South Africa vs Australia Test series, everything you need to know

Australia is back in South Africa for one of the most eagerly anticipated Test series in recent history.

It has been eight long years since Australia last toured South Africa in red-ball cricket, in a series that will forever be remembered for its ignominy.

Sandpapergate is what that contest will be remembered for, but even before that, it was crossing a red line in despicable behaviour unbecoming of the sport.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of the three-Test series.

When are the Test matches?

The two teams will play three Tests.

The first is at Kingsmead in Durban from October 9 to 13.

The second is at St George's Park in Gqeberha from October 18 to 22.

And Newlands in Cape Town will host the third from October 27 to 31.

What time are the Test matches?

The Durban Test starts at 6:30pm AEDT and will likely run through to 2am AEDT.

That AEDT time relates to New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria and Tasmania.

In Queensland, the action begins at 5:30pm.

In South Australia, at 6pm.

In the Northern Territory, at 5pm.

And the first ball will be bowled at 3:30pm in Western Australia.

How can I watch the Test series?

The entire series is live on Fox Sports and Kayo.

ABC Sport will also have live radio commentary on the ABC Listen App or online.

You can also follow every ball in our live blog on the ABC Sport website.

Who is playing in the series?

Australia's squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Sam Harper (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Michael Neser, Matt Renshaw, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.

South Africa's squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tristan Stubbs (wk), Kyle Verreynne (wk).

Australia's record against South Africa

Australia has won 54 of the 102 Test matches between the two teams, with 21 draws and 27 defeats since their first meeting in 1902.

On South African soil, Australia also has a winning record, with 29 victories against 16 defeats and nine draws.

Australia has won six of the 11 Tests played at St George's in Durban, including winning each of the last three Tests it has played there, while South Africa has won three with two draws.

The two teams also drew a Test at the city's old Lord's ground in 1921, before the venue's demolition in 1922.

South Africa has a much better record at St George's Park in Gqeberha though, winning four of the seven matches played there, including the last two.

Before 2021, Gqeberha was Port Elizabeth, but is now known by its Xhosa name, and this is the first time Australia will play in the city under its new name.

Australia has a great record at Newlands though, winning 10 of the 14 Tests played in the shadow of Table Mountain. However, it has only won one of its last four Tests at the ground considered one of the most beautiful in the world.

The two teams last played a Test in June 2025, when South Africa shocked Australia at Lord's to win the World Test Championship.

In the 2022/23 summer of cricket, Australia claimed a 2-0 Test series victory over South Africa on home soil.

The last time Australia played a Test series in South Africa was 2018, and it's safe to say things were … complicated.

The fiery 2018 series

It is fair to say the 2018 series was combative, fiery, febrile and chaotic.

Australia won the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban, but not before David Warner and Quinton de Kock almost came to blows in a stairwell at the end of the fourth day.

South Africa won the second Test in Gqeberha, but man of the match Kagiso Rabada, who took 5/96 and 6/54, was subsequently banned for barging into Steve Smith after dismissing him in the first innings.

Rabada was then handed a reprieve after an appeal involving one of South Africa's highest-profile lawyers, freeing him to play the next two matches.

The third Test was in Cape Town where, in the shadows of Table Mountain, Australia's descent into the dark arts was exposed.

On the third day, host broadcaster Supersport captured Cameron Bancroft rubbing the ball with a square of sandpaper to help encourage the prodigious reverse swing that had featured throughout the series thus far.

While South Africa romped to a 322-run win and a series lead, the full extent of Australia's cheating was exposed, leading to a moral reckoning about the team's approach back home, with then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull leading the criticism of the offending players.

Smith, Bancroft and Warner were all sent home in disgrace, and an under-manned Australian team was thumped by 492 runs at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

What's happened since?

Australia has toured South Africa twice since the 2018 Test series, in 2020 and 2023 for limited-overs matches, with Smith and Warner both involved.

The two teams also just completed a three-match ODI series, which South Africa won 2-1.

The Proteas also toured Australia for a Test series in 2022/23, Australia winning 2-0 with a draw in the third Test in Sydney.

South Africa are the current World Test champions, beating Australia in the final in 2025, but haven't played a match in this format for 11 months.

By the time the first ball is bowled in Durban, it will have been 641 days since South Africa last played a Test on home soil.

Australia, the world number-one-ranked Test team, is coming off a humbling defeat to Bangladesh in Darwin.

Hopefully the febrile atmosphere of eight years ago has dissipated.

Because, unencumbered by the extracurricular issues, the cricket should be of the highest quality.