“It’s important we beat a southern hemisphere side away from home if we want to do better than getting to the quarter-final of the next World Cup. We have to beat them outside of Dublin," Easterby told a news conference after the Ireland squad arrived on South Africa.
“We need to start to build that now, not three years time when it comes to the World Cup. It has got to be something we are striving towards now. It’s a fantastic challenge for everybody.”
Injury-ravaged Ireland are given little chance in the three-test series, starting at Newlands on Saturday.
“We have to accept the injuries and have to adapt,” Easterby said.
“The players understand that it is going to be different to what we are used to. The Six Nations Championship is a credible tournament with a lot of parochial rivalries but down here we are a long way from home.
"We want to come and lay down a marker and make a statement over the next three weeks. The squad will want to leave here feeling like we have achieved something."
Ireland also play the Springboks in Johannesburg on June 18 and Port Elizabeth on June 25.
Easterby said a level of physical intensity and some “out of the box thinking” would be needed to bring success.
“You need to play right on the edge, especially against the South Africans who pride themselves on their strength," he said.
"We are trying to find solutions to beating the Springboks. Being smart about how we go about our business is really important.”
Clever tactics enabled Ireland to win their last meeting with South Africa 29-15 in Dublin at the end of 2014 before going on to win the Six Nations the same season.
But they lost their crown this year.
“We stuttered a little bit at the start before settling into our stride. But the players here are in a better place now,” Easterby said.
Ireland’s last match away against one of the three southern hemisphere powers was a record 60-0 defeat in Hamilton by the All Blacks four years ago. Their last win was at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand when they beat Australia.
The Irish have never won a test in South Africa.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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