The South Africa cricket team toured New Zealand in February 2024 to play two Test matches. The Test matches formed part of 2023–2025 ICC World Test Championship.

The series was contested for the Tangiwai Shield. The trophy commemorated the Tangiwai disaster of Christmas Eve 1953, when 151 people on board a train from Wellington to Auckland lost their lives in a rail disaster. The casualties included Nerissa Love, the fiancé of New Zealand fast bowler Bob Blair, who at that time was playing in a Test match between New Zealand and South Africa.

Going into the series, South Africa had never lost a Test series against New Zealand in 17 meetings.

New Zealand won the first Test by 281 runs, and the second Test by 7 wickets, winning the series 2–0. It was the first time New Zealand had won a Test series against South Africa.

The strength of the South African side was greatly compromised due to the ongoing 2024 SA20. The squad was composed of second string and inexperienced players, as only half of its 14 players had ever played a Test match, and none of them were considered to be in South Africa's best eleven. The decision to withhold South Africa's best players resulted in intense criticism being directed towards the CSA, raising concerns about the potential harm caused to the relevance of Test cricket in the long term.

Squads Tim Southee (c) Tom Blundell (wk) Devon Conway Matt Henry Kyle Jamieson Tom Latham (wk) Daryl Mitchell William O'Rourke Glenn Phillips Rachin Ravindra Mitchell Santner Neil Wagner Kane Williamson Will Young Neil Brand (c) David Bedingham Ruan de Swardt Clyde Fortuin (wk) Zubayr Hamza Edward Moore Tshepo Moreki Mihlali Mpongwana Duanne Olivier Dane Paterson Keegan Petersen Dane Piedt Raynard van Tonder Shaun von Berg Khaya Zondo

In December 2023, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced an understrength Test team for the tour, composed of players with little or no Test cricket experience, in order to allow their best players to remain in South Africa to compete in the SA20 (a domestic Twenty20 franchise tournament). The decision was widely criticised. Former Australian captain Steve Waugh was particularly critical, stating his opinion that Test cricket was in danger of no longer being the highest format of the game as the best players were incentivised to play Twenty20 because of better pay.

On 16 January 2024, Edward Moore was added to South Africa's squad.

On 8 February 2024, New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell was ruled out of the second Test due to an injury, with William O'Rourke added to the squad.

Tour match

Test series 1st Test

2nd Test

References

External links Series home at ESPNcricinfo