The teams will meet in a day-night match in Paarl from December 20 to 22 in Zimbabwe's only warm-up match before South Africa stages its first day-night Test, a one-off match in Port Elizabeth from December 26 to 29.
Batsman De Villiers and fast bowler Steyn have both been out of Test action for more than a year.
De Villiers has not played in a Test since captaining South Africa against England in January 2016, firstly because of an elbow injury and then because he decided to take a break from the five-day format.
Steyn suffered a broken shoulder in a Test in Australia in November 2016 and only started playing again in November.
He has shown impressive form in four T20 matches for his franchise, the Titans, taking six wickets at an average of 13.50 and conceding only 5.78 runs an over. He has not played in a first-class match since his injury.
Two other Test players, all-rounder Chris Morris and batsman Temba Bavuma, were also included in the Invitation team, which otherwise consists of fringe franchise or second- tier first-class players. Like Steyn, Morris is returning from injury while Bavuma has been short of runs in domestic matches.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
