Jacques Kallis hit his 25th Test century as South Africa reached an excellent 294-3 after day one of the Karachi Test against Pakistan.
Kallis profited from two dropped catches to hit 118 not out after the tourists had won the toss and filled their boots on a flat wicket.
The former vice-captain put on 170 with Hashim Amla, who was bowled by the second new ball after a patient 71.
Pakistan had four spinners on by lunch, but did not utilise the dry conditions.
The wicket is expected to deteriorate over the last three days.
"We are in a good position and will look for 500"
Abdur Rehman debuted for Pakistan while Mohammad Yousuf reported unfit and was replaced by Faisal Iqbal.
South Africa had no place for Shaun Pollock, who was dropped for the first time in a career spanning 107 Tests.
Though paceman Morne Morkel failed a fitness test on his injured foot, they chose to use a seam attack of Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn and Andre Nel.
Graeme Smith (42) and Herschelle Gibbs (54) put on 87 for the first wicket before falling either side of lunch.
First, off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez had Smith lbw with his quicker ball, then Gibbs drove flat-footedly at Umar Gul to be caught at gully.
Amla, who drove the last ball of the first session pleasantly through the covers for four, repeated the shot with the last ball before tea to go to 49 not out.
But he lost momentum in the final session and was bowled by one that nipped back from Mohammad Asif, the seamer taking his 50th Test wicket.
Kallis oozed class, dominating the partnership with Amla.
He was, however, missed by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal on 36 off Danish Kaneria and on 61 by Salman Butt, in at short-leg to Hafeez.
Amla enjoyed the same level of fortune as Pakistan gave a fielding performance that would have frustrated new coach Geoff Lawson.
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Misbah-ul-Haq - returning to the Test side after four years - dropped an easy catch close to the wicket when Amla was on one, and later Butt's throw was wide of the stumps with Amla way out of his crease on 39.
Kallis moved into the 90s with a deft cover-drive off Kaneria, went to 99 with a back- foot force off the same bowler, and took a single off Shoaib Malik to reach three figures from his 147th ball faced.
It was his first century of any sort in Pakistan, after previously playing 10 one-day internationals and three Tests there without going to three figures.
Mohammad Yousuf explained his surprise withdrawal: "I have not played for two months and I require more time to regain full match fitness.
"[The selectors] didn't ask me about my fitness or form [before the call-up] but I told them on Sunday I was not playing."
South Africa's Hashim Amla: "It was disappointing to miss a hundred but we are in a good position and will look for 500 because the pitch is deteriorating and it was a good toss to win.
"Kallis and I were even but then he paced his innings and he is a kind of a player who can do that easily."
South Africa have named Ashwell Prince as their Test vice-captain, with Justin Kemp set to do the job in one-day cricket.
Kallis had resigned from the role after being overlooked for the ICC World Twenty20.
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