The home team reached their target with just one ball to spare to earn a 2-1 series win.
Aiming for a historic victory on Saturday, a fighting Proteas team were held off by Australia in a nail-biting battle as the hosts secured a two-wicket victory in the third and final T20 International in Cairns.
With South Africa in search of their first T20 series win in Australia, their party was spoiled by the home side who wrapped up a 2-1 series triumph.
Set a target of 173 to win, Australia got off to a cracking start, with captain Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head sharing 66 runs for the first wicket.
However, Head was removed by Aiden Markram for 19 runs in the eighth over to break the partnership and Marsh was dismissed by teenager Kwena Maphaka midway through the innings after hitting 54 off 37.
Maxwell shines for Australia
The Proteas worked hard to pile on the pressure with the ball, but middle-order batter Glenn Maxwell took the game away from the tourists by smashing 62 not out off 36 deliveries.
While all-rounder Corbin Bosch took two scalps in the penultimate over to keep the SA team in the hunt, they were ultimately edged out.
In a thrilling final over, delivered by Lungi Ngidi, Australia needed 10 runs with just two wickets in hand. Maxwell bashed 10 off five deliveries, guiding his side to 173/8 with one ball remaining.
Bosch, who was superb at the death, took 3/26, with fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada (2/32) and Maphaka (2/36) grabbing two wickets each.
Proteas innings
Earlier, South Africa did not get off to the best start after being sent in to bat, finding themselves at 32/2 in the fifth over. But they soon changed gears.
Led by Dewald Brevis, who thumped 53 runs off 26 balls (including six sixes), the tourists took the fight to the hosts.
Brevis was removed by seam bowler Nathan Ellis in the 12th over, with Maxwell taking a good catch on the boundary, making amends after he had spilled a tough chance with Brevis on nine.
Once the big-hitting youngster was dismissed, Rassie van der Dussen carried the lower half of the order, contributing 38 not out off 26 deliveries as the Proteas reached 172/7.
Ellis was the best of Australia’s bowlers, taking 3/31. He was well backed by fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood (2/30) and spinner Adam Zampa (2/24).
