South Africa will play three ODIs against Namibia from 9 to 13 September 2026, with every match staged at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek.
The series is the first-ever bilateral ODI contest between the two nations and follows a T20I tri-series involving Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe held earlier in the same window. Bjorn Fortuin captains a young South African squad, with several senior players rested ahead of a busy home season.
This article covers the complete ODI fixture list, squad details and venue information for the tour.
South Africa Tour of Namibia 2026: ODI Schedule
The three ODIs are spread across five days, giving both sides a rest day between each match. Here is the full fixture list with dates, timings and the venue.
| Match | Date | Local Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st ODI, Namibia vs South Africa | 9 September 2026 | 9:30 AM | Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek |
| 2nd ODI, Namibia vs South Africa | 11 September 2026 | 9:30 AM | Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek |
| 3rd ODI, Namibia vs South Africa | 13 September 2026 | 9:30 AM | Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek |
All three matches are 50-over games played under standard ICC ODI playing conditions. Since every fixture is at the same ground, neither side needs to adjust to a new pitch or travel between matches, which keeps the focus purely on cricket.
T20I Tri-Series Schedule Before the ODIs
Before the ODI series, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe play a T20I tri-series at the same venue from 28 August to 6 September 2026. The tri-series follows a double round-robin format, meaning each side meets the other twice before the top two teams contest the final.
| Match | Fixture | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Match 1 | Namibia vs South Africa | 28 August 2026 |
| Match 2 | South Africa vs Zimbabwe | 29 August 2026 |
| Match 3 | Namibia vs Zimbabwe | 31 August 2026 |
| Match 4 | Zimbabwe vs South Africa | 1 September 2026 |
| Match 5 | Namibia vs Zimbabwe | 3 September 2026 |
| Match 6 | Namibia vs South Africa | 4 September 2026 |
| Final | Top two teams | 6 September 2026 |
Zimbabwe returns home once the tri-series ends, while South Africa stays back in Windhoek for the ODI leg against Namibia. This gives both South Africa and Namibia extra time to settle into the conditions before the 50-over matches begin.
South Africa Squad for the Namibia Tour 2026
Cricket South Africa picked a 15-member squad for the tour, resting frontline players such as Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj. Left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin leads the side, which blends a few experienced white-ball players with several uncapped names.
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Bjorn Fortuin | Captain, left-arm spinner |
| Eathan Bosch | Fast bowler |
| Dewald Brevis | Batter |
| Tony de Zorzi | Top-order batter |
| Connor Esterhuizen | Wicketkeeper batter |
| Jordan Hermann | All-rounder |
| Rubin Hermann | Batter |
| Duan Jansen | All-rounder |
| Kwena Maphaka | Fast bowler |
| Nqobani Mokoena | Batter |
| Nqaba Peter | Bowler |
| Lhuan-dré Pretorius | Wicketkeeper batter |
| Lutho Sipamla | Fast bowler |
| Jason Smith | All-rounder |
| Prenelan Subrayen | Spinner |
Duan Jansen, the twin brother of Marco Jansen, gets his maiden call-up as an all-round option. Connor Esterhuizen and Nqobani Mokoena also earn their first ODI selection after strong showings in earlier T20Is against New Zealand.
Jason Smith was later ruled out of the T20I tri-series with a right adductor strain and remains under assessment for the ODI leg, with no replacement named yet.
Namibia and Zimbabwe in the Series
Namibia, led by Gerhard Erasmus, bring a settled core built around Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smit and Bernard Scholtz.
The hosts already have the psychological edge of beating South Africa in a one-off T20I in October 2025 at the same ground, winning by four wickets off the last ball.
A full squad list for Namibia’s ODI leg has not been confirmed in official sources yet and is expected closer to the series.
Venue: Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
Every match across both the T20I tri-series and the ODI series takes place at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek. Weather in late August and early September is generally dry and mild, suiting white-ball cricket. Seamers tend to get some early movement, while spinners come into play as the pitch wears through the middle overs.
Why This Series Matters
For Namibia, the tour is a direct rehearsal for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which they are co-hosting. Facing a full-strength opponent like South Africa in bilateral ODIs at their own venue helps the side build ranking points and match awareness before the global event.
For South Africa, the trip is about squad depth. With most seniors rested for a packed home season of Tests and bilateral series, players such as Duan Jansen, Connor Esterhuizen and Nqobani Mokoena get a genuine shot at cementing a long-term place in the white-ball setup.
Conclusion
South Africa’s tour of Namibia gives cricket fans a packed fortnight of white-ball action, starting with the T20I tri-series on 28 August and closing with the three ODIs from 9 to 13 September 2026, all at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek.
With a young Proteas squad under Bjorn Fortuin and a confident Namibian side fresh off a famous 2025 win, the series offers genuine competitive value alongside its role as World Cup 2027 preparation for the hosts. Fans can follow full scorecards and updates once the action gets underway.
FAQs
The three-match ODI series starts on 9 September 2026 and ends on 13 September 2026.
All three ODIs are played at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek.
Bjorn Fortuin captains the South African squad for both the T20I tri-series and the ODI series.
Yes, this is the first-ever bilateral ODI series played between South Africa and Namibia.
Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch and Keshav Maharaj have all been rested for this tour.
