Neil Manthorpe reports from Newlands on South Africa's victory (Radio 5 Live)

But the victory came only after South Africa struggled to contain a spirited batting display by the tourists' tail-enders.

With the visitors resuming at 93 for six on the final day and chasing 421 to win, it seemed it would be only a matter of overs before South Africa completed another crushing victory.

Curtly Ambrose was unable to prevent another Windies defeat

But West Indies amassed a creditable 271 after a belligerent rearguard action masterminded by wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, who scored 69 not out.

All the lower order scored runs and the flow of punishing drives and hooks put the West Indies' upper order to shame and kept the South Africans at bay for more than 51 overs.

Mervyn Dillon, with 36, hit the second highest score by a West Indies number 11 in a 34-run partnership with Jacobs before he was last man out.

Jacques Kallis: Man of the match

The last four wickets added 184 runs with Nixon McLean (39) and Dillon recording their best Test scores.

The fifth Test takes place at Centurion Park from January 15. The West Indies' worst result in a series of more than three Tests was a 5-1 defeat in Australia in 1975-76.

The West Indies lost the first three Tests by margins of four wickets, 178 runs and nine wickets.

Scorecard:

South Africa first innings 406-8 declared (D.Cullinan 168, J.Kallis 110)
West Indies first innings 212 (C.Hooper 86)
South Africa second innings 226-7 declared (J.Kallis 88 not out, H.Cronje 54)
West Indies second innings (overnight 93-6)

P.Wallace c Gibbs b Pollock 0
J.Murray lbw b Kallis 7
S.Chanderpaul c Cullinan b Kallis 5
B.Lara c&b Adams 33
C.Hooper b Kallis 20
D.Ganga lbw b Pollock 16
R.Jacobs not out 69
O.Gibson run out 13
N.McLean c Adams b Kallis 39
C.Ambrose c Kirsten b Adams 19
M.Dillon c Cronje b Kallis 36

Extras (lb-2 nb-12) 14
Total 271

Fall: 1-2 2-7 3-15 4-47 5-87 6-87 7-108 8-173 9-207.

Bowling: Pollock 25-3-49-2 (12nb), Kallis 27.4-4-90-5, Cronje 1-1-0-0, Terbrugge 11-4-40-0, Adams 23-5-80-2, Cullinan 4-1-10-0.

Result: South Africa won by 149 runs to lead 4-0 in the five-Tests series.