South Africa had only scored 233 after 45 overs at the end of their power play but some powerful hitting by Albie Morkel and Mark Boucher enabled them to add 56 in the last five overs.Smith ended a streak of seven successive losing tosses against opposite number Ricky Ponting. He had no hesitation in batting on a ground where the side batting second under lights has often struggled.
Fast bowler Mitchell Johnson was outstanding for Australia, taking four for 34 in his ten overs.
Usually it has been the seam bowlers have done the damage but this time it was the spinners who undid Australia.
Off-spinner Botha ended a promising innings of 20 by Ponting before left-armer Van der Merwe took the wickets of Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey in one over.
Van der Merwe, in his second one-day international, took three for 37.
Part-time off-spinner Duminy had David Hussey caught at long-on as Australia's hopes were effectively extinguished.
Ferguson, playing in only his seventh one-day international, made his third half-century and his second in successive matches. He scored his 63 off 68 balls before he was caught at wide mid-off to give Van der Merwe his third wicket.
Hopes equalled his career-highest score, making his unbeaten 63 off 60 balls.
A floodlight failure when Australia were on 194 for five after 43 overs delayed play by 22 minutes but South Africa were not to be denied.
Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers shared a century partnership to set up a comfortable 25-run win for South Africa in the third one-day international against Australia at Newlands on Thursday.
Kallis (70) and De Villiers (80) laid the foundation for a South African total of 289 for six, putting on 114 off 131 balls for the third wicket.
Australia made a reasonable start, reaching 66 for one before their innings stalled against the slow bowling of Johan Botha and Roelof van der Merwe.
They slumped to 114 for five and were effectively out of the game with less than 20 overs remaining.
But Callum Ferguson (63) and James Hopes (63 not out) gave their innings respectability with a sixth wicket stand of 97 before Australia finished with 264 for seven.
The win gave South Africa a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, which continues in Port Elizabeth on Monday.
Kallis was solid in making his 70 off 87 balls before a powerful pull off Brett Geeves picked out Hopes at midwicket.
De Villiers batted with flair but had some luck with three edged boundaries just wide of the wicketkeeper as he made his 80 off 87 balls before he fell to Johnson in the first over of the final power play.
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