Despite not clinching a major ICC cricket tournament victory, South Africa consistently holds its place among the world’s premier cricket teams. Their enduring competitiveness remains unshaken, regardless of the situation. This nation has endowed cricket with iconic talents that have left a lasting legacy.
In the contemporary era, the team boasts a crop of modern-day greats. This article takes a deep dive into the list of South African cricketers who have notched the most Test centuries. Remarkably, a South African batter claims the second-highest number of Test hundreds in history.
So, here are the top 10 batsmen with the most centuries for South Africa in Test cricket.
Most Centuries for South Africa in Test Cricket
| Player | Innings | 100s | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacques Kallis | 278 | 45 | 224 |
| Hashim Amla | 215 | 28 | 311* |
| Graeme Smith | 203 | 27 | 277 |
| AB de Villiers | 191 | 22 | 278* |
| Gary Kirsten | 176 | 21 | 275 |
| Daryll Cullinan | 115 | 14 | 275* |
| Herschelle Gibbs | 154 | 14 | 228 |
| Dean Elgar | 150 | 14 | 199 |
| Ashwell Prince | 104 | 11 | 162* |
| Faf du Plessis | 118 | 10 | 199 |
Key Insights
45: Legendary all-rounder Jacques Kallis is the leading run-scorer and century-maker for South Africa in Test cricket, with 13,206 runs and 45 centuries, and he is also the second in the list of players with the most Test centuries in history, following the trailblazing Sachin Tendulkar, who boasts an unparalleled 51 tons.
23/18: Out of his 45 hundreds, Kallis has scored 23 centuries at home and 20 centuries at away venues, which is the most by any South African batter. And he is overall the second batter on the list of the most away hundreds in the longer format.
28: Hashim Amla, with his staggering record of 9,282 runs and 28 centuries, stands as South Africa’s second-leading run-scorer and century-maker.
8: The most centuries scored by a South African batsman against a single opponent is 8. Kallis racked up 8 Test centuries against not just one team but two — Australia and the West Indies.
22: Jacques Kallis has hit the most centuries in the winning cause for South Africa in Test cricket, with 22 centuries.
75: The fastest Test century for South Africa was scored by AB de Villiers, who scored his hundred off 75 balls against India in 2010.
