The Proteas have arrived in Australia intent on striking the first blow in a summer of cricket climaxing with the one-day World Cup in February and March.
A second-string South African side will play a youthful Cricket Australia XI in Sunday's Twenty20 tune-up at North Sydney Oval, then tackle the hosts in three T20 matches.
While first-time captain JP Duminy is the only Test and one-day regular in Sunday's line-up, South African coach Russell Domingo says the Proteas are determined to create a winning habit early on tour.
The top-ranked Proteas take on Australia in a five-match one-day series starting on November 14 after the T20 fixtures.
"It's all about momentum," Domingo said on Friday.
"If we can get some good results under our belts in the T20 campaign, we can take a lot of confidence into the one-day series."
Domingo said winning the T20 series was especially important because the Proteas considered Australia tough opponents to stop once they got on a roll.
"Australia are always a great team, a great team when they're ahead, difficult to catch," he said.
"So whatever momentum we can get from the T20 series to carry into the one-day series I think is going to be very important.
"But also a couple of fringe players in the one-day side haven't had a lot of game time, guys like Kyle Abbott, Wayne Parnell, Ryan McLaren.
"It's important to get some game time before the one-day series starts."
Duminy said he was excited about captaining the Proteas for the first time after bursting to international prominence in Australia back in 2008.
On debut then, he led South Africa to an historic series win on the back of an incredible maiden century of 166 in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
He finished with an average of 61.5 as the Proteas won a series in Australia for the first time and also ended Australia's 16-year unbeaten streak on home soil.
"I've got some great memories playing over here in Australia," Duminy said.
"It will be hard to match that. It was really a purple patch for me."
He challenged his young T20 squad to force selectors into a rethink ahead of the one-day series and World Cup.
"There's quite a few new faces around so it's definitely a great opportunity for guys to put up their hands for the World Cup," he said.
"Yes, it's a shorter format, but these sort of performances can definitely give players a chance."
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