Bangladesh tour of South Africa 2026

Tour Overview

Bangladesh return to South Africa in November and December 2026 for a full all-format tour of two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is. Across 29 days the Tigers face the Proteas in seven venues, from the Highveld grounds of Johannesburg and Centurion to the coastal cities of East London, Gqeberha and Cape Town, before finishing inland in Kimberley, Benoni and Centurion.

The Tests carry ICC World Test Championship points, with South Africa defending the title they won at Lord's in 2025. The ODIs give both sides valuable time in South African conditions a year before the country co-hosts the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, and the T20Is close the tour in the middle of the South African summer.

For a travelling fan, the tour is a way to see a remarkable amount of South Africa in one trip: city life in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape coast, Table Mountain and the Winelands, and the diamond history of the Northern Cape.

---

About the Tournament

The tour is a bilateral series organised by Cricket South Africa with the Bangladesh Cricket Board. It opens with two five-day Tests, each starting at 10:00 AM local time, and both count toward the 2025-27 World Test Championship table.

The three ODIs are day-night matches starting at 1:30 PM, so the second innings is played under lights. The T20I series opens with a 6:00 PM night match in Kimberley, then switches to 2:30 PM afternoon starts for the last two games in Benoni and Centurion.

Each format is a separate series with its own result, so there are three trophies to play for rather than a single final. South Africa start as favourites at home, especially in the Tests, but Bangladesh have already shown they can win a white-ball series in this country.

---

Tournament History

South Africa and Bangladesh have met 16 times in Test cricket, with South Africa winning 14 and two matches drawn. Bangladesh are still looking for a first Test win against the Proteas, and this tour is their next chance to make that breakthrough.

The rivalry has produced memorable white-ball moments. On their 2022 tour Bangladesh won the ODI series 2-1, their first ever ODI series win in South Africa, with fast bowler Taskin Ahmed named player of the series. South Africa took the Test leg of that tour 2-0, with spinner Keshav Maharaj leading the wicket-takers.

The most recent Test meeting came in Bangladesh in 2024, when South Africa won 2-0, including a victory by an innings and 273 runs. A year later South Africa beat Australia by five wickets in the World Test Championship final at Lord's, so Bangladesh will be facing the reigning world champions in their own conditions.

---

Host Nation

South Africa

South Africa is one of world cricket's great travel destinations, with a cricket culture that runs from packed city stadiums to small, grassy country grounds. November and December mark the start of summer, with warm days across the country, afternoon thunderstorms common on the Highveld around Johannesburg and Pretoria, and drier, breezier weather in Cape Town.

The whole country runs on South African Standard Time, two hours ahead of GMT, with no daylight saving. The currency is the South African rand, cards are widely accepted in cities, and English is spoken everywhere alongside the country's other official languages. Visa requirements depend on your passport, so check them well before you travel.

---

Schedule & Key Dates

The tour opens with the 1st Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg from Sunday 15 to Thursday 19 November 2026, followed by the 2nd Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion from Monday 23 to Friday 27 November. Both start at 10:00 AM local time.

The ODI series runs from 1 to 7 December: Buffalo Park in East London on Tuesday 1 December, St George's Park in Gqeberha on Friday 4 December and Newlands in Cape Town on Monday 7 December, all starting at 1:30 PM.

The T20I series begins under lights at Kimberley Oval on Thursday 10 December at 6:00 PM, moves to Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Saturday 12 December at 2:30 PM, and ends at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Sunday 13 December at 2:30 PM. Squads for each format will be named by both boards closer to the tour.

---

Venues & Host Cities

Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Known as the Bullring for its steep, enclosed stands, the Wanderers is South Africa's most intense cricket venue, holding about 34,000. It hosted the famous 2006 ODI in which South Africa chased 438, and its Highveld pitch usually rewards fast bowling. The ground sits in the leafy northern suburbs, close to Sandton.

Johannesburg itself offers the Apartheid Museum, Constitution Hill, the Maboneng arts district and some of the country's best restaurants, with day trips to the Cradle of Humankind or a game reserve easy to arrange.

SuperSport Park, Centurion

SuperSport Park, about 22,000 capacity, is so central to its community that the town of Centurion took its name from the cricket ground. Its grass banks make it one of the most relaxed Test venues in the world, and it has hosted the Boxing Day Test in most recent seasons. It also hosts the final T20I of this tour.

Centurion sits between Johannesburg and Pretoria, whose Union Buildings, jacaranda-lined streets and nearby game reserves make good days out between matches.

Buffalo Park, East London

Buffalo Park holds about 16,000 and has a neat link to this fixture: its one and only Test match was South Africa against Bangladesh in 2002. Today it is a regular white-ball venue with a relaxed, coastal atmosphere.

East London, officially renamed KuGompo City in 2026, sits on the Indian Ocean on the Wild Coast side of the Eastern Cape, with long beaches and some of the country's best surf a short drive away.

St George's Park, Gqeberha

St George's Park is South Africa's oldest Test ground, first hosting Test cricket in 1889, and is famous for the brass band that plays through the day. It holds about 19,000 and sits in a historic park in the centre of the city.

Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth, is the gateway to the Garden Route and to Addo Elephant National Park, making it an easy base for a safari between ODIs.

Newlands, Cape Town

With Table Mountain rising behind the stands, Newlands is one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the world. It holds about 25,000, and the ODI here on 7 December could decide the series.

Cape Town needs little introduction: the Atlantic seaboard beaches, Robben Island, the V&A Waterfront, Cape Point and the vineyards of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are all close by.

Kimberley Oval, Kimberley

Kimberley Oval, also known as the De Beers Diamond Oval, is an intimate ground of about 11,000 that has hosted only one men's T20I before, South Africa against Zimbabwe in 2010. CSA has confirmed the venue remains ICC-accredited after recent maintenance work.

Kimberley grew from the diamond rush, and the Big Hole, one of the largest hand-dug excavations on earth, is a short drive from the ground.

Willowmoore Park, Benoni

Opened in 1924, Willowmoore Park in Benoni holds about 20,000 and hosted matches at the 2003 Cricket World Cup. It is a lively, family-friendly venue on Johannesburg's East Rand.

Benoni is about 30 minutes from Johannesburg's main airport, so it pairs easily with a stay in Johannesburg or Pretoria.

---

The Teams

South Africa

The Proteas arrive as reigning World Test Champions after Temba Bavuma's side beat Australia at Lord's in 2025. Recent squads have been built around a strong pace attack led by Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, the spin of Keshav Maharaj, and batters such as Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs. Squads for this series have not yet been announced.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh are captained in Tests by Najmul Hossain Shanto, with experienced players such as Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam in recent Test squads. Their seam attack has grown in recent years, and their 2022 ODI series win shows they can compete in South African conditions. White-ball squads and captains will be confirmed by the BCB before the tour.

---

Why Attend

Few tours offer this much variety. In under a month you can watch Test cricket at the Bullring, a day-night ODI in front of Table Mountain and a night T20I in the diamond city of Kimberley, with three separate series to follow.

There is history to chase, too. Bangladesh are hunting a first Test win over South Africa and a second ODI series win in the country, while South Africa are defending their World Test Championship title. Grounds are compact and close to the action, crowds are relaxed, and the summer weather makes long days at the cricket a pleasure.

---

Planning Your Trip

Many fans choose one leg of the tour. Johannesburg and Centurion are an hour apart, so both Tests can be watched from one base in Gauteng. The ODIs follow the coast from East London to Gqeberha to Cape Town, a natural coastal road trip that takes in the Garden Route between Gqeberha and Cape Town, and the T20Is end back in Gauteng.

OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and Cape Town International Airport are the main international gateways, with domestic flights connecting to East London, Gqeberha and Kimberley. Pack for warm days and sudden Highveld storms, use registered taxis or ride-hailing apps between venues, and leave extra time on match days.

CrickBuster packages take care of the details. Depending on the package, they include guaranteed official match tickets in general or hospitality seating, accommodation, flights, airport transfers and stadium transfers, plus excursions and sightseeing such as a game drive, a Cape Town city tour or a Winelands day trip. Fan experiences and meet-and-greet opportunities are added where they are offered.