South Africa have competed at seven editions of the 50-over showpiece since 1997.
South Africa will open their campaign against England on Friday at the Women’s Cricket World Cup in India.
We look back on the ups and downs the Proteas have experienced during their 28-year history at the quadrennial tournament.
1997 (India)
Having missed every World Cup since 1973 due to South Africa’s isolation, the national team made their debut. And they did well.
In the group stages they won three of their five matches, progressing to the quarter-finals.
However, in the playoffs, their inexperience was exposed. After being bowled out for just 80 runs, they were thumped in a five-wicket defeat to tournament hosts India, who chased down their target with 22 overs to spare.
2000 (New Zealand)
In the round-robin opening stage, the Proteas won four of their seven matches, including a victory over England which ultimately earned them a spot in the playoffs.
But they had no response in the semifinals when they compiled 180/8 in their 50 overs and Australia coasted to a nine-wicket win.
Despite that defeat, the SA women could hold their heads high after progressing to the last four for the first time.
2005 (South Africa)
As hosts, this edition of the World Cup was a complete flop for the Proteas, who never really got going.
In the seven round-robin matches they played in the opening round, they won only a single game with a narrow one-run victory against West Indies.
They lost matches to Australia, India, England and Sri Lanka, while their fixtures against Ireland and New Zealand were called off with no results as they crashed out of the tournament.
2009 (Australia)
Again the SA squad struggled to put up a fight, losing all three of their group stage matches and failing to progress to the second round.
They were defeated by West Indies, who earned a two-wicket victory with eight balls to spare. The Proteas were then crushed in their next two games, falling in a 79-run loss to Australia and a 199-run defeat to New Zealand.
In the seventh-place playoff, they beat Sri Lanka by nine wickets.
2013 (India)
By winning one of their three group stages matches, against Pakistan, the SA squad managed to reach the second round, but then they stumbled.
In the Super Six stage of the tournament, they lost all three of their games against West Indies (by two wickets), England (by seven wickets) and Sri Lanka (by 110 runs).
They went on to compete against Sri Lanka again in the fifth-place playoff, losing by 88 runs to settle for sixth position.
2017 (England and Wales)
Turning out at a 50-over World Cup for the first time since the players were offered professional contracts by Cricket South Africa, the national team delivered in style.
In the group stage they triumphed in four of their seven matches, qualifying for the semifinals of the tournament for the first time in 17 years.
They were edged out in the penultimate round, however, with eventual champions England securing a two-wicket win with just two balls to spare.
2022 (New Zealand)
Standing up once more, the Proteas were superb in the group stage of the competition, winning five of their seven games, with one being abandoned due to rain.
Their only loss of the opening round was to Australia, who picked up a five-wicket win.
But South Africa’s impressive run of form ended in the semifinals as they fell apart and were dumped out of the tournament after being handed a convincing 137-run defeat against England.
