Spinner Saeed Ajmal gave Pakistan major breakthrough by getting rid of opener Hashim Amla after his solid knock of 81, reducing South Africa to 145/3 in the Champions Trophy clash at Birmingham.
Ajmal struck in the 32nd over to restrict Amla from getting his ton and got him caught by Mohammad Hafeez at short third man.
Amla's 81 came off 97 deliveries and were studded with nine boundaries.
Mohammad Irfan inflicted second blow on South Africa by scalping Faf du Plessis (28) after his 69-run stand with Amla.
Plessis was caught by Shoaib Malik in the 29th over that reduced South Africa to 122/2.
Amla, earlier, slammed 20th half-ton of his career to propel South Africa past 100-mark. The Proteas crossed triple-figure in the 25th over.
Amla's fifty came off 65 balls with the help of seven boundaries. He shared 53-run opening stand with Colin Ingram before the latter was dismissed by Mohammad Hafeez in the 15th over.
Off-spinner Hafeez gave Pakistan first breakthrough by getting rid of Ingram just after South Africa crossed 50-mark after opting to bat.
Hafeez trapped Ingram leg before in the 15th over after his struggling knock of 20 that came off 45 balls.
Pakistan made one change bringing in Umar Amin in place of Asad Shafiq. South Africa, on the other hand, replaced Morne Morkel with debutant Chris Morris and Rory Kleinveldt with Aaron Phangiso.
Handed defeats in their respective tournament-openers, Pakistan and South Africa would be fighting to stay alive.
While Pakistan lost their opening match to the West Indies in a low-scoring cliffhanger, South Africa were beaten by India by 26 runs.
Monday's match will be a shootout of sorts for both the teams and it is the South Africans, who are looking more vulnerable, despite the well-known unpredictability of the Pakistanis.
Pakistan: Imran Farhat, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Amin, Misbah-ul-Haq(C), Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan
South Africa: Hashim Amla, Colin Ingram, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers(c), JP Duminy, David Miller, Ryan McLaren, RJ Peterson, Chris Morris, AM Phangiso, LL Tsotsobe
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