South Africa vs Australia ODI Series Opens at Kingsmead on 24 September 2026
SOUTH AFRICA · CRICKET
Key Facts
- —First match The opening one-day international is at Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday 24 September 2026.
- —Second match The second is at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday 27 September, also from 10 a.m.
- —Third match The third is a day-night match at JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on 30 September.
- —The captains Temba Bavuma leads South Africa and Pat Cummins leads Australia.
- —What follows Three Tests follow in October, counting towards the 2025 to 2027 World Test Championship.
The South Africa vs Australia ODI series opens a five-week tour. Three one-day matches come first, then three Tests.
What Is Confirmed
Australia tour South Africa from 24 September to 31 October 2026. The one-day international series opens at Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday 24 September.
The second one-day international is at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday 27 September. Both matches are scheduled to start at 10 a.m. local time.
The third is at JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on 30 September, played as a day-night match.
Temba Bavuma captains South Africa and Pat Cummins captains Australia. Cricket South Africa confirmed the fixtures as part of the home international season.
What Comes After the One-Day Matches
A two-day warm-up follows at JB Marks Oval on 3 and 4 October. It separates the white-ball leg from the Test series.
The first Test is at Kingsmead in Durban from 9 to 13 October. Durban therefore hosts both the opening one-day match and the opening Test.
The second Test is at St George’s Park in Gqeberha from 18 to 22 October, and the third at Newlands in Cape Town from 27 to 31 October.
All three Tests count towards the 2025 to 2027 World Test Championship cycle. That is what gives the October leg its weight.
For a touring side, three Tests in South Africa is a full series rather than a short visit. Australia have not played one here for some years.
Where the Matches Are Played
Kingsmead sits close to the Durban beachfront and is one of the more humid grounds in world cricket. Early-season conditions there favour seam movement.
The Wanderers in Johannesburg sits at about 1,750 metres. The altitude carries the ball, and the ground has a long reputation for high scores.
JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom is the smallest of the three and the least used for internationals. A day-night match there is a notable booking.
The three grounds give the series three different kinds of pitch. That is deliberate scheduling rather than an accident of availability.
For spectators, Durban and Johannesburg are straightforward to reach. Potchefstroom is about ninety minutes by road from Johannesburg.
A day-night one-day international is also a different watch from a morning start. The ball behaves differently under lights, and the side batting second knows it.
Scheduling the decider there rather than at one of the two main grounds is the most interesting choice in the fixture list. It puts the series finish in a smaller room.
Potchefstroom also hosts the warm-up before the Test series. Using the same ground twice in a week is a scheduling convenience rather than a statement about the pitch.
Newlands in Cape Town closes the tour at the end of October. It is the ground most touring supporters travel for, and the last Test is the one that usually sells out.
What It Means If You Live in South Africa
The opening match falls on Heritage Day, a public holiday. A 10 a.m. start on a holiday is close to ideal scheduling for a home crowd.
For foreign residents, an Australia tour is the most reliably well-attended cricket South Africa hosts. Tickets for the Wanderers in particular move quickly.
The white-ball leg is short. Three matches in seven days means a single trip can cover the series rather than a month of weekends.
The Test series is the longer commitment and the one that decides anything. Five weeks of touring is a lot of cricket to follow.
Anyone planning to attend more than one match should treat the Potchefstroom day-night fixture as the one needing the most travel planning.
What Is Not Yet Settled
Squads for the one-day series had not been fully published at the time of writing. Captains are confirmed; the rest is not.
Ticket prices and on-sale arrangements are handled per venue and were not consolidated in one place.
Broadcast arrangements outside South Africa and Australia also vary by market and had not been listed.
The fixtures themselves are firm. Cricket South Africa has confirmed them as part of the published home season.
Weather is the other variable, particularly in Durban. Late September on that coast can take an afternoon out of a one-day match without warning.
None of that changes what is settled. Six dates, five venues and two captains are published, and the rest follows in the fortnight before the first ball.
Sources
- cricket.com.au — Schedule revealed for Aussies’ Test return to South Africa
- Wikipedia — Australian cricket team in South Africa in 2026–27
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the South Africa vs Australia one-day internationals?
On 24 September 2026 at Kingsmead in Durban, 27 September at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, and 30 September at JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom.
What time do the matches start?
The Durban and Johannesburg matches are scheduled for 10 a.m. local time. The Potchefstroom match is a day-night fixture.
Who captains the two sides?
Temba Bavuma captains South Africa and Pat Cummins captains Australia.
What follows the one-day series?
Three Tests: Kingsmead from 9 to 13 October, St George’s Park in Gqeberha from 18 to 22 October and Newlands in Cape Town from 27 to 31 October, all counting towards the World Test Championship.
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