South Africa Women are preparing for a significant home season that will feature a historic first full tour by Australia, alongside a visit from India, with both series set to include Test matches.
India’s tour will begin with a three-match ODI series that forms part of the ICC Women’s Championship. The opening fixture is scheduled for December 9 in Potchefstroom. The second ODI will take place in Bloemfontein before the teams travel to Newlands for the third and final match of the series.
The itinerary also includes a one-off Test at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, set to be played from December 20 to 23. This will be only the fourth Test encounter between India and South Africa, with India having won all three previous meetings in 2002, 2014 and 2024. The match is also set to coincide with the opening men’s Test between England and South Africa in Johannesburg.
In the following year, South Africa will host Australia for a full multi-format series consisting of T20Is, ODIs and a Test match. The tour begins with the T20I leg starting on March 18 in Kimberley, followed by the second and third matches in Benoni and KuGompo City (East London).
The ODI series will get underway on March 27 in Gqeberha, after which the teams will move to Paarl for the second match on March 31. The final ODI is scheduled for April 3 in Durban and will be designated as a Black Day fixture, continuing efforts to raise awareness in the fight against gender-based violence.
The two sides will then contest a Test at the JB Marks Oval in North West province from April 8 to 11. This will mark only the second women’s Test between South Africa and Australia, following their previous meeting in February 2024 in Perth, where Australia secured victory by an innings and 284 runs.
Notably, this will be Australia’s first complete bilateral tour of South Africa. A planned visit in March 2020, which was set to include ODIs and T20Is, had to be called off due to Covid-19.
CSA Chief Executive Officer Pholetsi Moseki expressed optimism about the upcoming fixtures, saying, “We are delighted to host two of the world’s leading teams in India and Australia for what promises to be a blockbuster home summer for the Proteas Women. These tours will showcase the very best of international women’s cricket and build on the encouraging rise in fan attendance, as we continue to welcome growing crowds across the country to watch world-class players competing at some of our iconic venues.”
