations involved on all sides of South Africa's liberation war from 1960 to 1994, including those who served in the Union Defence before 1961 and those who became members of the South African National Defence Force after 1994.

"The SADF (South African Defence Force) are very much part of the defence force we have today," Makwetla said.

"All are part of the military veterans community this bill is targeting."

The benefits and support to the veterans will include health care support, housing, business opportunities, military pensions, access to public transport, job placement and counselling.

The bill makes provision for a national umbrella body for veterans, the South African National Military Veterans Association and the formation of an appeals board to serve as a recourse on declined membership or eligibility to a specific benefit.