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Kallang - South Africa reached the quarter-finals of the World Netball Championships in Singapore on Wednesday with a 57-38 victory over neighbours Botswana in their last pool match.
The Proteas, who finished second in their pool behind Jamaica, will play world No 1 New Zealand in the first round of play-offs on Friday.
Starting off slowly, South Africa trailed Botswana 11-9 after the first quarter.
Head coach Elize Kotze made three substitutions, bringing on heavyweights Leigh-Ann Zackey, Zanele Mdodana and Maryka Holtzhausen, and the Proteas stormed ahead in the second period, gradually pulling further away to secure a comfortable win.
"I was trying to give some of the younger players more game time, but then I realised the team needed the experienced players to come on," Kotze said afterwards.
"The first quarter is always difficult, because the players are feeling their way."
Proteas captain Amanda Mynhardt said the team would have a rest on Thursday.
"We're very happy to have finished the pool stages on a high," Mynhardt said.
"We know that New Zealand will be a whole new ball game, but we will be able to measure how far we have come by playing against the best.
"The day's rest tomorrow will do the players' bodies good, and we will be ready to take on the Silver Ferns on Friday."
Proteas vice-captain Zanele Mdodana said it would be an awesome experience playing against the world's top ranked team.
"We'll be playing the best, so we will have to play our best," she said.
The youngest member of the team, Bongiwe Msomi, had an outstanding game, achieving a number of turnovers, and earned herself the player of the match award.
