Australia's Upcoming Tour of South Africa: A Historic Rematch
Australia’s return to South Africa has been brewing for years. Now it finally has a date – and a heavy dose of history attached.
In October 2026, Australia will tour South Africa for three Test matches against the reigning ICC World Test Champions, a rematch of the 2025 final in London that South Africa claimed by five wickets. Wrapped around that marquee series sit six ODIs: three against South Africa and three more against Zimbabwe, starting in Harare on September 15.
Nine internationals. Seven weeks. Old scars, new stakes.
A rivalry reignited
This is no ordinary tour. Australia have not faced South Africa in Test cricket since that World Test Championship final, where the Proteas seized the mace and left Australia chasing answers. They have also not played a Test series in South Africa since 2018, the year “sandpaper gate” exploded in Cape Town and redefined the relationship between the two nations.
That alone guarantees an edge. Players have changed, captains have moved on, but the memory of that series still lingers in every discussion about Australia in South Africa. The return to red-ball cricket on South African soil will be framed by that backdrop, whether anyone likes it or not.
This time, the stakes are cleaner and simpler: three Tests in 22 days, two proud sides, and a World Test Championship cycle in full swing.
Before the long format takes over, Australia will ease – or be thrown – into African conditions with white-ball cricket. The tour opens in Zimbabwe with three ODIs in September, a chance for fringe players to press claims and for the squad to adjust to the pitches and altitude. From there, the tempo lifts with three ODIs against South Africa, before the main event: a compressed, high-intensity Test series that will test depth, fitness, and nerve.
How to watch from Australia
For fans at home, this is a pay-TV and streaming affair.
There is no free-to-air coverage of Australia’s tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Every match will be shown live on Fox Cricket, with streaming available via Kayo Sports.
Kayo Sports will carry the full tour, including all ODIs and all three Tests, live and on demand for Australian viewers.
The schedule at a glance
The structure of the tour is clear:
- Three ODIs vs Zimbabwe, beginning September 15 in Harare
- Three ODIs vs South Africa
- Three Test matches vs South Africa, squeezed into a 22-day window
It’s a demanding run, especially with travel and format switches, but it also offers rhythm: white-ball cricket to build combinations and confidence, then straight into the furnace of Test cricket against the world champions.
Australia’s ODI options
Australia have named a mixed ODI squad for Zimbabwe and South Africa, blending established stars with emerging talent and role players built for modern 50-over cricket.
The ODI squad is:
- Xavier Bartlett
- Alex Carey
- Cooper Connolly
- Pat Cummins (South African matches only)
- Joel Davies
- Nathan Ellis
- Cameron Green
- Josh Hazlewood
- Travis Head
- Josh Inglis
- Spencer Johnson
- Mitch Marsh
- Oliver Peake
- Matthew Renshaw
- Billy Stanlake
- Mitchell Starc (South African matches only)
- Adam Zampa
The structure of that group hints at Australia’s priorities. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are held back for the South African leg only, preserving their workloads and underlining how seriously Australia are treating the matches against the Proteas. The presence of Josh Hazlewood, Cameron Green, Mitch Marsh, Travis Head and Adam Zampa gives the squad a hardened core, while names like Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Joel Davies, Oliver Peake and Spencer Johnson point to a clear eye on the next generation.
Billy Stanlake’s inclusion offers height and hostility, Nathan Ellis brings subtlety at the death, and the dual-keeper pairing of Alex Carey and Josh Inglis gives tactical flexibility with the bat and gloves.
The Test squad for South Africa is yet to be confirmed, but the shape of this ODI group suggests fierce competition for those berths once selectors sit down to finalise their red-ball plans.
The countdown is on: a grudge-laced rematch with the World Test Champions, a return to the scene of one of Australian cricket’s darkest chapters, and a seven-week tour that could define careers.
