AB de Villiers scored a valuable half-century to help South Africa reach 284 for eight by lunch on the second day of the second test against England at Kingsmead on Sunday.
Resuming on 175-5, De Villiers (50) and Mark Boucher had added another 58 runs before England successfully used an umpire decision review after Graeme Swann had spun a delivery back into the latter's pads to trap him leg-before for 39.
Two balls after De Villiers had reached his 19th test half-century, Stuart Broad found the edge of his bat with the new ball and had him caught behind by Matt Prior.
South Africa lost their eighth wicket with the score on 280 when Paul Harris also fell leg-before to off-spinner Swann, missing an attempted sweep, for two.
Swann (3-72) is chasing a second five-wicket haul in successive tests after taking 5-110 in South Africa's first innings in the drawn first test at Centurion.
Morne Morkel showed impressive composure to be 23 not out at lunch, along with Dale Steyn on three.