Australia's Return to South Africa for 2026 Test Series
It has taken eight years, a World Test Championship final, and the lingering sting of a scandal, but Australia are finally heading back to South Africa for a full Test tour.
In October 2026, the two nations will meet in a three-Test series that carries far more weight than rankings or points tables can show. These are the reigning ICC World Test Champions against the side they beat to the crown. The last time they shared a red ball, South Africa walked away from London with the mace and a five-wicket win over Australia in the 2025 WTC final.
Now they meet again, this time on South African soil. Old wounds, fresh scars, same high stakes.
A Tour Loaded With History
Australia have not played a Test series in South Africa since 2018, the year “sandpaper gate” exploded in Cape Town and shook the sport. That series left deep marks on players, fans, and administrators on both sides. Every return since has been talked about. None materialised. Until now.
This 2026 tour stretches across seven weeks and two countries. It starts in Zimbabwe, moves into South Africa, and ends with a compressed, brutal Test campaign: three matches in just 22 days. For fast bowlers, it’s a gauntlet. For captains, a tactical minefield.
Before the whites come out, Australia will tune up in coloured kit.
The schedule opens with three ODIs against Zimbabwe, beginning in Harare on September 15. From there, Australia head south for another three ODIs against South Africa, a limited-overs appetiser before the main course: a three-Test series against the world champions.
Nine internationals. Two countries. One tour that feels like a reckoning.
How Fans Can Watch the Tour
Australian viewers will need a subscription to follow every ball. There is no free-to-air coverage of the South Africa–Zimbabwe tour in Australia.
Fox Cricket will broadcast all nine matches live, with every game also available via live stream on Kayo Sports.
No terrestrial safety net, no casual channel flicking. If you want to watch Australia try to reclaim ground in one of cricket’s hardest away assignments, you’ll be doing it through pay TV or streaming.
ODI Squad: A Blend of Firepower and Fresh Faces
The limited-overs leg offers a first look at Australia’s white-ball plans heading into the next cycle. The squad named for the Zimbabwe and South Africa ODIs mixes established stars with emerging talent, and it comes with a notable caveat: a couple of big guns are reserved for the South African leg only.
Australia’s ODI squad for Zimbabwe and South Africa in 2026:
- 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
It’s a group that can hit hard at both ends. Cummins and Starc will be held back for the South African ODIs, a clear sign of how seriously Australia are treating that portion of the tour. Zimbabwe offers opportunity: room for younger names like Bartlett, Connolly, Davies, Johnson, and Peake to stake a claim, to show they belong in the same conversation as the senior core.
Renshaw’s inclusion in the ODI setup hints at versatility, while the presence of Zampa, Hazlewood, Marsh, Head, and Green underlines that this is no experimental second-string outfit. It’s a squad being built to win now and to harden for the Tests to come.
The Test party for South Africa is yet to be confirmed, but the tone has already been set. This is not a soft reintroduction. It’s a full-blooded return to the scene of one of Australian cricket’s most turbulent chapters, against opponents who now hold the title Australia want back.
The question is simple, and it will hang over every match from Harare to the final Test: are Australia ready to rewrite their story in South Africa, or will the world champions tighten their grip on the rivalry yet again?
