Australia are traveling to South Africa to play a bilateral series, starting from September 24, 2026. They will play a 3-match ODI and Test series this year. Interestingly, Australia will play their first series in South Africa after the famous Sandpaper Gate incident happened back in 2018. 

Reminiscent of the incident, Prime Video, a famous OTT platform, has launched a promo regarding the series where they have shown the footage of the Sandpaper Gate, along with the new channels' reporting. While some fans found this hilarious, some were against the promo and the way it targeted Australia. 

Watch the video here:

PRIME VIDEO SPORTS PROMO FOR AUSTRALIA Vs SOUTH AFRICA TOUR AFTER SANDPAPER INCIDENT. 🥶
pic.twitter.com/Iinb0Y0Frg

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) February 24, 2026

For the unversed, when Australia played their last Test series back in 2018, a few players, including Steven Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft, were involved in the Sandpaper incident. They were caught using Sandpaper on the ball to make it shine more, which would help the bowlers get early wickets.

The incident turned into a huge fiasco with the players getting banned from cricket for a few years. Now, they are back to playing cricket, and this will be Australia's first series in South Africa after that incident. There is a game in the infamous Cape Town as well, where the entire incident happened. 

Australia to play against South Africa in September 2026

South Africa will host Australia for a bilateral series in September 2026. The ODI series will be followed by the Test series with a gap of around ten days. This is important for players to recover and get into the red-ball mood. Moreover, the weather conditions in South Africa will vary as well, so the gap will give the players a chance to adapt. 

ODI series
1st ODI - 24 September 2026, Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium, Durban
2nd ODI - 27 September 2026, DP World Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
3rd ODI - 30 September 2026, JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom

Test series
1st Test - 9-13 October 2026, Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium, Durban
2nd Test - 18-22 October 2026, Dafabet St George’s Park, Gqeberha
3rd Test - 27-31 October, World Sports Betting Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town