South Africa were bowled out for 387 in their second innings at stumps on day four of the series-deciding Test, leaving the battle between the world's top-two ranked sides firmly in the balance.
In a series full of twists of turns, Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder hit centuries on Friday as South Africa lost one wicket in the first five hours on Friday, before a late collapse of 5-52.
Still, the hosts will walk away happiest after the penultimate day, after starting on 4-140 and on the brink of their first home series defeat since January 2021.
Australia snuck home in chases of 279 at Christchurch in 2024 and 281 at Edgbaston in 2023, but have not hauled in 288 or more since Pat Cummins' heroics on debut in Johannesburg in 2011.
"If you had to say it is going down to the third Test, day five, two results on the cards, I wouldn't have believed it," Rickelton said.
"It has ebbed and flowed properly all three games. Both teams have edged ahead, the other has clawed back.
"There have been some mistakes and really good things done as well. But it has been a cracking series."
Saturday's winners will claim first position in the ICC rankings and if it's a draw, Australia will stay top.
But South Africa have the chance to leapfrog Australia into the top-two in the Test Championship race with victory.
There had been a thought earlier in this Test that anything beyond 150 could be tricky to chase, with plenty of spin on offer.
But while footmarks outside a right-hander's off-stump were still a tareget for spinners on Friday, a lack of pace and bounce in the wicket for quicks made it far less threatening for batting even if run-scoring was not easy.
Australia's tiring pacemen struggled to get any real purchase out of the Newlands pitch, with short balls often bouncing before reaching wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
At one point, Josh Hazlewood could be heard muttering over an effects microphone: "Good luck bowling bouncers on that thing."
Whether the Proteas are able to get more out of the wicket on day five will likely prove crucial in this contest, or if it does indeed slow Australia's scoring with three-an-over required.
With South Africa making a point to grind down the tourists and occupy the crease, Rickelton and Mulder's 154-run sixth-wicket stand had the Proteas in the box seat after tea.
But when Josh Inglis did superbly well to cut off a Mulder reverse sweep at backward point and ran Rickelton out for 101 at the bowler's end, Australia were alive again.
Mitchell Starc had a hooking Marco Jansen out for a duck, before Simon Harmer also went for zero when a Nathan Lyon ball bounced off his bat handle and onto the stumps as he tried to leave the delivery.
Marnus Labuschagne then ran out Gerald Coetzee in another mix-up, before Mulder (115) holed out in the deep off Pat Cummins (2-71) in the final over of the day to end the innings.
Starc, meanwhile, finished with 3-65 to make it nine for the match, with his four wickets in six balls late on day one the only real time a quick has appeared particularly threatening in this match.
"The wicket has been a challenging one for pace bowlers," Australia's bowling coach James Franklin said.
"So it's just trying to build up pressure, not let the scoreboard jump too fast.
"Obviously, if you create an opportunity and take it, then you might bring get back into the squeeze with two or three wickets in a row.
"It's down for a great last day of this Test series."
Cummins' dismissal of Matthew Breetzke (43) before lunch also ended the longest wait for a wicket in the skipper's Test career, having gone 374 balls since dismissing Tristan Stubbs in Durban.
Breetzke was one of six South Africans to fall trying to hook in this Test, something both Mulder and Rickelton did well to avoid during their extended stays.
