South Africa fought back on the third afternoon of the first Test but could not stop Australia from forging a commanding lead at Kingsmead today.
Australia were 175 for six at tea, an overall lead of 364.
Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft made 53 and got Australia off to an aggressive start to their second innings together with David Warner in an opening stand of 56 in 13 overs.
Australia reached 112 for three at lunch but the scoring rate stalled after lunch with stroke play proving difficult on a slow pitch against disciplined bowling. The tourists added 63 runs in 27.5 overs for the loss of three wickets during the afternoon.
Australian captain Steve Smith made 38 but was unable to bat with fluency in an 81-ball innings before he was trapped leg before wicket by part-time left-arm spinner Dean Elgar.
Shaun Marsh laboured for 77 balls to make 25 not out, twice surviving South African reviews for leg before wicket, the first when a ball from left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj hit him in the "umpire's call" zone and the other when a delivery from a hostile Kagiso Rabada pitched outside leg stump.
Rabada had first-innings top-scorer Mitchell Marsh caught at first slip for six while Maharaj claimed his third wicket of the innings when Tim Paine (14) edged him to slip in the last over before tea.
Bancroft hit his first fifty since he made 82 not out on debut against England in Brisbane in November.
He was struck on the body by a hostile lifting delivery from Morne Morkel in a testing first over when Australia started their second innings with a comfortable cushion of a 189-run first innings lead.
But he went on to make an impressive 53 off 83 balls with ten fours before he was stumped off Maharaj.
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