Footage of the important wickets (BBC News 24)

Set 164 to win, they reached their target with Jacques Kallis unbeaten on 57 as a thunderstorm threatened to derail their progress towards a first ever win against the West Indies.

In doing so, South Africa wiped away memories of Bridgetown in 1992 the only other time the two sides met at this level.

On that occasion Curtly Ambrose took six wickets and Courtney Walsh four as South Africa lost their last eight wickets for 27 as victory beckoned.

Walsh took three more wickets but it was not enough

There were glimpses of a repeat slump in Johannesburg as openers Gary Kirsten and Adam Bacher were dismissed with just 14 scored.

Kirsten edged behind a wickedly bouncing Ambrose delivery while his partner Bacher gave a bat-pad catch to short square leg with a tentative push forward off Walsh.

On a pitch that showed signs of variable bounce, victory for South Africa was never assured despite the low target of 164.

But with a thunderstorm looming, Daryll Cullinan took the West Indies attack on and hit 35 off 64 balls before Stuart Williams pulled off the catch of the match with a diving effort at mid-wicket.

Neil Manthorpe reports (BBC Radio 5 Live)

Hansie Cronje continued the trend before holing out to Nixon McLean at fine leg after attempting to hook Walsh. The skipper made 31 off 62 balls with three fours

Jonty Rhodes went cheaply for nine, as did Sean Pollock whose match figures of 9 for 103 won him the man of the match award.

But victory was not far away and wicketkeeper Mark Boucher joined Kallis for the final effort.

West Indians fined

Walsh was again the best of the bowling with three for 45, more wickets for the man who took his country's record during the Test.

But the apparent jinx on this tour continues, with a fine for slow play the latest mishap for the players who threatened to strike at the start of the trip.

Match referee Ranjan Madugalle of Sri Lanka took 10 percent of their match fee because of a slow over rate in the first innings.

The second Test of the five match series begins in Port Elizabeth on 10 December.

Final day scorecard

South Africa 2nd innings

• G Kirsten c Jacobs b Ambrose 7
• AM Bacher c Wallace b Walsh 6
• JH Kallis not out 57
• DJ Cullinan c Williams b McLean 35
• WJ Cronje c McLean b Walsh 31
• JN Rhodes c Jacobs b Walsh 9
• SM Pollock c Chanderpaul b Ambrose 9
• MV Boucher not out 1

Extras (lb 2, nb 7) 9

Total (6 wickets, 62.4 overs) 164

Did not bat: PL Symcox, AA Donald, DJ Terbrugge.

FoW: 1-14 (Kirsten, 8.5 ov), 2-14 (Bacher, 9.3 ov), 3-58 (Cullinan, 27.6 ov), 4-124 (Cronje, 45.6 ov), 5-146 (Rhodes, 53.4 ov), 6-163 (Pollock, 62.2 ov).